Criminal Justice, B.S.

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Samford’s bachelor of science in criminal justice degree completion program allows working adults the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for employment or career advancement in this growing field. The core curriculum follows national standards for best practices in criminal justice education. Students in this program will learn the fundamentals of the American justice system, with an emphasis on real-world application as well as critical theory.

Required Courses

Transfer Credit with AA or AS degree: 60 Credits*

Criminal Justice Major: 68 Credits

Criminal Justice Core: 27 Credits

ECCJ 300 - Field Experience in Criminal Justice (1) (take three times)
ECCJ 301 - Introduction to Criminal Justice (3)
ECCJ 302 - Ethics in Criminal Justice (3)
ECCJ 303 - Fundamentals of Criminal Law (3)
ECCJ 304 - Police Operations (3)
ECCJ 305 - Corrections in America (3)
ECCJ 343 - Criminology (3)
ECCJ 400 - Criminal Procedure and Evidence (3)
ECSO 401 - Social Psychology (3)

Criminal Justice Electives: 9 Credits

(choose three)

ECCJ 401 - Law Enforcement Administration (3)
ECCJ 402 - Criminal Investigations (3)
ECCJ 403 - Criminalistics (3)
ECSO 345 - Juvenile Delinquency (3)
ECYS 320 - Children and the Law (3)
ECYS 340 - Working with Youth in Groups (3)

Evening College Common Courses: 32 Credits

ECCC 101 - Evening College Orientation (1)
ECCC 201 - Biblical Perspectives (4)
ECMA 210 - Statistics (3)
ECCC 321 - Substance Abuse Counseling (3)
ECCC 345 - Principles of Communication (3)
ECCC 406 - Race and Ethnic Relations (3)
ECCC 441 - Personal Growth and Development (3)
ECCC 453 - Professional Communication (3)
ECCC 475 - Research Methods (3)
ECCC 490 - Senior Capstone I (3)
ECCC 491 - Senior Capstone II (3)

Total Required Credits: 128

* Students who have earned a transferrable two-year degree from a state institution may apply 60 hours of credit toward the 128-hour requirement for the award of a bachelor’s degree. This transferable degree will satisfy all General Education requirements and will waive the General Electives requirement.