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Justice Studies

Major Information

The Justice Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program that provides a comprehensive examination of justice, crime, and law by offering a broad foundation of courses that prepare students for professions within the criminal justice system and further study in graduate or law school. Justice Studies helps students develop a variety of skills viewed as necessary for working in all facets of the justice system. Students with a Justice Studies degree can work in law enforcement, courts/judiciary, corrections, forensic science, and private security, victim advocacy, and the non-profit sector. Justice Studies also prepares students who decide to further their education to practice law or enter the counseling profession, as well as advanced studies to prepare them for work in higher education or government positions.

General Information

Degree(s) Offered:

  • Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice & Criminology 
  • Master of Science in Criminal Justice & Criminology

Sample Occupations

  • Law Enforcement
  • Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms Agent
  • Arson Investigator
  • Customs Agent
  • Deputy U.S. Marshal
  • Drug Enforcement Agent
  • G.B.I. or F.B.I. Agent
  • Postal Service Investigator
  • Secret Service Agent
  • Police Officer
  • Criminologist
  • Internal Revenue Agent
  • State Trooper
  • Loss Prevention Specialist
  • Private Security Officer
  • Private Investigator
  • Postal Inspector
  • Public Security
  • Courts
  • Bailiff
  • Court Administrator
  • Court Liaison Counselor
  • Drug Court Personnel
  • Pre-Trial Services Officer
  • Court Reporter
  • Victim Advocate
  • Court Clerk
  • Alarm Investigator
  • Corrections
  • Corrections Officer
  • Corrections Counselor
  • Child Welfare Caseworker
  • Parole Officer
  • Penologist
  • Prisoner Classification Interviewer
  • Inmates Records
  • Coordinator
  • Warden
  • Security Agent
  • Conservation Ranger
  • Game Warden
  • Forensic Science
  • Criminalist
  • Arson Specialist
  • Ballistics Specialist
  • Controlled Substance Specialist
  • Document Specialist
  • Fingerprint Specialist
  • Polygraph Specialist
  • Serology Specialist
  • Law Librarian
  • Cyber Investigator
  • Cyber Forensic Analyst
  • Computer Crime  
  •  Investigator
  • Intrusion Detection Specialist
  • Network Security Engineer
  • Security Software Developer
  • Cryptographer
  • Cryptanalyst
  • Cyber Threat Assessment Analyst
  • Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst
  • Counterintelligence Agent

Sample Work Settings

  • City, County, and State Levels
  • Parks and Recreation Areas
  • Military and Federal Services
  • U.S. Department of Commerce
  • Department of Treasury
  • Non-Profit Organizations
  • School Systems
  • Department of Defense
  • General Service Administration
  • Federal Protective Services
  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • Department of Interior
  • Prisons, Jails, Courthouse
  • Various Research Groups
  • National Institute of Justice
  • Bureau of Justice Statistics
  • Department of Labor
  • Department of Justice

Sample Employers

  • Andrew and Sanders Law Firm
  • Bulloch County Probation Dept.
  • Burke County Sheriff’s Dept.
  • Chatham County Police Dept.
  • Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
  • DSI Security Services
  • Fulton County Public Defender’s Office
  • GA Board of Public Safety
  • GBI
  • GA Dept. of Corrections
  • GA Dept. of Juvenile Justice
  • Georgia Southern Public Safety
  • Gwinnett County DA Office 
  • Statesboro Police Dept. 
  • National Center for Victims of Crime

Connecting Majors, Skills, and Occupations

  • View learning outcomes associated with your major in the Georgia Southern Academic Catalog:

Georgia Southern Academic Catalog

  • Explore the connection between occupations and skills in O*Net:

www.onetonline.org

  • Use Handshake to upload your résumé and explore internships and jobs. For more information:

www.georgiasouthern.edu/ocpd

Internet Resources

To explore values, interests, and skills:

FOCUS 2 bit.ly/focuscareer

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) – $15

Self Directed Search – $15

http://students.georgiasouthern.edu/career/s tudents/assessments/

To explore occupational outlooks and salaries:

National Compensation Survey

www.bls.gov/ncs/

National Association of College and Employers  (NACE) 

http://www.naceweb.org/salary resources/index.aspx 

Professional Organizations

Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

www.acjs.org

American Criminal Justice Association

www.acjalae.org

American Society of Criminology

www.asc41.com

National Criminal Justice Association

www.ncja.org

Georgia Southern Student Organizations

Justice Studies Club

Alpha Phi Sigma

College Republicans

National Black Law Student Association 

Mock Mediation Club

Phi Alpha Delta, Pre-Law Fraternity

Political Science Club

Young Democrats

Lambda Alpha Epsilon

Résumé Tips

  • Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology 
  • Include your emphasis (Criminal Justice and Criminology or Cybercrime)
  • Consider including relevant coursework and shadowing experiences.
  • Include internships.

Last updated: 7/1/2013