Important points to consider
1. Justice Studies is not Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice as it is taught in most colleges whether as a major or a minor tends to have a pre-professional focus. Course work is on such subjects as criminal procedure and criminal investigation. That is the case with JMU’s criminal justice minor. Our Justice Studies program has a different focus. In it we are concerned more with treating justice issues as a general class of social and political problems to be understood than as applied problems to be solved. Neither approach is better than the other. It is a matter of personal preference and you should make sure that you go into a program that fits with how you want to study these issues.
2. Limited course transfer policy
Many students looking to transfer into the Justice Studies major or the Criminal Justice minor have already taken a lot of criminal justice courses at the school they are currently attending. We will limit you to a maximum of three courses that can be transferred into the major for credit. The rest will count as general credits toward graduation. The rationale is simple and direct. It involves “truth in advertising.” If you are going to graduate with a degree from our programs at JMU we want to be able to tell potential employers and graduate programs the type of course work you have had with us and the nature of the assignments you have had. We cannot do this when too much course work is transferred in.
3. Justice Studies is a prep major at JMU
There are many majors at JMU where you are put directly into the major. This is not the case with Justice Studies. Because of limited space students must go through a prep major before applying for the major. The prep major consists of three courses: JUST 200, MATH 220, and GWRIT 103. As a transfer student you will have to go through the prep major UNLESS you have an Associates Degree from a Virginia Community College that exempts you from JMU’s General Education requirement. In that case we will place you directly in the major. You should consult with your guidance counselor and JMU’s admissions office to see if your AA degree qualifies.
4. What courses should I take before coming to JMU?
Certainly if you are interested in criminal justice or think you might be, you should take some. But, remember that we limit how many we accept (see point 2). What would be most beneficial would be to take the equivalents of MATH 220 and GWRIT 103 before coming to JMU since this would speed up your entry into the major. Even if you are admitted directly to the major you will still need to take MATH 220 because it is the prerequisite course for our required research methods course. Also be aware that courses taught at the 100 or 200 level at community colleges and elsewhere that are taught at JMU at the 300 level are unlikely to be accepted.
5. If I’ve been accepted to JMU what should I do next?
Typically, transfer students receive orientation and advice in June before they enter in the fall. However, once you have received confirmation of your admission to JMU and you’ve decided to attend JMU and enter the Justice Studies program, we encourage you to get in touch with us. At the present time, we are piloting a special on-line version of JUST 200 in the May session (also known as the first 4-week block of the summer session). It is now possible for students who have started at community colleges to complete JUST 200 before matriculating at JMU. If you choose to take JUST 200 before you officially matriculate at JMU, it will not be counted as one of the three courses you are limited to transferring into the program. If this option isn’t going to work for you, you can take JUST 200 in the fall after you enter JMU. JUST 200 (Introduction to Justice Studies) is a gateway course to the major. It is required for transfer students to take this as the enter the program regardless of whether they are Justice Studies prep majors or Justice Studies majors under an articulation agreement. The JUST 200 course is only available at JMU.