Community and Justice Studies

• Information for Transfer Students
   

Community and Justice Studies
Academic Bulletin

Area of Study: Interdisciplinary Studies
Programs: Major and Minor

If a student expresses an interest in social justice, community engagement, activism, civic involvement, political empowerment and/or the impacts of social identies such as race, class, ethnicity, and gender, please bring the COMJ Program to their attention. Sometimes students mistakenly believe that we teach c riminal justice type courses. WE do not, though the impacts of policing, incarceration, and surveillance are discussed in our courses.

COMJ MAJOR NOTES 

• 44 credits are required to complete the Major.
• The following courses are required for the Major:
  • COMJ 160 Foundations of Community and Justice Studies (4 credits)
  • COMJ 280: Power, Society and Social Change (4 credits) (previously Fall Semester only, will also be offered some Spring semesters as well)
  • COMJ 460: Community Organizing and Civic Professionalism (4 credits) (offered Fall semesters at the moment)
  • COMJ 560: COMJ Junior Seminar (4 credits) (offered Fall 2026 but will be offered Spring Semesters in future; only offered once per academic year)
  • COMJ 620: COMJ Senior Comprehensive Project (4 credits)
• In addition to the core COMJ courses above, students must take one in each of the following categories:
  • Ethics  (4 credits)
  • Place: a course grounded in our community (4 credits)
  • Political Participation and Democracy (4 credits)
  • Qualifying courses listed in Academic Bulletin, some substitutions possible with approvl of chair.
• Finally, COMJ students take 3 elective courses within a self-designed theme. (12 credits)
• Possible electives each semester are listed on poster available from department chair.
• Academic Advisor: Students should visit the COMJ website and request a meeting with a faculty member in COMJ. They can ask that faculty member if they would be able and willing to serve as their advisor.
• Senior Comp: COMJ’s Senior Comp is a one semester comp that can be taken in either the Fall or Spring of the senior year.
• Students are also expected to participate in some form of community engaged work.

Suggested Schedule for COMJ Majors (for specific courses required for the Major, please see the Academic Bulletin):

COMJ MINOR NOTES 

24 credits are required to complete the Minor. The following courses are required for the Minor:

• COMJ 160 Foundations of Community and Justice Studies (4 credits)
• COMJ 280: Power, Society and Social Change (4 credits) (previously usually offered Fall Semester only; will also be offered some Spring semesters as well moving guests)
• COMJ 460: Community Organizing and Civic Professionalism (4 credits) (offered Fall semesters only at the moment)
• COMJ Theme: Students take 3 elective courses in a self-designed theme. (12 credits)
• POssible electives each semester are listed on poster available from department chair

Suggested Schedule for COMJ Minor (for specific courses required for the Minor, please see the Academic Bulletin):

Information for Transfer Students

COMJ major in 3 years

• Ideally, a transfer student considering a COMJ major with one year of experience elsewhere will be able to transfer in courses that count for the Political Participation elective and/or the Ethics Requirement.