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2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Criminal Justice

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Applied Science: Criminal Justice (Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway))
Brightpoint Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Applied Science: Criminal Justice

Program description

The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs is a creative, interdisciplinary grouping of programs in the social sciences and professional arenas that provides students with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary for success in public service.   The Wilder School brings together faculty from multiple disciplines that share a common interest in public affairs. The major objective of this degree program is to prepare students for effective professional careers in criminal justice, forensic crime scene investigation, public service and other helping professions, and/or prepare them to pursue studies in law and other related graduate programs. Career opportunities are available in federal, state, local and private justice-related endeavors. These careers include law enforcement, crime scene investigation, juvenile justice, corrections and the courts.

This program also prepares students to enter law school or to pursue graduate studies in criminal justice or in several of the human services fields, usually related to justice. This program offers and encourages in-service justice employees and others to enhance their professional career development through higher education.


Career opportunities

Criminal justice students study the causes of crime, treatment of offenders and management of the criminal justice system, with a focus on balancing social justice and individual rights.  The Wilder School graduates typically pursue careers in public service and work in law enforcement, the court system, corrections or public policy.  As a student, you’ll work with faculty experts in criminal justice, criminology, law, juvenile justice, organized crime, law enforcement, corrections and transnational crime. 

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Child Protection Agents
  • Child, Family, and School Social Workers
  • Correctional Officer and Jailers
  • Court Clerks
  • Crime Scene Analyst
  • Criminal Investigators and Special Agents
  • Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary
  • Police Detectives
  • Police, Fire and Ambulance Dispatchers
  • Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
  • Retail Loss Prevention Specialist
  • Security Manager
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Attorney
  • Forensic Scientist
  • Government Agency Administrator
  • Mental Health Counselor
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • STAT 210
Science required
  • Core only
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Criminal Justice with concentration in Forensic Crime Scene Investigation, Justice      

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Criminal Justice

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Applied Science: Criminal Justice)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Attend Tyler orientation
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your ENG and MTH classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Create LinkedIn profile.
  • Get involved with a student or professional organization.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Visit career services to begin cultivating your own virtual brand across all social media profiles.
  • Browse careers related to criminal justice through the career coach.
  • Take a career assessment through the career coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Create, upload and update your resume to the College Central Network.
  • Understand how you will fund your education. Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Experience Year 2
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
  • Continue to partner with diversity leader/ facilitator/ mentor to move towards cultural competence.
  • Find out about VCU REAL.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
  • Run for leadership in your student organization.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Attend Tyler orientation
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your ENG and MTH classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Create LinkedIn profile.
  • Get involved with a student or professional organization.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Visit career services to begin cultivating your own virtual brand across all social media profiles.
  • Browse careers related to criminal justice through the career coach.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Take a career assessment through the career coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Create, upload and update your resume to the College Central Network.
  • Understand how you will fund your education. Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Get involved with service-learning opportunities.
  • Continue to partner with diversity leader/ facilitator/ mentor to move towards cultural competence.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
  • Run for leadership in your student organization.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Criminal Justice

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Applied Science: Criminal Justice)

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
Requirements for AAS degree
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
ADJ 100 Survey of Criminal Justice CRJS 181 3 Major
ITE 115 Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts INFO 160, 161, 162 3 Elective
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning MATH 131 3 General education
SOC 200 Principles of Sociology SOCY 101 3 General education
ADJ 201 Criminology CRJS 2XX 3 Elective
ENG 112 College Composition  II UNIV 200 3 General education
PSY 200 Principles of Psychology PSYC 101 3 General education
ADJ 105 The Juvenile Justice System CRJS 252 3 Major
ADJ 229 + ADJ 160 Law Enforcement & the Community -AND- Police Response to Critical Incidents (both must be taken to receive credit for VCU equivalents) CRJS 254 + CRJS 1XX 6 Major
PHI 220 Ethics PHIL 201 3 General education
ADJ 111 Law Enforcement Orgs. & Administration (or ADJ 245) CRJS 1XX 3 Elective
ADJ 211 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedure 1 CRJS 2XX 3 Elective
ADJ 133 Ethics and the Criminal Justice Profession CRJS 1XX 3 Elective
ADJ 236 Principles of Criminal Investigation CRJS 2XX 3 Elective
ADJ 247 Criminal Behavior CRJS 2XX 3 Elective
ADJ 227 Constitutional Law for Justice Personnel (or ADJ 241) CRJS 2XX 3 Elective
CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking SPCH 121 3 General education
ADJ 140 Intro to Corrections CRJS 253 3 Major
John Tyler credits completed for AAS degree 61
Additional courses required to fulfill VCU's general education requirements
Laboratory science Laboratory science (select 1): BIO 101, CHM 101, CHM 111. PHY 101, PHY 201 VCU equivalent 4 General education
Diverse & Global Select 1: PLS 241 or REL 230 POLI 105 or RELS 311 3 General education
Additional general education Select either: a history elective (HIS 111, 112, 121, 122), any 200-level ENG literature course (ENG 241, 242, 243, 244, 251, 252), or an additional laboratory science. VCU equivalent 3 General education
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Major
Foreign Language Foreign Language 101-102 (students with three years of a foreign language completed at high school are exempt from this requirement) VCU equivalent 0 to 8 General education
Additional John Tyler credits transferred to VCU 13 to 21
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Bachelor of Science: Criminal Justice with a concentration in Justice
HUMS 202 Choices in Consumer Society 1 General education
CRJS 355 Criminological Theory 3 Major
CRJS 380 Research Methods in Criminal Justice 3 Major
CRJS 475 Criminal Procedure 3 Major
CRJS 480 Senior Seminar 3 Major
CRJS ___ CRJS upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) 18 Major
Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 15 Elective
Credits Completed at VCU 46
Bachelor's degree total 120
Bachelor of Science: Criminal Justice with a concentration in forensic crime scene investigation
HUMS 202 Choices in Consumer Society 1 General education
CRJS 355 Criminological Theory 3 Major
CRJS 380 Research Methods in Criminal Justice 3 Major
CRJS 475 Criminal Procedure 3 Major
CRJS 480 Senior Seminar 3 Major
CRJS 320 Principles of Criminal Investigation 3 Major
CRJS 370 Criminalistics and Crime Analysis 3 Major
CRJS 373 Crime Scene Evidence: Law and Trial Procedure 3 Major
CRJS 425 Violent Crime Scene Investigation 3 Major
CRJS ___ CRJS upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) 6 Major
Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 15 Elective
Open electives 9 Elective
Credits Completed at VCU 46
Bachelor's degree total 120