General Education Requirements (53-57 Hours)
Area I - Written Composition (2 Courses, 6 Hours)
Area II - Humanities & Fine Arts (5 Courses, 15 Hours)
No more than six hours from any one discipline.
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3 hours: CA 110
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3 hours from: EH 215, EH 216, EH 225, EH 226, EH 235, EH 236
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3 hours from: ARH 100, ARH 103, ARH 123, ARS 101, DRA 110, MUL 101
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6 hours from: AFR 101, ARH 100, ARH 103, ARH 123, ARH 203, ARS 101, CLA 110, DRA 110, EH 215, EH 216, EH 225, EH 226, EH 235, EH 236, JHS 101, JOU 252, LG 101, LG 102, LG 111, LG 112, LG 121, LG 122, LG 131, LG 132, LG 141, LG 142, LG 151, LG 152, LG 153, LG 171, LG 172, LG 173, LG 201, LG 202, LG 211, LG 212, LG 213, LG 221, LG 222, LG 231, LG 232, LG 234, LG 241, LG 242, LG 251, LG 252, LG 271, LG 272, LG 273, LGS 101, LGS 102, LGS 106, LGS 107, LGS 110, LGS 111, LGS 171, LGS 172, LGS 201, LGS 202, LGS 206, LGS 207, LGS 210, LGS 211, LGS 271, LGS 272, MUL 101, PHL 110, PHL 120, PHL 121, PHL 131, PHL 220, PHL 231, PHL 240, REL 100, REL 200, REL 201
Area III – Natural Sciences & Mathematics (3 Courses & Labs, 11-14 Hours)
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3-4 hours from: MA 110, MA 112, MA 113, MA 115, MA 120, MA 125, MA 126, MA 227, MA 237, MA 238
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8-10 hours from: AN 121 & AN 121L, BLY 101 & BLY 101L or BLY 121 & BLY 121L, BLY 102 & BLY 102L or BLY 122 & BLY 122L, BMD 110, BMD 111, CH 101 & CH 101L, CH 103 & CH 103L, CH 131 & CH 131L, CH 132 & CH 132L, GEO 101 & GEO 101L, GEO 102 & GEO 102L, GY 111 & GY 111L, GY 112 & GY 112L, MAS 134 & MAS 134L, PH 101 & PH 101L, PH 104 & PH 104L, PH 114 & PH 114L, PH 115 & PH 115L, PH 201 & PH 201L, PH 202 & PH 202L
Area IV – History, Social & Behavioral Sciences (4 Courses, 12 Hours)
No more than six hours from any one discipline.
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3 hours from: HY 101, HY 102, HY 121, HY 122, HY 135, HY 136
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9 hours from: AN 100, AN 101, CA 100, CA 211, CJ 105, ECO 215, ECO 216, GEO 114, GEO 115, GS 101, HY 101, HY 102, HY 121, HY 122, HY 135, HY 136, IS 100, IST 201, NAS 101, PSC 130, PSY 120, PSY 250, SY 109, SY 112
Area V (3 Courses, 9-10 Hours)
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Foreign Language. 6 hours from any one group:
LG 101 & LG 102, LGS 106 & LGS 107, LGS 110 & LGS 111, LG 111 & LG 112 or proficiency test or LG 113, LG 121 & LG 122, LG 131 & LG 132 or proficiency test or LG 134, LG 141 & LG 142, LG 151 & LG 152 or proficiency test or LG 153, LG 171 & LG 172 or LG 173, LGS 171 & LGS 172
Students may fulfill the foreign language requirement by passing a proficiency test offered by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at the level equivalent to the second semester of the foreign language sequence, or by passing another test (e.g., AP (Advanced Placement) or CLEP (College Level Examination Program) at the equivalent level). Students who pass a proficiency test at the level equivalent to first semester of the foreign language sequence are required to complete only the second semester and will fulfill the foreign language requirement with 3 credit hours of course work.
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Natural Sciences/Math. 3-4 hour lab science or math/stat course from:
AN 121 & AN 121L, BLY 101 & BLY 101L or BLY 121 & BLY 121L, BLY 102 & BLY 102L or BLY 122 & BLY 122L, BMD 110, BMD 111, CH 101 & CH 101L, CH 103 & CH 103L, CH 131 & CH 131L, CH 132 & CH 132L, GEO 101 & GEO 101L, GEO 102 & GEO 102L, GY 111 & GY 111L, GY 112 & GY 112L, MAS 134 & MAS 134L, PH 101 & PH 101L, PH 104 & PH 104L, PH 114 & PH 114L, PH 115 & PH 115L, PH 201 & PH 201L, PH 202 & PH 202L, ST 210, MA 113- 299 (except 201 and 202).
