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2021-2022

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

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Criminology and Criminal Justice (Northern Virginia Community College)
Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Science: Criminology and 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. 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)

Northern Virginia Community College (Associate of Science: Criminology and 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
  • Review and complete course requirements of the transfer map.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor each semester.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Use Navigate to connect with your advisor and create a program plan.
  • Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Browse careers related to Criminal Justice through the NOVA career planning system.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
Experience Year 2
  • Attend diversity focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • If interested, attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Wilder School-related events.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options at VCU.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Speak with employers that visit campus 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.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Review and complete course requirements of the transfer map.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor each semester.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Use Navigate to connect with your advisor and create a program plan.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Browse careers related to Criminal Justice through the NOVA career planning system.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE

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).
  • If interested, attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Wilder School-related events.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options at VCU.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Speak with employers that visit campus 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.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • 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)

Northern Virginia Community College (Associate of Science: Criminology and Criminal Justice)

Northern Virginia Community College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 (or SDV 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
ADJ 100 Survey of Criminal Justice CRJS 181 3 Major
HIS 112 History of World Civilizations II HIST 102 3 General education
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning MATH 131 3 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
ADJ 107 Survey of Criminology CRJS 1XX 3 Elective
ITE 115 (or ITE 119) Intro to Computer Applications and Concepts (or ITE 119) INFO 160, 161, 162 3 Elective
CST 110 Intro to Communication SPCH 121 3 Elective
PSY 200 Principles of Psychology PSYC 101 3 General education
ADJ 211 Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures CRJS 2XX 3 Elective
BIO 101 or CHM 101 General Biology I or Introductory Chemistry BIOL/Z 151 or CHEM/Z 110 4 General education
MTH 245 Statistics STAT 210 3 Major
SOC 200 Principles of Sociology SOCY 101 3 General education
ADJ 234 or ADJ 236 Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism or Principles of Criminal Investigation CRJS 2XX 3 Elective
CST 151 Film Appreciation I ENGL 250 3 General education
ADJ 140 Introduction to Corrections CRJS 253 3 Major
BIO 102 or CHM 102 General Biology II or Introductory Chemistry II BIOL/Z 152 or CHEM 1XX 4 General education
ADJ 133 Ethics and the Criminal Justice Professional CRJS 1XX 3 Elective
REL 231 Religions of the World I RELS 311 3 General education
Northern Virginia Credits Transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Bachelor of Science: Criminal Justice with a concentration in Justice
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 ___ 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 electives 6 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 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 ___ 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 electives 6 Elective
Credits Completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120