"With the addition of

this undergraduate degree in criminal justice at CCSU, we now open the

academic doors to a huge pool of prospective students who otherwise would

have had to travel great distances to get credentialed in this field,"

noted Dr. Ray Wallace, Clayton State dean of Arts and Sciences. "I

predict this will be a very large degree program for Clayton State in

the years to come. We are all obviously very pleased with this addition

in the School of Arts and Sciences, and this is just one of the many new

degrees we have at the Board of Regents for approval."

"There is a lot of excitement

about this criminal justice degree program from current students and the

community. I receive phone calls daily from prospective students who are

anxious to pursue this course of study," added Demmitt. "Our

criminal justice curriculum will build on Clayton State's strengths

of strong classroom teaching and the advanced use of technology. Students

will be able to choose electives from the other social sciences, the natural

sciences, and management to build a broad foundation for a career in the

criminal justice system or to pursue a graduate degree. And, students

will have the option to select a specialized concentrations in the investigation

of computer and white collar crime."

The baccalaureate program in

criminal justice prepares graduates for careers in the criminal justice

system or graduate school by combining a criminal justice studies with

a foundation in the liberal arts and technology. The curriculum supplements

essential coursework in all aspects of the criminal justice system with

courses in areas such as psychology, history, political science, sociology,

biology, communications, and management.

The criminal justice major

at Clayton State will target both "pre-service" students who

are interested in entering the law enforcement field and "in-service"

students who are already working in the field and seeking advancement

through the acquisition of the bachelor's degree.

Earning a B.S. degree in criminal

justice prepares graduates for a variety of careers in the criminal justice

system. In addition to positions in law enforcement, criminal justice

graduates work in corrections (e.g. probation/parole officer, prison administration),

the courts (e.g. victim advocates, investigators), and private security.

A criminal justice degree can also be a foundational degree for going

to law school or pursuing a graduate degree in criminal justice, public

administration, political science, sociology, and other social and behavioral

sciences.