Criminal Justice is the study of both domestic and international structures, functions, behaviors, and public policies related to the apprehension, prosecution, sentencing, and incarceration of offenders.
About This Program
The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice offers a course of study that leads to the Bachelor of Criminal Justice (BCJ) degree.
Criminal Justice at Florida A&M University is an interdisciplinary and professionally oriented academic discipline concentrating on many aspects of crime and the concepts that impact our system of justice.
The Bachelor of Criminal Justice (BCJ) program requires 120 semester hours to complete.
The Bachelor of Criminal Justice (BCJ) program equips students with the fundamentals of social science research to stimulate their ability to apply social and criminological theory and social science research methods to address social and cultural issues related to the criminal justice system.
With an emphasis on law enforcement, criminal procedures, the courts, and corrections, FAMU’s Criminal Justice program has educated and trained students who now serve as law enforcement, correctional, and probation officers. Many others went on to pursue law degrees and now hold positions in courts, colleges, and public and private practices or agencies across the nation and the world.
In addition to general studies requirements, students must meet all University requirements. All courses must be passed with a grade of “C” or better.
Academic Course Curriculum
What is Criminal Justice?
Criminal justice is the study of both domestic and international structures, functions, behaviors, and public policies related to the apprehension, prosecution, sentencing, and incarceration of offenders.
Criminal justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts.
Criminal Justice Careers
Criminal Justice provides a number of job options and career paths. Many are found in the public sector, either in law enforcement, the court system, or the corrections system
Example Career Paths
Criminal justice is an extensive field of study that can lead to career possibilities in politics, homeland security, criminology, business, forensic science, and social work. Positions include, but are not limited to:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment of police and detectives is projected to grow by 3 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations. There are about 64,500 openings for police and detectives projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Q: Do I need to attend law school to work in criminal justice? A:While some roles within the field of Criminal Justice may require advanced degrees such as a Juris Doctor (JD) for lawyers or master's degrees for certain specialized positions, many entry-level positions only require a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice or a related field.
Q: Is an internship required for criminal justice majors? A: The internship is optional, but students are strongly encouraged to arrange their schedules so that they can complete an internship before they graduate. The Department maintains relationships with agencies from each of the areas of the criminal justice field, and you may have opportunities to work with law enforcement, course, corrections, or juvenile justice programs.
Q: Is a minor required for criminal justice majors. A: Yes, a minor is required for criminal justice majors. The minor requires eighteen (18) credit hours of course work in an approved discipline. The curriculum for the minor follows the requirements specified by the minor discipline. Contact your academic advisor for more information.
Q: How will I know if this major is a fit for me? A: For students who are interested in reducing crime, seeking justice, and serving society, a career in criminal justice may be for you. FAMU’s Criminal Justice major will permit you to explore these areas and determine where you belong as a professional in this field.
Bachelor of Criminal Justice (BCJ) Degree Requirements
The components of the criminal justice program consist of theory, research, criminal law, law enforcement, corrections, and juvenile justice.
In addition to general studies requirements, students must meet all University requirements (e.g. grades of "C" or better in Gordon Rule Courses), and grades of "C" or above in all criminal justice courses.
Students must master CCJ 2010 “Introduction to Criminal Justice” before taking upper level courses. It is expected that these twenty-one (21) semester credit hours of core courses will be taken at Florida A&M University. The additional nine (9) semester hours are to be taken from a single substantive area.
Students may choose from the substantive areas of:
(1) Legal Studies CCJ 4932 Contemporary Judicial Issue (3) OR CJL 4065 American Criminal Procedure (3) CCJ 4031 Cases In Corrections (3) CJL 4064 American Criminal Law (3)
(2) Minority and Gender CCJ 4670 Women And Crime (3) CCJ 4662 Race, Class, And Justice (3) CCJ 3129 Multicultural Perspectives on Adolescence and Adolescent Development (3)
(3) Juvenile Justice CJJ 3010 Juvenile Delinquency And The Juvenile Justice System (3) CJJ 3544 Youth Management, Community Organization, And Advocacy(3) CJJ 3545 Social Problems Of Youth (3)
(4) Corrections CCJ 4031 Cases In Corrections (3) CCJ 4360 Contemporary Issues in Corrections (3) CJC 4164 Community Corrections (3)
Criminal Justice majors are required to complete eight (8) required courses totaling thirty (30) semester hours of upper division criminal justice courses and three (3) courses in a designated substantive area* as provided below:
CCJ 2010 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3)
CCJ 3117 Theories of Criminal Behavior (3)
CCJ 3718 Statistics in Criminal Justice (3)
CCJ 4700 Research Methods in Criminal Justice (3)
CCJ 4934 Seminar in Criminal Justice (3)
CJE 4065 Police and Society (3)
CJL 3510 American Court System (3)
CJL 4012 Penology (3)
A minor is required for criminal justice majors. The minor requires eighteen (18) credit hours of coursework in an approved non-criminal justice/juvenile justice field. The curriculum for the minor follows the requirements specified by the minor field. A grade below a “C” will not be accepted for credit toward the minor.
