Criminal Sentencing and Sentencing Advocacy (Graduate Certificate)
Corrections, Criminology, Justice, Policing, Social Work, Victim Advocate, government, law
Social media and nightly news are filled with events that influence the justice system. Develop the skills you'll need to serve confidently as a practitioner and advocate with advanced expertise.
The certificate program in criminal sentencing and sentencing advocacy assumes that for any professional to function effectively, they must have a fundamental knowledge of the respective roles that sentencing professionals play during various phases of the criminal justice process.
In keeping with this viewpoint, all students are required to take courses for practice as both a presentence investigator and a sentencing advocate. Those courses are seminars in courts and sentencing, in presentence investigations and in alternatives to penal sanctions. After taking these required courses, students select an area of specialization to further their expertise as a probation professional, mitigation specialist or victim advocate. They take these courses from a range of electives available in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and in the School of Social Work.
This interprofessional certificate program also provides participants with content on the relationship between mental disorder and crime, and the way in which differential sentencing frameworks affect the sentencing of offenders suffering from mental disorders.
This program is highly recommended for social workers who desire to practice as mitigation specialists and for criminal justice professionals responsible for making recommendations about the appropriateness of sentencing alternatives for persons with known mental disorders.
- College/school:
Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut
- Location: Online
15 credit hours
Required Core (9 credit hours) Electives (6 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information
CRJ 513 Seminar in Courts and Sentencing (3)
SWG 528 Presentence Investigations (3)
SWG 529 Alternatives Penal Sanctions (3)
For electives, students should see the academic unit for the approved course list.
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in social work, criminology, criminal justice or a related field, or if they are currently enrolled in the master of criminal justice program.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
This program does not require admission examinations.
ASU offers this program in an online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. Applicants may view the program’s ASU Online page for program descriptions and to request more information.
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:
- Apply professional evidence-based interventions when working with offenders in the criminal justice system.
- Demonstrate ability to write a Presentence Report from information provided, including police reports, victim statements and interested parties.
Social workers, criminal justice professionals and recent graduates of psychology and other social and behavioral sciences programs perform a number of roles in the disposition and sentencing of public offenders. They also provide support for victims of crime during the criminal justice process.
Career examples include:
- mitigation specialist
- presentence investigator
- probation professional
- sentencing advocate
- victim advocate
School of Social Work
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UCENT 800
sswgradcerts@asu.edu
602-496-0800
3 year programs
These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
