Criminal Justice Major: Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice
GMercyU’s Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice combines innovative classroom and experiential learning to prepare you for law school, graduate school, or immediate entry into careers in the public or private sector – whether in government, law enforcement, corrections, probation and parole, private security, or social justice and advocacy.
No matter what your path, you’ll learn how to make a positive impact in your life and your community.
As a Criminal Justice major, you'll explore patterns of criminal behavior, the philosophy of punishment for crimes, and the American legal system. You’ll learn to identify and analyze crimes using criminological theory, forensic science, and the latest in crime scene investigations.
And, whether you are learning to investigate an active crime scene, break down a drug conspiracy, or examine the behavior of a sexual predator, you will develop the key skills that employers most want – such as critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving — skills that have never been more relevant.
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60
credits of Criminal Justice courses, the most comprehensive program of its kind in Pennsylvania
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100%
of Criminal Justice majors complete internships that best suit your career goals (our faculty help place you with an organization)
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100%
of full-time undergraduate GMercyU students receive some form of financial aid
Program Details
NEW: Dr. Patrick McGrain, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of GMercyU’s Criminal Justice program, Inspires New Best Practice for the International Inside Out Program
Featuring 60 credits of Criminal Justice courses, ours is the most comprehensive, thorough criminal justice program in Pennsylvania, so you can dive deep into a specific interest within the field or discover the right path for you.
Here, you will benefit from:
Small classes with GMercyU’s low 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, taught by experts in the field – no teaching assistants.
A close-knit, supportive, and motivated community with professors who provide career mentorship and are invested in your success.
A transformational experience with GMercyU’s Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program® (see more below), which will challenge your viewpoints and offer you a new perspective on the criminal justice system.
Regional criminal justice leaders as guest speakers. Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey visited campus to discuss the importance of a college education before entering the police force, while world-renowned criminologist Dr. Jack Levin spoke to GMercyU students about serial killing and mass murder.
The chance to earn your Act 120 – an essential step to becoming a police officer – during your senior year as part of your four-year degree at no extra cost, unlike other criminal justice programs. (See more on this below.)
The chance to present your own research at GMercyU’s annual University Research Conference.
The Griffin Edge program, to learn how to connect the dots between your GMercyU experiences and your future aspirations, so you can ace future job interviews and launch a successful career.
GMercyU’s Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program® brings incarcerated and non-incarcerated students together as peers for weekly meetings at the Federal Detention Center of Philadelphia.
Created in 1997 and brought to GMercyU in 2019, The Inside-Out Prison Exchange® is an international educational program created to inspire social change through dialogue and collaboration.
The program offers GMercyU “outside” students the unique experience to meet “inside” students of the correctional facility and exchange thoughts and perspectives about social inequalities, prison reform, and restorative justice.
“Realizing there’s another group of people just like you who were incarcerated because of different life circumstances is a truly transformative experience for students and instructors alike," says GMercyU Associate Professor and Criminal Justice Program Coordinator, Patrick McGrain, PhD. "You can’t get this kind of experience in the classroom or even through an internship.”
Students have described it as a life-changing experience.
Watch the video below to learn more:
As a GMercyU Criminal Justice major, you have the option of attending the Montgomery County Police Academy at the Montgomery County Community College. Here, you can earn your Act 120, an essential step in pursuing a career as a police officer.
Once you are accepted into GMercyU's Criminal Justice Program, this special training is offered during your senior year as part of your four-year degree without extended time or expense, unlike other criminal justice schools.
To learn more, see the "Montgomery Community College" tab of our Partnerships page.
