GGCIT's Criminal Justice is a four-year multi-level program designed for students interested in pursuing careers in the Public Safety areas of law enforcement, criminal investigation, corrections, forensics, emergency medicine, emergency management, loss prevention, private security and other legal careers.
The program is divided into specific units and is organized to provide a logical approach to understanding the complete operation of the criminal justice system and public safety organizations in the United States. This course provides an overview of the entire criminal justice system’s response to crime, from the commission of the crime, the law enforcement response, the administration (courts and prosecution), to corrections.
Graduates of the Criminal Justice program will possess the skills, competencies and certifications required for certain entry level work, as well as a solid foundation for pursuing a post-secondary education. As this is a brand-new program at GCIT, an articulation agreement is currently being created with Rowan College of Gloucester County (RCSJ) with additional post-secondary educational institutions being considered. The articulation agreement will be available later in the 2025-2026 school year.
A program that prepares individuals to perform the duties of police and public security officers, including patrol and investigative activities, traffic control, crowd control and public relations, witness interviewing, evidence collection and management, basic crime prevention methods, weapon and equipment operation and maintenance, report preparation and other routine law enforcement responsibilities including legal careers.
This program presents a broad overview of criminal justice, public safety, and security beginning with the historic context and legal constitutional foundations and working towards modern applications and issues. Major areas of study include:
- Criminal Justice
- Public Safety (law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, and emergency management)
- Corrections
- Private Security
- Criminal Investigation
- Forensic Science
- Homeland Security
- Web Security and Computer Forensics
- Legal Careers (such as pre-law)
The Criminal Justice program provides hands-on experience through lab work and field experiences. Students will be evaluated on the basis of practical performance, behavior, and examinations that are both written and oral.
