Criminal Justice

Academics

An education with community impact

Interested in police work, national security, assets protection or law? SFA’s criminal justice program will give you a comprehensive knowledge of criminal justice institutions and processes. You’ll develop the analytical thinking and problem-solving skills to be effective in a variety of roles within criminal justice institutions and administration. 

Your criminal justice degree can help you improve the quality of life in your community, your country and beyond. 

A career with required skills

SFA’s criminal justice program focuses on real-world skills that are in demand by employers in both the private and public sectors. With your criminal justice degree from SFA, you’ll be marketable to all three areas of criminal justice: the police, the courts and corrections. 

Our program is designed to give you the practical education and training you’ll need to succeed in criminal justice, whether as a practitioner, an attorney or an academic. You’ll be prepared for a public- or private-sector career in justice administration, corporate or national security, or assets protection. If you’re interested in pursuing an academic career, your studies will prepare you for a career in criminal justice research and management. 

Join the Criminal Justice Association

SFA’s Criminal Justice Association is a great resource for information about career placement, training programs and current insights into the state of the criminal justice system. Membership is open to all criminal justice majors and minors currently enrolled at SFA. And dues are only $10.00 per semester!

Undergraduate programs and requirements 

Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice

Whether you are interested in working on a police force or in a courtroom, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice will prepare you for your future goals. This program teaches courses over criminal law and procedure so you can become familiar with the U.S. legal system.

Check out a sample degree plan on the advising web page.

See the Undergraduate Bulletin for additional details, guidelines and requirements.

Bachelor of Science in criminal justice

Whether you are interested in working on a police force or in a courtroom, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice will prepare you for your future goals. This program teaches courses over criminal law and procedure so you can become familiar with the U.S. legal system.

Check out a sample degree plan advising web page.

See the Undergraduate Bulletin for additional details, guidelines and requirements.

Additional major in criminal justice 

If you want to complete an additional major in criminal justice, the course requirements are the same as if criminal justice were your primary major, including criminal just theory and practice, and incident report writing.

To receive transcript credit for the additional major, you must specifically request that transcript credit from the registrar when you file for graduation.

To learn more about the requirements of this program, contact your advisor.

Minor in criminal justice

A minor in criminal justice includes coursework covering criminal investigation to legal research.

See the Undergraduate Bulletin for additional details, guidelines and requirements.

Five-year overlap program

With careful planning, it is possible to condense the conventional six-year plan of study typically required to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in criminal justice into five years. Motivated students who choose this degree plan can earn both a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science and a Master of Public Administration in five calendar years. 

The Department of Government offers the following dual degrees:

To learn more about the requirements of this program, contact your advisor.