ALBANY — Officials from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) and Albany State University (ASU) signed an agreement Tuesday establishing a cooperative relationship to benefit students in the institutions’ respective criminal justice programs.
The articulation agreement was signed at ASU and streamlines the pathway for ABAC criminal justice graduates to join ASU’s Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree program by providing guaranteed admission for qualified ABAC graduates and a waived application fee, according to a press release from the schools. ABAC began offering an online bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2022.
“This is an exciting possibility for our students majoring in criminal justice to further their education and better position themselves going into the workforce,” said ABAC President Tracy Brundage. “We appreciate the partnership with Albany State and look forward to more opportunities like this for our students in the future.”
To qualify, students must be in good academic standing and meet the admissions requirements to attend ASU. ABAC students must have graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Applications admitted on a provisional basis must pass nine hours of ASU criminal justice courses and maintain a 3.0 GPA. Students will also be required to provide a resume and two recommendations from professionals acquainted with their academic or professional experience.
“Student access and success is one of the key pillars of ASU’s strategic plan. The partnership with ABAC expands educational access and creates additional career opportunities for its criminal justice graduates. ASU and ABAC share a commitment to providing students the necessary skills to prepare them to compete in a global society,” said ASU President Marion Ross Fedrick. “We look forward to welcoming the ABAC graduates into the ASU community and supporting their growth.”
Both institutions are committed to advising students accordingly, the press release said. ABAC will assign an academic advisor to coordinate the implementation of the program-to-program agreement.
The ASU criminal justice graduate program is a 30-credit-hour degree delivered both face-to-face and online with concentrations in law enforcement, corrections, forensic science, and public administration. The corrections and law enforcement concentrations are offered fully online.
“In waiving the application fee and guaranteeing admissions for qualified ABAC students, this agreement will help open the door for students who wish to pursue advanced education in this discipline,” said Dr. Matthew Anderson, Dean of ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences. “We hope this partnership with Albany State’s excellent criminal justice M.S. program helps keep ABAC students here in South Georgia while they pursue their graduate studies. That will enhance the likelihood that they remain in the region following graduation and can utilize their skills to help strengthen our local communities.”
“Through this partnership, ASU and ABAC are dedicated to creating a seamless transition for students looking to further their education in the field of criminal justice. We recognize that our institutions share a common goal of providing students with the tools they need to succeed in their chosen careers, and we are excited to work together to achieve this goal,” said ASU Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Rhonda Porter.
The articulation agreement will officially become effective immediately.