Minors in criminal justice are required to complete eighteen (18) credit hours of course work [15 hours must be satisfied at the 3000 level or above]. The following coursemay notbe used to satisfy the minor: CCJ 4947 Field Experience in Criminal Justice (Internship).
Learn more about Minoring in Criminal Justice
Internships are available for students to acquire experience in their chosen field of study. The internship is optional, but students are strongly encouraged to arrange their schedules so that they can complete an internship before they graduate. Graduates of the program will be qualified to work in agencies throughout the criminal justice system or enter graduate or law school. A grade below a “C” will not be accepted for credit toward the major.
Elective Internship Options for Criminal Justice Majors Only
CCJ 4947 Field Experience In Criminal Justice (3)
Criminal Justice Course Offerings: The course offerings indicate courses offered during the Fall and Spring semesters.
Criminal Justice Program Curriculum : The degree audit is a management tool to indicate what major courses have been completed and which are needed to earn a BCJ degree.
Program Faculty
Name
Email
Phone
Dr. Phyllis Welch Chair, Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice
phyllis.welch@famu.edu
(850) 599-3316
Dr. Keith Parker Professor
keith.parker@famu.edu
(850) 599-8285
Dr. Ray Robertson Professor
ray.robertson@famu.edu
(850) 599-8541
Dr. Felecia Dix-Richardson Associate Professor
felecia.dix@famu.edu
(850) 599-8857
Attorney Kenya Washington Johnson Associate Professor
As with any subject or degree program, criminal justice might be more difficult for someone who isn't particularly interested in it, or who lacks some of the basic foundational skills needed to achieve success in the industry, but these obstacles are easy to overcome by getting your degree in criminal justice!
Is a Criminal Justice Degree a Waste of Time? Answer: No, especially if you have aspirations to work within the criminal justice field, have a good credit history and a clean criminal record.
But before you commit to an entire degree program, you might be wondering, “Is criminal justice a good major?” A criminal justice major is an excellent choice, especially if you're interested in criminal justice jobs in areas like law enforcement, prison reform and the judicial system.
Although typically considered to be one of the easiest college majors, criminal justice majors often have their sights set on difficult career paths in police work or corrections. However, there are many additional (and lucrative) career paths available in law, forensic psychology, and information analysis.
However, University Magazine points out that the job scene typically isn't all roses after graduation. It says, “According to a report from Payscale, the hardest majors for finding a job are general social sciences, earth and atmospheric sciences, chemistry, mathematic and statistics, and physics.
Much of the work done in criminal justice involves analyzing, data collecting, and interpreting data. That is why many schools require students to have a strong background in math before perusing their major in criminal justice. Statistics is one of the most common requirements for a criminal justice course.
In terms of long-term goals, a BA in criminal justice may benefit students interested in pursuing careers in law enforcement administration, criminology or corrections. A BS in criminal justice may benefit students interested in pursuing careers in fraud investigation, forensic science or paralegal work.
Some Criminal Justice Jobs Require You to Work Long Hours
When you're in college, there are plenty of long nights of reading, writing essays, and studying for exams. This is good preparation, though, because some of the jobs for which you might qualify upon graduation require that you work long hours.
Criminal justice majors learn a wide array of skills
Other reasons to study criminal justice are the opportunity to build and sharpen critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. It is highly important that people working to understand criminal behavior possess the ability to rationalize and use reason to help others.
In terms of long-term goals, a BA in criminal justice may benefit students interested in pursuing careers in law enforcement administration, criminology or corrections. A BS in criminal justice may benefit students interested in pursuing careers in fraud investigation, forensic science or paralegal work.
Is criminology a hard degree to get? Like most majors, a criminology degree requires time, effort and dedication to your classes and coursework. It's challenging because it requires you to develop a thorough understanding of the law, social science theories, statistical analysis and research techniques.
Criminal justice degrees allow students to study and explore topics relating to the various aspects of the criminal justice system. Students pursuing a degree in this field learn about law enforcement, criminal behavior, the American court system, and behavior and psychology.
Criminal law is tough—but if you're willing to rise to the challenge, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more exciting, diverse, or thought-provoking legal career.
Introduction: My name is Domingo Moore, I am a attractive, gorgeous, funny, jolly, spotless, nice, fantastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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