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Students must complete a 6 credit hour sequence either in literature (Area II – EH 215 & EH 216, EH 225 & EH 226, or EH 235 & EH 236) or history (Area IV – HY 101 & HY 102 or HY 135 & HY 136 or HY 121 & HY 122).
All undergraduates must complete two designated writing credit (W) courses, at least one of which must be in the student's major or minor.
Major Requirements (39 Hours)
Criminal Justice Core (8 Courses, 24 Hours)
Criminal Justice Elective (5 Courses, 15 Hours)
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15 hours: CJ 300-400 Level Electives
Minor Requirements (18-24 Hours)
A minor is required for this degree program
Notes:
Additional Information
Majors in Arts and Sciences may be completed with a minimum of 120 semester hours unless designated otherwise. At least 30 hours of course work, which represents 25% of the required 120 hours, must be at the upper division level in order to fulfill the University's residency requirement. At least 15 of the 30 upper-division hours must be in the major or concentration area. An overall grade-point-average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for graduation. In addition, a minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in the student's major or concentration area.
The major in criminal justice requires 39 semester hours, including CJ 105, PSC 130, CJ 210, CJ 215, CJ/PSC 310 (W), CJ/PSC 330, CJ 360, and CJ 492 (W)---plus 15 semester hours of criminal justice electives at the 300/400 level. CJ 105 is a prerequisite for most upper-level CJ courses. Criminal Justice majors must earn a grade of "C" or higher in CJ 105 and in the Capstone Seminar, CJ 492 (W). Students pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice also must have a minor in another discipline.
In addition, all Criminal Justice majors must take the ETS major field test in criminal justice as part of their Capstone Seminar, CJ 492 (W), and receive a satisfactory score. (The standards for passing are determined by the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice.) Students with unsatisfactory scores on the ETS test can retake the test, or they may be required to repeat coursework in criminal justice. The ETS is administered in the Capstone Seminar, CJ 492 (W). All CJ core courses must be completed prior to enrolling in CJ 492 (W).
All criminal majors must demonstrate competency in oral and written communication. Students will be expected to deliver presentations, particularly in the Capstone Seminar. The University of South Alabama requires two Writing-Intensive (W) courses for graduation. CJ 492 (W) fulfills one Writing-Intensive requirement, and CJ/PSC 310 (W) fulfills the second.
Criminal Justice (BA) : (39 Total Hours)
First Year - Fall Semester
| Course ID | Course Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CAS 100 | First Year Experience-College Success | 2 |
| EH 101 | Area I, Written Composition I | 3 |
| Humanities/Fine Arts Elective | Area II | 3 |
| CJ 105 | Area IV, Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| Natural Science with Lab | Area III | 4 |
| Total Hours | 15 |
First Year - Spring Semester
| Course ID | Course Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EH 102 or EH 105 Honors | Area I, Written Composition II or Honors | 3 |
| Humanities/Fine Arts Elective | Area II | 3 |
| CJ 210 or CJ 215 or PSC 130 | Policing and Society OR Correctional Policies and Procedures OR Area IV, Intro to US Government | 3 |
| CA 110 | Area V, Public Speaking | 3 |
| Math | MA 110, MA 112, MA 113, MA 115, MA 120, MA 227, MA 237, or MA 238 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 |
Second Year - Fall Semester
| Course ID | Course Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CJ 210 or CJ 215 or PSC 130 | Policing and Society OR Correctional Policies and Procedures OR Area IV, Intro to US Government | 3 |
| Foreign Language | Area V- Foreign Language Sequence Semester 1 | 3 |
| Humanities/Fine Arts Literature | Area II - EH 215, EH 216, EH 225, EH 226, EH 235, or EH 236 | 3 |
| History, Social/Behavioral Sciences: History | Area IV - HY 101, HY 102, HY 135, or HY 136 | 3 |
| Natural Science with Lab | Area III | 4 |
| Total Hours | 15 |
Second Year - Spring Semester
| Course ID | Course Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CJ 210 or CJ 215 or PSC 130 | Policing and Society OR Correctional Policies and Procedures OR Area IV, Intro to US Government | 3 |
| Foreign Language | Area V - Foreign Language Sequence Semester 2 | 3 |
| PSC/CJ 310 (W) | Research Methods (W) | 3 |
| CJ/PSC 330 or CJ 360 | Judicial Process or Theories of Offending | 3 |
| Literature or History | Area II OR Area IV - Literature or History Sequence | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 |
Third Year - Fall Semester
| Course ID | Course Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Science with Lab or Upper Level Math | Area V | 4/3 |
| Social/Behavioral Science Elective | Area IV | 3 |
| CJ Elective | 300-400 Level CJ Elective | 3 |
| CJ/PSC 330 or CJ 360 | Judicial Process or Theories of Offending | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Total Hours | 16/15 |
Third Year - Spring Semester
| Course ID | Course Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CJ Elective | 300-400 Level CJ Elective | 3 |
| CJ Elective | 300-400 Level CJ Elective | 3 |
| CJ Elective | 300-400 Level CJ Elective | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 |
Fourth Year - Fall Semester
| Course ID | Course Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CJ 492 (W) or CJ Elective | Capstone Seminar in CJ (W) or 300-400 Level CJ Elective | 3 |
| CJ Elective | 300-400 Level CJ Elective | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Elective | Course in Major, Minor, or Elective | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 |
Fourth Year - Spring Semester
| Course ID | Course Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CJ 492 (W) or CJ Elective | Capstone Seminar in CJ (W) or 300-400 Level CJ Elective | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Minor | Minor course | 3 |
| Elective | Course in Major, Minor, or Elective | 3 |
| Elective | Course in Major, Minor, or Elective | 3/2 |
| Total Hours | 15/14 |
| Notes |
|---|
Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice website
https://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/artsandsci/pscj/
Undergraduate Studies
The courses offered in the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice are designed to achieve three important objectives:
- To provide a broad and comprehensive education with exceptional social science training---promoting critical thinking, analytic, oral communication, and writing skills.
