Youth Justice
Youth Justice Graduate Certificate
The certificate in Youth Justice provides an opportunity for students interested in serving youth involved in or at-risk for involvement in the juvenile justice system.
According to Youth.Gov, youth of color are overrepresented within—and treated differently by—the juvenile justice system compared to their White peers. Brown and Black youth are more likely to be detained and committed than non-Hispanic White youth. In fact, in October 2019, Black juveniles were more than 4x as likely to be in a residential placement facility as non-Hispanic Whites. This certificate aims to help those at-risk youth.
Quote
[This certificate is for] students who have a passion and real commitment in seeing beyond the bars by examining and disrupting discriminatory policies, laws, practices, and research that continue to stigmatize, pathologize and punitively oppress our most vulnerable and precious youth.
- Robert Hernandez, Faculty Lead
Maximize Your MSW
Through the core curriculum of the MSW program, you may have already completed 6 of the units you need for a certificate. Adding on a graduate certificate — designed to enhance your skills and knowledge base for specific expertise — will allow you to stand out in the social work specialization that interests you.
Current students in the Master in Social Work Degree Program are eligible for any graduate certificate of their choosing.
What You'll Learn
This certificate provides a specialized focus in youth justice, from understanding the historical context of how America has treated its youth to the current climate our youth find themselves in today.
Students will:
- Develop a more macro- or micro-centered training, inclusive of other systems closely related to juvenile justice (e.g. schools, child welfare).
- Acquire knowledge of intersecting systems and inequalities impacting youth and families touched by the legal system.
- Gain an understanding of how to best advocate for change.
Coursework
The certificate team will help you determine which courses you need to take to complete your certificate. Please note, not all classes are offered every semester.
Hear from Robert Hernandez, Program Lead for the Youth Justice Graduate Certificate
Build the skills to benefit your career with one of our specialized Graduate Certificates.
Add a Certificate to Your Program
This program is currently only available to current students.