Degree: Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a major in Criminal Justice

(120 credits hours) Requirements are subject to change.

The criminal justice major prepares students to analyze criminal justice processes, with an emphasis on local, state and federal agencies and their responses to crime control.  Emphasis is also placed on the development of communication reasoning and critical thinking skills that contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the fundamental relationship existing between the criminal justice system and diverse community structures.

The major will immerse you in the history behind, and modern applications of local, state and federal responses to crime control.  This major is often chosen by students interested in careers in law enforcement, the courts and correction, and provides the academic foundation for students who plan to attend graduate or professional schools.  Your academics will include a comprehensive study of the criminal justice system, as well as courses like “Juvenile Delinquency”; “Violence and Victimization”; “Civil Liberties”; and “Social Problems”.  Courses in corrections and criminology will round out your days and prepare you for your required (supervised) internship working in a local criminal justice setting.

Criminal justice advisors assist students to discover their individual strengths, in making an appropriate selection of courses and internships to complement those strengths, in their pursuit of academic growth and professional development.

5-year Combined Masters in Social Work, B.S. / M.S.W. Program - Qualified students at Springfield College who are majoring in Criminal Justice may be eligible for the 5-year combined B.S./M.S.W. dual degree program.  Students, in consultation with their undergraduate advisor, will structure their coursework early in their undergraduate career so that a required 17 semester hours of Social Work foundation coursework may be taken in the senior year.

Are you interested in a law school degree? Pre-law advising is available to any student interested in pursuing a law school degree. Contact Professor Dan Russell, pre-law advisor, at (413) 748-3240. Click here to learn more.

For more information about the criminal justice major, contact Dr. Francesca Spina of the Criminal Justice Program in the Social Science Department at (413) 748-3358 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257.

Download a Criminal Justice Program Checksheet