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2024-2025

Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Arts (Richard Bland College of William and Mary)
Richard Bland College
Richard Bland College
Associate degree

Associate of Arts

Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.

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
  • Crime Scene Technician
  • Evidence Custodian
  • Evidence Room Custodian
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
  • No
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      

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science

Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Arts)

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 cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
Experience Year 2
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the Wilder School, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Apply to VCU.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Continue learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Wilder School-related events.
  • 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
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the Wilder School, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Apply to VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Continue learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Wilder School-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • 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
2024-2025

Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science

Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Arts)

Richard Bland College of William and Mary courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
ENGL 101 Rhetoric and Research I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENGL 102 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
ENGL 102 Rhetoric and Research II UNIV 200 3 General education
Language & Ideas Select 2: ENGL 203, 204, 205, 206, 210, 211, 214, 215, 216, PHIL 101, 201, 202, 203, 270, REL 201, 209, 210, 270, COMM 101, 102, 201. VCU equivalent 6 General education
Fine Arts Select 1: ART 201, 202, 231, MUS 103, MUS 123, THEA 201 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Human Experience Select 2: PHIL 101, 121, 201, 202, 203, PSY 201-202, 217, 218, 240, 250, 292, 295, REL 201, 209, 210, SOC 201, 204, 208, 250, 253. VCU equivalent 6 General education
MATH 217 Statistics STAT 210 3 Major (Ancillary)
FREN or SPAN Two Courses in Foreign Language as per Placement VCU equivalent 6 to 8 Elective
U.S. & World Cultures Select 3: ECON 201, 202, GEO 101, GEO 103, GOVT 201, GOVT 202, GOVT 203, HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 191, 192, HIST 201, HIST 202, HIST 240, REL 209, REL 210, REL 219, REL 220, REL 254 (at least one must be history). VCU equivalent 9 General education
Lab Science Select 1 with lab: BIOL 101/L, 110, 151/L, CHEM 101/L, 110/L, PHYS 101/L, 201/L, SCIE 111/L. VCU equivalent 4 General education
Complete requirements for associate degree VCU equivalents 15 to 17 Elective
Richard Bland credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
CRJS 181 Introduction to Criminal Justice (take in first semester at VCU) 3 Major
CRJS 253 Introduction to Corrections 3 Major
CRJS 254 Introduction to Policing 3 Major
CRJS 324 Courts and Sentencing 3 Major
CRJS 335 Ethics and Decision-making in Criminal Justice 3 Major
CRJS 355 Criminological Theory 3 Major
CRJS 380 Research Methods in Criminal Justice 3 Major
CRJS 480 Senior Seminar 3 Major
CRJS electives: Select from upper-level CRJS courses, including HSEP 301, HSEP 302, HSEP 320 and/or HSEP 330. 15 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
REAL The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. 0 Major
Credits completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120
The accelerated B.S. and M.P.A. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. in Criminal Justice and Master of Public Administration in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for admittance to the program include completion of 90 undergraduate credit hours including CRJS 181, CRJS 253, CRJS 254, CRJS 320, CRJS 355, CRJS 370, CRJS 373 and CRJS 380; an overall GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.5 in criminal justice course work. The accelerated B.S. and M.S. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. and M.S. in Criminal Justice in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 90 undergraduate credit hours including CRJS 355 and CRJS 380 , an overall minimum GPA of 3.5 and a minimum GPA of 3.5 in criminal justice course work. Additionally, one of the required reference letters must be from a criminal justice faculty member.