ABAC believes in investing in rural communities and the Department of Rural Studies drives that involvement and commitment. We offer a Bachelor of Science with a Major in Rural Community Development, which includes two tracks: Social and Community Development, and Community Health. In addition, the Department of Rural Studies offers a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice as part of the University System of Georgia's eMajor initiative, with three tracks: General, Law Enforcement, and Social Justice.

These programs provide students with the skills necessary to create positive change in rural communities, focusing on critical thinking, cultural understanding, and social responsibility. The programs also offer hands-on learning opportunities and internships, with graduates going on to work in fields such as counseling and therapy, social work, community planning, public service, family and child development, criminal profiler, criminal investigator, law enforcement officer (local, state, and federal levels), and in both treatment and security in corrections. Criminal Justice graduates become leaders of a paradigm shift promoting social equity change

Program Maps

Name	Email
Matthew Anderson	matthew.anderson@abac.edu
Shubha Chatterjee	schatterjee@abac.edu
Molly Day	molly.day@abac.edu
Melissa Harrell	melissa.harrell@abac.edu
Janet Koposko	jkoposko@abac.edu
Eric Larson	eric.larson@abac.edu
Adrian Martinez-Franco	amartinezfranco@abac.edu
Jewrell Rivers	jrivers@abac.edu
Suzanne Smith	ssmith@abac.edu

Department: Dept of Community & Behavioral Sciences