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2021-2022

Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Arts and Sciences: General Studies, Administration of Justice Specialization (Germanna Community College)
Germanna Community College
Germanna Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Arts and Sciences: General Studies, Administration of Justice Specialization

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. Wilder School graduates typically pursue careers in public service and work in law enforcement, the court system, corrections or public policy. Students will learn under 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
  • MATH 131
  • STAT 208
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA
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
2021-2022

Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)

Germanna Community College (Associate of Arts and Sciences: General Studies, Administration of Justice Specialization)

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
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Review the two concentrations of the BS degree: forensic crime scene investigation and justice.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Get involved with a student or professional organization.
  • 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.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Create Linkedln profile.
  • Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Work with career services to build resume.
  • Take a career assessment through the career coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
Experience Year 2
  • 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.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Wilder School-related events.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • Run for leadership in your student organization.
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • 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.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Review the two concentrations of the BS degree: forensic crime scene investigation and justice.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Get involved with a student or professional organization.
  • 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.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Create Linkedln profile.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Use SDV 100 to create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Work with career services to build resume.
  • Take a career assessment through the career coach.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • 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.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Wilder School-related events.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • Run for leadership in your student organization.
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • 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.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)

Germanna Community College (Associate of Arts and Sciences: General Studies, Administration of Justice Specialization)

Germanna Community College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 or 101 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
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning MATH 131 3 General education
ITE 115 Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts INFO 160, 161, 162 3 Elective
ADJ 133 Ethics and the Criminal Justice Professional CRJS 1XX 3 Elective
ENG 112 College Composition  II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 155 (or MTH 245) Statistical Reasoning STAT 208 3 Major (Ancillary)
Laboratory Science Laboratory Science (select one): BIO 101, CHM 101, GOL 105, or PHY 201 VCU equivalent 4 General education
ADJ 211 Criminal Law Evidence and Procedures I CRJS 2XX 3 Elective
Social science Social science (select 1): PSY 200, PSY 230, SOC 200, SOC 211 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Laboratory Science Laboratory Science (select one): BIO 101, 102, CHM 101, 102, GOL 105, 106, or PHY 201, 202 VCU equivalent 4 General education
ENG Any 200-level ENG literature course (select 1): ENG 241, 242, 243, 244, 251, 252 ENGL 3 General education
Humanities Humanities(select 1): ART 101, 102, 106, HUM 100 or any REL VCU equivalent 3 General education
HIS U.S. or Western Civilization History (select 1): HIS 101, 102, 121, 122 HIST 3 General education
ADJ 212 Criminal Law Evidence and Procedures II CRJS 2XX 3 Elective
HIS U.S. or Western Civilization History (select 1): HIS 101, 102, 121, 122 HIST 3 General education
ADJ 100 Survey of Criminal Justice CRJS 181 3 Major
ADJ ADJ elective CRJS 2XX 3 Elective
Humanities Humanities elective VCU equivalent 3 to 4 General education
Social science Select one: PLS 135. 211, 241 POLI 103 or POLI 105 3 Elective
Germmana Credits Transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Bachelor of Science: Criminal Justice with a concentration in Justice
CRJS 253 Introduction to Corrections 3 Major
CRJS 254 Introduction to Policing 3 Major
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 Select six CRJS upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) 18 Major
GVPA 100 Making Policy Real: Social Problems and Policy Solutions 3 Major (Ancillary)
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. 18 Elective
Open elective 3 Elective
Credits Completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120
Bachelor of Science: Criminal Justice with a concentration in forensic crime scene investigation
CRJS 253 Introduction to Corrections 3 Major
CRJS 254 Introduction to Policing 3 Major
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 Select two CRJS upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) 6 Major
GVPA 100 Making Policy Real: Social Problems and Policy Solutions 3 Major (Ancillary)
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. 18 Elective
Open elective 3 Elective
Credits Completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120