The Criminal Justice program focuses on the issues of law, crime, law enforcement, corrections, and the criminal justice system. The program’s primary purpose is to prepare students to assume entry level positions in various criminal justice occupations and to eventually assume administrative responsibilities, to conduct research in the field, or to pursue advanced degrees. 

An accelerated bachelors to masters program is available for exceptionally well qualified students. Please see the requirements for this program at the end of the courses requirements section.

Program Requirements

In addition to the university’s general requirements, students seeking the B.A. in Criminal Justice must meet the requirements listed below. A minimum grade of “C” is required for all core courses. CCJ 2002 Survey of Crime and Justice should be taken as the first course in the major. STA 2023 Elements of Statistics is recommended for all majors.

Criminal Justice Major

General Education

In addition to the General Education requirements listed on this page, students must satisfy all additional University requirements, including the Gordon Rule, multicultural, and foreign language requirements. With appropriate planning and coordination with an academic advisor, students may satisfy some of the general University requirements through the General Education curriculum. For a complete listing of general degree requirements, refer to the "University Requirements" section of this catalog.

General Education Curriculum:

Multicultural Requirement

Civic Literacy Requirement

The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a State University System (SUS) and/or Florida College System (FCS) institution in 2018-2019 and thereafter to demonstrate competency in civic literacy. The 2021 Legislature further amended Florida Statutes, requiring students to complete both a civic literacy course and an exam. As a result, there are three cohorts of students currently matriculating at Florida public institutions subject to varying requirements. As demonstrated in the table below, the exact civic literacy requirements are based on the academic term in which a student first enrolled in a Florida public institution.

Additionally, the 2021 Legislature made two additional exceptions: approving the use of accelerated mechanisms for meeting the course competency requirement and exempting high school students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam in high school from the postsecondary exam requirement. These two changes are in effect for Cohort 3.

There are multiple ways to satisfy this requirement. Students should work with their academic advisor to determine which option is best for their degree requirements/degree plan. 

Additional information can be found on our Civic Literacy website.

*BOG 8.006; s.1007.25(4,a-b)

Common Prerequisites

State-mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program. See the Common Prerequisite Manual for course substitutions from Florida colleges and universities.

There are no specified common prerequisites for this major. All Florida College System students are encouraged to complete the Associate degree. Students should consult with an academic advisor in their major degree area at the intended transfer institution. 

Lower Division Electives 

Criminal Justice Major 

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Courses included in the major GPA

Major-Related

**

Students are required to complete 12 semester hours of supporting course work, to include a minimum of 9 semester hours of 3000/4000 level courses, to be selected with and approved by the student’s advisor. These courses may vary from student to student depending on individual needs and objectives.

Upper Division Electives

The upper-division courses (3000-4000 level) with the following prefixes will be used in calculating the major grade point average: CCJ, CJC, CJE, CJJ, CJL, and DSC.

Accelerated Bachelors(B.A.)/Masters (M.S.) in Criminal Justice Option

Minimum Requirements for admission include:

• Overall undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or better
• Completion of 75 undergraduate credit hours
• Undergraduate Major GPA of 3.5 or better
• Completion of all Bachelor of Arts Criminal Justice major core requirements
• A grade of B (3.0) or higher in all BACJ major core classes
• One letter of recommendation from a Criminal Justice or Legal Studies faculty member

Process:

A prospective student who meets the minimum requirements for admission for the Accelerated BA/MSCJ program must schedule a meeting with their undergraduate advisor and graduate advisor to discuss and develop a degree plan for the student's Accelerated BA/MSCJ program. The student must then submit an Accelerated BA/MSCJ program application and letter of recommendation to the graduate advisor.

Eligibility and Restrictions:

Students must have completed 75 undergraduate credit hours, including credits earned from advanced placement, prior to applying to the Accelerated BA/MSCJ program. Transfer students must have completed a minimum of two semesters and at least 24 credit hours at the University of West Florida prior to application to the Accelerated BA/MSCJ program. Eligible students can apply for the program at any time, and if they are accepted they can start in the following semester. 

