Degrees & Majors

Designed by award winning faculty in criminal justice and criminology research, the Georgia State Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree will help you advance in your career. The program offers two academic concentrations that can be earned on-campus or online: Crime and Justice or Legal Studies. The Crime and Justice concentration provides a blend of traditional criminal justice curriculum and forward thinking emphasis on digital criminology, while the Legal Studies concentration is designed for criminal justice majors desiring more intensive exposure to law often in preparation for law school. Students may also elect to pursue a minor in Digital Criminology online along with the Bachelor of Science.

Why the Criminal Justice Program at Georgia State Works

• Fair and open dialogue: Our faculty have designed a program that stresses an integrated view of the criminal justice system, highlighting relationships among the many different institutions involved and the need for cooperation and humane practices across: law enforcement, the courts, corrections, and the juvenile justice system.
• Theoretical framework combined with current events: You will study how our criminal justice system was designed and examine the parts of the system, including the roles of victims and offenders. Paired with an examination of the causes and consequences of traditional and digital crime, you will receive a comprehensive criminal justice education to prepare you for a career that is relevant to the critical issues facing justice agencies of today and tomorrow.
• Your success matters: You will work with the undergraduate advisement center throughout your time at Georgia State to make sure you are enrolling in the correct courses.

Because a bachelor’s degree at Georgia State also requires general education classes, you will find yourself speaking more clearly and effectively, thinking more analytically and critically evaluating the materials you read by the time you graduate.

The minor in digital criminology is open to all undergraduate Georgia State students. The Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology offers a minor in digital criminology.  The minor is comprised of 15 credit hours and offers students across Georgia State the opportunity to understand cybercrime and develop real-life, practical skills to prepare them for public or private sector careers in cybersecurity.

The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology emphasizes issues of crime and justice occurring in urban environments from a multicultural, interdisciplinary perspective to inform science, policy and practice. The department produces students who are critical and ethical thinkers, knowledgeable about the issues of crime and justice, and prepared for leadership positions in public and private criminal justice. The Evidence-Based Cyber-Security Group is housed within the department and strives to advance our empirical understanding of cyber crime and cybersecurity and train the next generation of professionals to put these lessons into practice.

An undergraduate degree in economics prepares students with the quantitative and qualitative skills to think critically and learn how to make optimal decisions. Students will learn by doing with a curriculum taught by nationally acclaimed economists and faculty. The BS has a focus on quantitative and mathematical reasoning. This program is recommended if students are considering a graduate degree in economics or related areas in business.

Georgia State’s Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) Bachelors of Interdisciplinary Studies (B.I.s.) helps students become familiar with and capable of contributing to ongoing debates about the nature of good political and economic institutions, as well as the policies and practices that are best suited for creating and sustaining them. Students will develop the intellectual skills of the social scientist, who seeks to understand how the social world operates, and the moral philosopher, who seeks to critically evaluate the social world in relation to how it ought to be.

This interdisciplinary program makes use of the analytically rigorous tools of its three disciplines to promote serious thought about practical issues, allowing students to delve deep into moral, social, political and economic issues. This program is great for pre-law students preparing for law school and a career in law.

PPE graduates contribute intelligently to public dialogue, many in positions of power in government and corporate life. The PPE program supports the Civil Discourse Forum, a student group that encourages discussion of controversial issues and is often led by PPE students.

To learn more about our program’s faculty, events and related resources, go to the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics homepage.

The planning and economic development minor prepares students to work in both the public and private sectors addressing issues facing urban communities. This minor is appropriate for students who want to pursue careers or further study in the planning, development and management of communities. Courses introduce students to forces shaping the development of urban regions. Special attention is paid to planning for economic development, environmental quality, housing, land use, neighborhood revitalization, and transportation.   During their studies, students learn about the variety of policies and strategies that citizens and planners can use to influence development.

For information on program requirements, visit the Andrew Young School of Public Policy website.

The B.I.S. in Social Entrepreneurship prepares students to become agents and leaders of social change who will transform communities through innovative startups and existing social enterprises. The program was created not only to tackle the most complex problems, but to help students become better employees, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Students in the program are involved in co-curricular activities and internships that will give them experience working in and interacting with social enterprises, gaining practical knowledge of the field and exposure to the diverse employment opportunities within the discipline. Students will leave this program with the business formation knowledge needed to start a social enterprise at any point in their career.