Bachelor in Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice Program offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of crime, theories of crime causation, and the evaluation of societal responses to it. Students majoring in Criminal Justice take a series of core courses which cover all phases of the three components of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Courses in English, science, mathematics, social sciences and the humanities are included as a part of the University’s general education curriculum. Foreign language courses are required in order to help prepare students for working and living in an ethnically and culturally diverse society.

The curriculum for a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice prepares students to meet entry-level standards for various criminal justice agencies as well as admission to graduate and professional school.

In the final semester of their senior year, all Criminal Justice majors have the opportunity to enhance their total academic experience through a planned and supervised program of observation, study, and work in selected criminal justice agencies. This opportunity is offered through CJ 401-Field Experience in Criminal Justice.

Duration

4 years

Careers

Mission Career Services at South Carolina State University is committed to helping students and alumni develop career and life-planning skills, acquire experience, master job search strategies, and seek rewarding employment. The Career Center facilitates mutually beneficial relationships between employers, faculty and staff, students and alumni in order to meet the dynamic needs of today's workplace.

Entry Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the Criminal Justice Program as a major or minor, a student must fulfill these requirements:

1. Present evidence of successful completion of the following prerequisites with a grade of “C” or better: SOC250 Introduction to Sociology; PSY250-General Psychology; EPSY250-Human Growth & Development and CJ201-Introduction to Criminal Justice
2. Present evidence of a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale. Progression. To remain eligible for progression into the Criminal Justice major or minor, these are the minimal requirements the student must fulfill:
3. Once admitted to the program, a student must earn a grade of “C” or better in all Criminal Justice courses and CJ Cluster Choices.
4. No more than two Criminal Justice courses and two CJ Cluster Choices may be repeated more than once in order to improve the grade. Unless approved by Program Coordinator with special provisions. Minor To minor in Criminal Justice, a student must complete the following courses with a grade of “C” or better: SOC 250 or PSY 250 or EPSY 250, CJ 201, CJ 300, CJ 301, CJ 302, CJ 311 and CJ 331.