For students exploring majors, University Advising is an excellent resource.  Students interested in the Justice Studies major can learn more on the Justice Studies website or the JMU catalog.

Please note that Justice Studies is not a Criminal Justice Major.  JMU does offer an interdisciplinary Criminal Justice minor, which cannot be paired with the Justice Studies major.

Because of the way students progress through the major, it takes at least five semesters to complete the requirements. Only declared Justice Studies majors can enroll in JUST 200.  Students must take JUST 200 first; it is the only course students are allowed to take during their first semester in the major.  The semester following successful completion of JUST 200, students may begin to take the 200-level foundation courses. During the third semester in the major, students may begin to take 300-level Justice Studies courses. Also be aware that MATH 220 is a prerequisite for JUST 399: Research Methods, which is in turn a prerequisite for JUST 400: Senior Seminar. Please see the catalog for other prerequisites and requirements.

New First year and Transfer Students should declare the Justice Studies major when they register for Orientation.

For currently enrolled students, the process for declaring majors is online; see the Registrar's website for additional information.  Read the information on MyMadison carefully, as there are additional action steps required to complete the major declaration process.  Justice Studies processes major declarations during TWO windows only: February (Spring semester) and September (Fall semester).

Please contact the Justice Studies academic advisor, Daisy Breneman, with any questions about declaring the major.