1University of Cincinnati – School of Criminal Justice
(Cincinnati, Ohio)
The University of Cincinnati (UC), a public research university founded in 1819, is among the largest universities in Ohio with more than 40,000 students enrolled. Part of the University System of Ohio, UC offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees and certificates. UC offers a wide variety of degree programs through Cincinnati Online.
The completely online Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice employs an interdisciplinary approach to the study of criminal justice and immerses students in the fields of sociology, criminology, psychology, and law.
UC’s online Criminal Justice degree prepares students for careers in law enforcement, corrections, security, and safety. The well-rounded curriculum includes the following core courses:
- Introduction to Criminal Justice
- Introduction to Criminology
- Introduction to Courts
- Ethics in Criminal Justice
- Juvenile Justice System
- Corrections in America
- Criminal Punishment
- Introduction to Criminal Investigations
The university encourages students to complete service learning projects as elective courses. These involve participation in community-based projects which allow students to gain a deeper understanding of program content while fostering their sense of civic responsibility. Service learning projects allow students to gain meaningful hands-on experience while earning their degree online.
The University of Cincinnati is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
2Washington State University – Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
(Pullman, Washington)
Washington State University (WSU), a non-profit, public research university founded in 1890, enrolls about 28,000 students. A land-grant university, WSU offers 200 fields of study leading to bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees.
WSU boasts the second-oldest academic program in criminal justice. WSU established the founding chapter of the Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society.
Through its Global Campus, WSU offers an online Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice which students can complete with 49 credit hours if they have transferable core classes.
Students in the online Criminal Justice degree must complete the following five core courses:
- Introduction to the Administration of Criminal Justice
- Introduction to Criminological Theory
- Crime Control Policies
- Criminal Law or Criminal Procedure
- Senior Seminar: Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice
Electives include the following options: Juvenile Justice and Corrections, Comparative Criminal Justice Systems, Juvenile Delinquency, Law of Evidence and Criminal Procedure, and Sociology of Race Relations. Notable professors who regularly assist law and corrections organizations teach all the courses.
Washington State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
3University of Missouri at St. Louis – Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice
(St. Louis, Missouri)
The University of Missouri at St. Louis, or UMSL, is the newest of the four public research universities which comprise the University of Missouri system. With approximately 17,000 undergraduate and graduate enrollees, UMSL is the largest university in the Saint Louis metropolitan area. Students can choose from a wide variety of bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs through the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business Administration, the College of Education, the College of Nursing, and the College of Optometry. UMSL offers many degree programs students can complete without ever visiting the campus.
The online Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice has an interdisciplinary curriculum which draws from the fields of criminology, social science, law, public administration, and corrections. The program prepares students for a variety of career possibilities. Additionally, UMSL’s bachelor degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice provides a platform of knowledge for students considering law school in the future.
Students must complete 42 credit hours in general education courses plus 37 credit hours in courses within the Criminal Justice degree online program. Core courses within the program include the following:
- Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Theories of Crime
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Justice Policy
- Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice
The University of Missouri at St. Louis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
4Pennsylvania State University – Penn State World Campus
(University Park, Pennsylvania)
Pennsylvania State University, most commonly referred to as Penn State, is a public, land-grant, research-intensive university with 24 campuses located throughout Pennsylvania. Between all of its campuses, the school has about 100,000 students. In addition to the many bricks-and-mortar campuses, the Penn State World Campus, established in 1998, allows students from around the world to pursue their educations at the institution.
The Penn State World Campus Criminal Justice classes online includes 120 credit hours.
Topics covered within the criminal justice classes include the following:
- Criminology
- Introduction to law, policing, and corrections in America
- Ethics in criminal justice
- Security and police administration
- Alternatives to incarceration
- Aspects of the juvenile justice system
- Concepts of social science research
The online Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice prepares students to move into the fields of protective services, law and corrections, crime-related prevention and support, security management, and court administration.