Admission into the Accelerated BA/MSCJ program does not guarantee admission into the MSCJ program upon completion of the BACJ. Students must still submit an Express Admission application for the MSCJ program. Students who are a part of the BA/MSCJ program cannot be provisionally or conditionally admitted into the MSCJ program.

Program Requirements:

Upon admission into the MSCJ, the 12 graduate credit hours completed as an undergraduate student will count for 12 of the 24 hours in Criminal Justice coursework for the MSCJ. Students in the Accelerated BA/MSCJ program must earn a grade of B (3.0/4.0) or better in each of the graduate level courses that are being applied to both degrees. Courses completed with a grade of B- or below cannot be applied to the MSCJ degree. Students accepted into the MSCJ program must complete all MSCJ requirements within 18 months of completing the BACJ degree. If the MSCJ program requirements are not completed within 18 months, the student is no longer eligible to apply the graduate credit hours toward both degrees (i.e., the student can only apply the graduate credit hours either toward completion of the BACJ degree or toward a future master’s degree) and is automatically terminated from the Accelerated BA/MSCJ program.

If a student in the Accelerated BA/MSCJ program completes the BACJ degree requirements with an overall GPA of less than 3.25/4.0, the student is no longer eligible to apply the graduate credit hours to both degrees (i.e., the student can only apply the credit hours towards completion of the BACJ degree or toward a future master’s degree) and is automatically terminated from the Accelerated BA/MSCJ program.

A student who becomes ineligible to continue participating in or withdraws from the Accelerated BA/MSCJ program cannot apply any graduate credit hours toward both degrees (i.e., the student can only apply the credit hours towards completion of the BA degree or toward a future master’s degree).

Students who are enrolled in the Accelerated BA/MSCJ program are eligible for graduate assistantship positions only after completing the BACJ degree.

Courses must be completed at UWF with a grade of “C” or higher. Requirements may not be met with directed studies courses.

Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice Minor provides an overview of the criminal justice system. Criminal Justice majors may not earn this minor.

ADDENDUM - 12/6/2023

Courses must be completed at UWF with a grade of “C” or higher. Requirements may not be met with directed studies courses.

Forensic Studies

The Forensic Studies Minor supplements coursework in majors related to criminal justice. It prepares students for careers in criminal investigation as well as graduate study in a related field. 3000/4000 level courses in this minor can only be counted towards the “major-related electives” requirement (12cr) of the BA in Criminal Justice degree. CCJ 2002 Survey of Crime and Justice meets both the Criminal Justice major and Forensic Studies minor degree requirements.

ADDENDUM - 12/6/2023

Courses must be completed at UWF with a grade of “C” or higher. Requirements may not be met with directed studies courses.

Juvenile Justice

This is an interdisciplinary minor for students seeking job opportunities in juvenile justice. The minor introduces students to the juvenile justice system, explores issues related to juvenile delinquency, examines alternative programs available for treating delinquency, and teaches students case management skills. The minor is especially compatible with those in social science disciplines and social science-related professional fields. 3000/4000 level courses in this minor can be counted only towards the “major-related electives” requirement (12sh) of the BA in Criminal Justice degree except for CCJ 2002 Survey of Crime and Justice and CCJ 3014 Criminology, which meet both the Criminal Justice major and Juvenile Justice minor degree requirements. The students pursuing a BA in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences - Specialization in Children and Society cannot pursue this minor program.

Fraud Examinations Certificate

This certificate program's goal is to increase students’ skills and knowledge on technical, legal, and investigative aspects of fraud cases and cultivate interest and awareness about Fraud Examinations as a career option (CFE).

Intelligence Analysis Certificate

Department:                                 Criminology and Criminal Justice

Method of Instruction:               Online

Semester Hours:                         12-16

This certificate will be used to enhance awareness of Cyber Security to our students and the community. This certificate is a complementary initiative to certificates proposed by the Department of Business Administration and the Department of Computer Science.