BSCJ - Bachelor of Science with a Major in Criminal Justice

You have a strong moral compass and a desire to make a positive difference. We have the degree for you. At Coastal, our Criminal Justice degree program is focused on you and your desire to be a part of the solution to real-world challenges. 

The field of criminal justice offers opportunities to contribute across multiple areas, including law enforcement, investigations, the courts, corrections, and cyber defense. Coastal Georgia's criminal justice major is focused on the knowledge that each of these areas and many others are important to the education of today's criminal justice students. We are preparing our students to be tomorrow's capable and prepared law enforcement professionals and leaders who will contribute to public service and help shape public policy in municipalities and states, as well as domestically and internationally, for many years to come. 

Our graduates have been employed by federal departments and agencies, including Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United States Secret Service, and others, as well as numerous state and local departments, including Georgia State Patrol, Glynn County Police Department, Cobb County Police Department, Brunswick Police Department, and others. Other students have successfully entered graduate level programs or law school. 

In addition to the strength and relevance of our criminal justice courses, our students benefit from our close partnership with the nearly Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC). Our criminal justice courses are taught by some of the finest law enforcement instructors in the nation. Additionally, our criminal justice degree provides students with key management and leadership competencies and critical thinking skills, further enhancing our program's focus on preparing our students for their futures in the field of criminal justice. 

The field of criminal justice is expansive and includes opportunities for employment in positions such as police officer, detective, criminal investigator, special agent, probation or parole officer, crime scene investigator, intelligence analyst, deputy sheriff, school resource officer, and border patrol agent. Earning the baccalaureate degree in criminal justice is geared toward helping students learn real-world skills by pursuing a concentration in one of three distinct areas: homeland security, public management, or cyber defense. The strong combination of criminal justice with any of these areas of academic study will provide a thorough preparation for students as they pursue a career in the field of criminal justice. 

The concentration in Cyber Defense provides a unique opportunity for students interested in criminal justice through utilization of skills in cyber defense. This program is designed to allow students to grow their knowledge, skills, and abilities in cyber defense. The Cyber Defense concentration provides students with real world problem-solving skills, working with current industry tools and technology, while enhancing a student's skills for either public or private sector employment.

The concentration in Homeland Security provides a unique opportunity for students interested in focusing their studies on the expansive areas included in the complex arena of homeland security. The focus of this concentration is to provide a comprehensive study of relevant areas facing our nation such as immigration policy, border security, emergency management, cyber-crime, and the evaluation of public policies in these areas.

The concentration in Public Management focuses on leadership and management in public sector organizations. For criminal justice students, the goal of this concentration is to develop skills required by individuals who manage criminal justice and security organizations and those who develop and evaluate policies. The public management concentration provides marketable management and leadership competencies that can be directly applied in the workplace, while instilling essential values to ensure students thrive upon graduation in their careers as public servants.

During the Freshman and Sophomore years, students pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree are required to complete 60 total credit hours in the core curriculum in Core IMPACTS areas. In the Junior and Senior years, students generally are required to complete a 36-hour common core criminal justice curriculum, an 18-hour concentration, and 6 hours of directed electives. 30 credits of upper-level courses must be completed at CCGA.

Students are strongly encouraged to see an advisor on the criminal justice faculty. Each concentration has its own Field of Study/Prerequisites requirements.

Students may enroll in the BSCJ degree program at any time. Prior to enrolling in junior and senior level courses students generally have: 

• Earned a minimum of 60 credit hours in Core IMPACTS areas including Institution, 4 credits; Mathematics, 3 credits; Citizenship, 6 credits; Humanities, 6 credits; Writing, 6 credits; STEM, 11 credits; Social Sciences, 6 credits; Field of Study/Prerequisites Criminal Justice, 18 credits;

• A grade of C or better in all Field of Study/Prerequisites courses and MATH 1001 or MATH 1111;

• An institutional GPA of 2.0 or better;

• Meet all prerequisites for the courses in which they plan to enroll 

Upon completion of all degree requirements, students complete 36 hours from a set of core courses that provide essential learning outcomes in one of the three offered concentrations: homeland security, cyber defense, or public management. 

In addition to the above, students must also complete all collegewide Graduation Requirements.