In addition to General Education requirements, students seeking a criminal justice degree must complete the following courses:
Major requirements
| CRJ 102 | Introduction to Criminal Justice |
| CRJ 215 | Criminology |
| CRJ 216 | Race, Class, and Ethnicity |
| CRJ 220 | Ethics in Criminal Justice |
| CRJ 225 | Juvenile Delinquency |
| CRJ 250 | Police & Law Enforcement in America |
| CRJ 251 | Victimology |
| CRJ 310 | Introduction to Criminal Justice Research |
| CRJ 320 | Forensics: Crime Scene Investigation |
| CRJ 326 | Criminal Procedures |
| CRJ 327 | Criminal Law |
| CRJ 370 | Corrections |
| CRJ 405 | Criminal Investigation |
| CRJ 410 | Courts in America |
| CRJ 435 | Criminal Justice Internship |
| CRJ 4000 | CRJ Capstone |
| CRJ Electives | 4 Criminal Justice Electives: Cultural Criminology; Stalking & Domestic Violence; Violence & Criminal Justice; Sexual Deviance; Wrongful Convictions; Organized Crime; Terrorism & Hate Groups; White Collar Crime; Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program®, Serial Killers |
Credit Requirements
A minimum of 120 credits is required for the bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.
Undergraduate Minors
Increase the value of your degree as a criminal justice major by adding an undergraduate minor that best suits your personal and professional goals.
Wondering what your classes will look like as a Criminal Justice major? Here are a few highlights.
CRJ 205 Stalking and Domestic Violence
You will look at the social factors that contribute to the incidence and prevalence of both stalking and domestic violence and examine victim outcomes and the criminal justice response to these crimes.
CRJ 303 Sexual Deviance
You will study the characteristics and development of sexual deviance, as well as examine the criminological, psychological, and physiological components of addiction. Specialized offenders such as pedophiles, juvenile offenders, and cyberstalkers are examined, with the hope of shedding light on how these perpetrators operate and how to spot them.
CRJ 304 Wrongful Convictions
This course will cover the causes of wrongful convictions. You will also examine the role system variables play in such convictions such as police line-ups, expert testimony, witness preparation, judicial discretion, and jury bias.
CRJ 311 Organized Crime
This course is a study of the many facets of organized crime. The theoretical explanations behind organized crime groups will be examined. You will build and operate your own organized crime syndicate, then utilize the criminal justice system to dismantle your syndicate.
For all criminal justice program course descriptions, please refer to the undergraduate catalog.
Patrick McGrain, PhD
Position: Program Coordinator and Associate Professor, Criminal Justice
Did You Know? Professor McGrain is co-author of the book Inside the Minds of Social Predators.
Read bio
Lorraine Phillips, PhD
Position: Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice
Did You Know? One of Professor Phillips’ focuses is the intersection of psychology and law.
Read bio
One of my favorite things about Gwynedd’s Criminal Justice Program is definitely how close-knit we all are. Whether it be our colleagues or our professors, everyone is here to help each other. There has never been a moment where I held back on asking a question or telling a story or showing up at my professors’ offices, whether about school or personal advice or anything – they are there to help us. There’s never a day that we don’t feel that.
—Mackenzie Iocona '20
Real-World Opportunities
The program requires an internship, as they often lead to job offers for our students. Dr. Lorraine Phillips works with all Criminal Justice majors to find internships that best suit your career goals, taking advantage of our local and national alumni connections. Our students have recently interned at these organizations and more:
- Abington Police Department
- ATF Field Office
- Bucks County Adult Probation/Parole Department
- Bucks County Juvenile Probation
- City of Philadelphia: Office of Forensic Science
- Day Break Drug Treatment Ready
- Federal Public Defender, Camden NJ
- GMercyU Public Safety Department
- Lansdale Police Department
- Montgomery County Department of Corrections
- Montgomery County Detective Bureau
- Montgomery County Department of Probation and Parole
- Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office
- Montgomery County Youth Center
- Norristown Police Department
- Pennsylvania State Police
- Philadelphia Department of Probation & Parole
- Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office
- Philadelphia Justice Center
- Philadelphia Police Department Crime Scene Unit
- Pottstown Police Department
- Target – Department of Loss Prevention
- Upper Dublin Police Department
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Warrington Police Department
Earning a BS in Criminal Justice can lead you to an exciting and well-paid career that enables you to serve your community in a meaningful way. Here are just a few of the many opportunities you could pursue.
