Best Criminal Justice Schools in South Carolina (2027)

The Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice covers the structure and functions of law enforcement agencies, the courts and corrections systems, and asks students to apply data analysis and problem-solving strategies to criminal justice policy. The academic map for the 2026-2027 catalog lists 122 academic credit hours. The degree completion version is delivered entirely online, and its requirements consist of 65 general elective credit hours, typically transferred from another institution, and 55 upper division credit hours taken at The Citadel, which include 33 credit hours of upper-level electives at the 300 level or higher.

Transfer applicants to the degree completion program need at least 30 hours of college credit with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50, and the department publishes a course map for Trident Technical College students in its Associate in Arts or Associate in Applied Science in Criminal Justice. The department points adult learners, working professionals and students outside the Charleston, South Carolina region toward this online option.

The Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice requires 120 hours, with 33 hours in the major. Every student takes Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Ethics in Criminal Justice and Sociology of Crime, then chooses three courses from Criminal Procedure, Policing, Corrections, Criminal Courts, Criminal Law and Juvenile Delinquency, plus five more criminology and criminal justice courses at the 300 level or above. Students also complete a cognate of 12 hours or a minor, and internships may be taken for course credit.

The department describes a research emphasis and encourages volunteer work and involvement in the field during the degree. New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to the College of Arts and Sciences programs, and the last 30 credit hours must be earned in residence at the University of South Carolina-Columbia. Qualified undergraduates can apply to an accelerated bachelor's and master's program after completing at least 90 hours with a 3.4 GPA.

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice takes 120 credit hours. Required major courses are Introduction to Criminal Justice, Policing in America, The Criminal Courts, Introduction to Corrections, Criminal Justice Research Methods, Criminological Theory and a Senior Seminar, and students then either take 15 credits of upper-level criminal justice courses or complete the Crime Analysis concentration, which combines data science, statistics and policing knowledge and teaches crime mapping. Supporting courses in statistics, ethics and career planning and a cognate or minor round out the degree.

Students can take the degree in person or fully online, and a Greenville, South Carolina option blends in-person meetings on that campus with online course activities for students who work full time. Internships with partner agencies such as the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and local police departments earn course credit, and the catalog notes the degree is also offered through Palmetto College.

The Criminal Justice, B.A. covers the components of criminal justice, constitutional limitations, theoretical approaches and critical thinking, and students can customize it with concentrations, minors and certificates. On campus the major follows a semester timeline with face-to-face instruction and January and August starts; the online format uses short courses with no login times and starts in January, March, May, June, August and October.

First-year applicants must be graduates of an accredited high school or hold a GED. The online format accepts up to 90 transfer credits, including 24 training hours, and online applicants must submit a personal statement unless they have transferable college credit with a GPA of at least 2.0 or an approved training academy certification.

The Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice, offered through the Spadoni College of Education and Social Sciences, builds a foundation in criminal justice theories and social science research methods, with opportunities for research, service learning and internships. Students must earn a grade of C or better in each course used for the major, certificates and minor.

Each criminal justice major must also complete a university-approved minor or certificate; the department lists certificates in law enforcement, legal studies and foundations of data analysis. The separate Criminal Justice Minor is designed for students in other majors, and criminal justice majors cannot also earn it.

The 66-semester-credit-hour degree combines general education (American history, sociology, psychology, English composition, public speaking and mathematics) with core courses in introduction to criminal justice, criminal law, criminology, the judicial process and correctional systems, further required courses in constitutional law, forensic photography, criminal investigation, police administration and criminal evidence, and a pathway of four classes: Crime Scene Investigation (fingerprinting science, criminalistics, bloodstain pattern analysis and practical crime scene investigation), Correctional Officer Training (Correctional Science I, II and III and Ethics) or General Transfer Emphasis (four courses chosen with an advisor). HGTC's description says the program concludes with a 135-hour internship, and the requirements let students take either the internship or a criminal justice seminar, the course students intending to transfer are told to select. HGTC lists the program at its Conway, South Carolina campus and, among its distance learning programs, as a hybrid program that requires minimal attendance at an HGTC campus.

The program uses general college admission: most HGTC programs require a high school transcript, a GED certificate or a college transcript showing a completed associate degree or higher, and students may start at the beginning of any semester. A successful criminal background check is required to enroll in any CRJ course, a grade of C or better is required in every CRJ course, and because most CRJ courses are offered only once a year, HGTC says following the recommended sequence is extremely important. HGTC also offers a 12-credit-hour Correctional Officer Training Certificate developed with local correctional facilities and a 12-credit-hour Police Pre-Academy Training Certificate, run with the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in Columbia, South Carolina, whose one-semester training is equivalent to the first four weeks of the academy's 12-week Basic Law Enforcement Training; applicants to it must be at least 20, and courses from both certificates can be applied to the associate degree.

The Criminal Justice, AAS requires 60 credit hours, and the college's program list shows the associate degree with an online option. The college says some courses in the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy training curriculum may be eligible for credit toward the degree, and that it has a 2+2 agreement with The Citadel.

Admission requires proof of high school graduation or a GED and qualifying scores on the SAT, ACT or the college's placement test. The degree serves students heading straight into public or private agencies, people already working in the system, and those planning further study at four-year institutions. The college says its separate Police Pre-Academy Training Certificate is designed for people who seek employment as a law enforcement officer in South Carolina; the certificate requires a high school diploma or equivalency and is taught as one semester of face-to-face instruction at Trident Technical College.

The Criminal Justice, A.A.S. covers criminology, ethics, law, evidence and procedure, corrections and juveniles alongside general education courses, for a total of 63 hours, and students complete a criminal justice internship near the end of the degree. Piedmont Technical College lists the A.A.S., Major in Criminal Justice among the degrees available totally online.

Students can begin in the fall, spring or summer term and study part-time or full-time. New students submit an official high school transcript or GED, and the college does not require a background check for program admission, although internship hosts may. In some cases the college awards exemption credit for work completed at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.