- To help students advance toward professional careers in a diversity of fields including law enforcement; education; government; law; corrections; public policy; business; journalism; NGOs and non-profits; and more.
- To prepare students to be leaders in their communities and to seize meaningful opportunities to effect positive changes locally, nationally, and globally.
Criminal Justice
The curriculum in Criminal Justice provides students interested in law enforcement, criminal law, corrections, and the criminal court system with a broad educational background emphasizing social science and the University's general education skills of critical thinking, writing, communication, and analysis. Students in the department acquire knowledge of the criminal justice field. The program addresses issues relating to the entire criminal justice system, from the nature of crime and delinquency to society's varied responses to crime. Such a focus includes the organization and operation of each of the components in the field.
Political Science
Political Science is a broad discipline that includes studies of governments, politics, and policies. Political scientists may focus on political behavior, decision making, processes, institutions, and public policies. Inquiry in political science addresses the domestic and international policies of the United States and all other countries and regions. Political scientists study the political values, attachments, and activities of people, individually and in groups. Political science examines both what preferences people share and how they differ according to their personal attributes and positions in the economy and society. Political science also studies how people regard and trust each other as well as their leaders and governments.
First Year Experience Requirement
All first-time freshmen must successfully complete CAS 100: First Year Experience as a degree requirement. Students must enroll during their first term at USA, except for summer-entry students who must enroll in the fall semester following entry.
Technological Competency Requirement
Research Methods (PSC 310 (W)/CJ 310 (W)) will satisfy the technology competency requirement for both political science and criminal justice majors. Enrollment in PSC 310 (W) or CJ 310 (W) is required for both political science and criminal justice majors.
Departmental Honors
The Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice offers an opportunity for students in Political Science or Criminal Justice who are not in the University's Honors College to graduate with departmental honors. In order to graduate with departmental honors, the student needs to have at least a 3.50 grade point average (overall and in the major) and maintain that average upon graduation. In addition, the student must complete a two-semester departmental honors thesis project with a faculty mentor and a committee.
Graduate Studies in Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration degree (MPA) curriculum in the Department of Political
Science and Criminal Justice is a professional degree program designed principally
for present and future administrators, officers in government, other public related
organizations, not for profit agencies, and agencies that interact with governmental
institutions and funding. It is a broad discipline, open to qualified students after
completion of their undergraduate degree.
Students entering the program come from varied academic and vocational backgrounds.
Accordingly, no specific undergraduate major is required for admission to the MPA
Program. However, certain course prerequisites must be satisfied prior to enrollment
in any of the required core courses of the curriculum.
Requirements For Admission to the MPA Program
Students are admitted each semester. The following criteria supplement the Graduate School criteria (see Categories of Admission).
Regular Admission to the MPA Program
- Students must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 on all undergraduate work (on a 4-point scale) or a GPA of 2.75 over the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.
- Students must have taken PSC 130, Introduction to US Government, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of C; or have received a score of 50 or higher in the “American Government” exam through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Students must satisfy this requirement no later than the end of their third semester in the program, including summer semesters. Failure to complete the requirement of PSC 130/its equivalent/satisfactory CLEP credit by the end of the third semester will prohibit registration for remaining core curriculum MPA courses.
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Students are encouraged to apply in the fall semester, but are admitted each semester.