Attorney
Description: Work as a public defender or district attorney or pursue the type of law that most appeals to your interests and passions.
Degree Requirements: A bachelor’s degree, followed by a degree in law.
Average Salary: In 2023, the annual median salary nationwide was $145,760.
Source
Criminal Investigator
Description: Put your analytical skills to use as a police detective or private investigator as you work on criminal cases and gather evidence to be used in court.
Degree Requirements: A bachelor’s degree.
Average Salary: In 2023, the annual median salary nationwide was $49,540 per year, with the highest 10% earning more than $96,600.
Source
Probation Officer
Description: Help keep criminal offenders who are on probation on the right path by regularly meeting with them, monitoring them, and arranging social services for them. You’ll also document everything for the court.
Degree Requirements: A bachelor’s degree.
Average Salary: In 2023, the annual median salary nationwide was $61,800, with the highest 10% earning more than $105,220.
Source
More Possible Careers for Criminal Justice Majors
- Body Guard
- Border Patrol Agent
- CIA Agent
- Community Service Coordinator
- Compliance Manager
- Corrections Officer
- Deportation Officer
- Detective
- Drug Enforcement Agent
- FBI Agent
- Firefighter
- Juvenile Court Counselor
- Law Enforcement Officer
- Paralegal
- Parole Officer
- Police Detective
- Private Investigator
- Secret Service Agent
- Social Worker
- State Police Officer
- Substance Abuse Counselor
- Teacher
- US Marshall
*This is only a partial list and not meant to limit you. Some of these careers may require additional education.
Wondering Where You Might Eventually Work?
GMercyU criminal justice alumni have recently made their mark at these organizations:
- Abington Police Department
- ATF Field Office
- Bucks County Juvenile Probation Bucks County Clerk of Courts, Criminal Division
- Hatboro Police Department
- Lansdale Police Department Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center
- Montgomery County Clerk of Courts
- Montgomery County Department of Corrections
- Montgomery County Department of Probation and Parole
- Norristown Police Department
- Pennsylvania State Police
- Philadelphia Department of Probation & Parole
- Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office
- Philadelphia Police Department Crime Scene Unit
- Pottstown Police Department SEPTA Police Department
- Target – Department of Loss Prevention
- Upper Dublin Police Department Upper Moreland Police Department
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Walmart – Loss Prevention Unit
- Warrington Police Department
Ben Galing '24
Crime Scene Investigator, Philadelphia Police Department
I am deeply connected to a life in which service is at the forefront... [GMercyU] understands the gravity, and the importance, of that mission.
Jenna Trythall '20
Senior Loss Prevention Analyst for RGG
A couple months after graduation, I landed my dream job as a loss prevention analyst with an online fashion retailer, Rue Gilt Groupe.
William Allen '22
GFCC Screening Analyst IV, JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Through not only my Criminal Justice classes, but also my Computer Information Science and Honors Program classes, I developed new interests that I do not think I would have otherwise. GMercyU grants a kind of freedom to explore that, to me, is very valuable.
Sarah Crane ’19
Legal Clerk, Held Law Firm
GMercyU taught me to understand dense theories by compartmentalizing all of the required elements and seeing how each element is essential to that theory. This was increasingly helpful in understanding law and legal concepts.
Tim Brass '19
Adult Probation Officer, Montgomery County
I truly believe my internship is the main reason I was able to secure a full-time offer. I was able to show my work ethic and value to the department. I am still with the department, and I love that my job is different every day.
Choose a Minor
Many Criminal Justice students opt for a minor in Computer Information Science, due to the amount of crimes committed online. Take courses such as Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, and more.
Transfer to the Program
GMercyU grants up to 90 qualifying credits toward a bachelor's degree and offers renewable transfer scholarships and grants ranging from $11,000 to $18,000 a year.
