Bachelor
of Science in Criminal Justice degree
(Full-time, Daytime Off-Campus Program)
Course
Requirements • Program
Delivery • Admissions • Location
Department
of Government and Justice Studies, College of Arts and Sciences,
Appalachian State University
The Department of Government and Justice Studies, in the College of Arts and Sciences, offers the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (BSCJ) degree. The purposes of the department are to prepare students to critically observe, analyze, and understand the complex political world in which they live; to prepare students to recognize and address the problems of our society which affect our governmental and criminal justice systems; and to encourage students to become knowledgeable, active citizens who play a role in the political processes of the nation and the world.
In cooperation with the Office of Extension and Distance Education, the department makes the courses required to earn the BSCJ in Criminal Justice degree with a minor in Psychology available at an off-campus site. The off-campus program blends transfer credit with Appalachian’s upper-division course work (i.e., courses typically taken in the junior and senior years) to provide local access to all courses required for the degree.
Freshman
and Sophomore Courses to be Completed at a Community College:
(or other accredited institution)
Individuals planning to enter this program are strongly encouraged to complete the NC Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) core, AA degree, or AS degree through a NC community college prior to enrollment in this program. If completion of the CAA core is not likely possible by the start of this program, please contact the Office of Extension and Distance Education.
In addition to completing the CAA core or AA or AS degree, students pursuing the criminal justice major will need to ensure the following courses are accomplished outside the program Appalachian delivers to the site. (NC community college course numbers which will fulfill the requirements are shown in the second column of the chart.)
| Statistics |
3-4 sh; MAT 151 or 155 |
| Political Science 1100 |
3 sh; American Government (POL 120) |
| Psychology 1200 |
3 sh; General Psychology (PSY 150) |
| Psychology 2401 |
3 sh; Abnormal Psychology (PSY 281) |
| Sociology 1000 or 1100 |
3 sh; (choose from: Intro to Sociology [SOC 210] or Social Problems [SOC 220]) |
| Sociology 2020 |
3 sh; Social Deviance (SOC 242) |
| CJ 1100 |
3 sh; Intro to CJ (CJC 111) |
| CJ 2120 |
3 sh; Law Enforcement Operations (CJC 121) |
| CJ 2150 |
3 sh; Court Procedure/Evidence (CJC 132) |
| CJ 2430 |
3 sh; Corrections (CJC 141) |
| A minimum of 50 semester hours of transfer credit (applicable to the program) is required for entry to Appalachian's off-campus program in Criminal Justice. |
Concurrent enrollment
(i.e. taking courses through Appalachian and the community
college during the same term) is allowed, but students are advised to enroll in no more than 15-16 total semester hours per academic semester and no more than 12 semester hours in summer term. Students must plan carefully in order to accomplish any pre-requisite courses within the appropriate time frame. |
| A total of 122 semesters is required to graduate. |
Off-Campus Program Delivery
Appalachian State University
faculty teach the off-campus courses and the mode of delivery is primarily face-to face with the possibility of hybrid (a combination of face-to-face and online instruction) offered each semester. Because the program is classified as full-time, there are generally four to five courses (12-15 semester hours) offered each term primarily during the weekday daytime hours. The Appalachian upper-division course sequence is two years. 122 semester hours are required for graduation from Appalachian.
Application Process
The application for admission for each
off-campus program is made available only at selected
times. Please contact the Office of Extension and Distance Education for more details (call 800/355-4084 or submit the electronic request form). At this time, the application for admission should not be submitted via Appalachian's online form.
Admission to the University
Individuals seeking to enter an off-campus undergraduate program must present at least 50 semester hours of transferable work (applicable to this program) prior to entry. Transfer students are accepted based upon successful completion of college transferable credits. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (as calculated by Appalachian) on all transferable coursework taken within the two previous years is required to be admitted. All grades earned in transferable courses within the last two years, including repeated courses, are used in calculating the grade point average. (College course work taken in excess of two years ago will be considered for transfer, but the grades in this coursework are not used in determining the cumulative gpa for admission purposes.) Students less than 24 years of age who have not completed the high school Minimum Course Requirements (MCR) must present one of the following:
- NC Community College CAA core
- AA or AS degree
- 6 semester hours of transferable courses in each of the following areas: English, mathematics, social science, and science (Additionally, individuals graduating from high school in 2004 or later must present an additional 6 semester hours in a foreign language.)
Location of Program
Catawba County
Fall 2008 -- Full-time, daytime program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree began at the Hickory Metro Higher Education Center.
(Additional opportunities for entering new cycles of this program are planned for each fall semester.)