Penn State World Campus is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The World Campus shares this accreditation.
5Sam Houston State University – College of Criminal Justice
(Huntsville, Texas)
Founded in 1879, Sam Houston State University (SHSU) is the third-oldest higher learning institution in the state of Texas. The total enrollment across all of SHSU’s graduate and undergraduate programs exceeds 20,000. In addition to over 80 undergraduate, 59 master, and 8 doctoral degree programs, SHSU also offers more than 20 online bachelor and graduate degrees.
SHSU’s College of Criminal Justice is nationally recognized and is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the country. The online Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice allows students to get a criminal justice education with maximum flexibility. Some of the popular web-based courses include:
- Cyber Crime
- Global Terrorism
- Forensic Science
- Victimology
- Violent Offenders
- Child Abuse and Neglect
- White Collar Crime
- Criminal Investigation
As part of the 120 credit hours required for graduation, the program encourages seniors to earn credits through a hands-on internship. An internship prepares students for careers in the criminal justice field.
Sam Houston State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees.
6Arizona State University – School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
(Tempe, Arizona)
Arizona State University (ASU), a public research school consisting of five campuses in the Phoenix metropolitan area, is the largest public university in the nation. ASU is widely acclaimed for its contributions to research in a wide variety of fields.
The online Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice consists of 120 credit hours. The program covers the policies and practices of the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, corrections, and the courts.
The online Criminal Justice degree includes courses such as:
- Introduction to Criminal Justice
- Introduction to Corrections
- Domestic Violence
- Gangs
- White Collar Crime
These online classes for Criminal Justice and others within the Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice online degree program help students develop the research, analytical, and communications skills necessary to succeed in a criminal justice occupation. Many graduates use the knowledge base they developed at ASU to move on to advanced degree programs in law, criminology and criminal justice, or other social science disciplines.
Arizona State University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
7University of Nebraska at Omaha – School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
(Omaha, Nebraska)
The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO), a public research university founded in 1908, offers over 200 programs of study. UNO offers numerous distance learning programs.
The university designed the fully online 120-hour Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice degree program for working professionals and traditional students who require flexibility. The program prepares students for careers such as police officers, DEA agents, probation officers, or correctional counselors.
The online Criminal Justice degree includes these required classes:
- Police and Society
- Survey of Criminal Courts
- Survey of Corrections
- Criminal Justice Research Methods
- Criminal Procedure
- Criminal Justice Statistics
The University of Nebraska at Omaha is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
8University of Central Florida – Department of Criminal Justice
(Orlando, Florida)
The University of Central Florida (UCF), a public research university, is one of the largest schools in the country with a total enrollment of more than 63,000 students. The school opened its doors for the first time in 1968. The university presently offers more than 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. UCF Online provides numerous degree programs.
The online Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice provides students a broad understanding of crime and society’s control mechanisms.
The university designed the Bachelor in Criminal Justice degree program’s curriculum to properly prepare students for jobs within local, county, state, and federal justice agencies, private security organizations, and other related fields, as well as to prepare students to continue on to graduate school.
The online Criminal Justice degree includes elective courses such as:
- Crime and the Media
- Crime Mapping and Pattern Analysis
- Criminal Justice Ethics
- Cultural Diversity and Criminal Justice
- White Collar Crime
- Drugs and Crime
- Women and Crime
- Domestic Violence and the Criminal Justice System
The University of Central Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
9University of Oklahoma – College of Liberal Studies
(Norman, Oklahoma)
The University of Oklahoma (UO), a large public research university founded in 1890, provides a variety of degree program options, including 152 baccalaureate, 160 master, and 75 doctorate programs. The university has approximately 31,000 students.
The 100-percent online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree covers the theoretical, ethical, and evolving real-world issues in the law enforcement field. Students have the opportunity to develop a solid understanding of the justice system while learning how to adapt to ever-changing law enforcement issues.
The Criminal Justice degree online requires students to complete 120 credit hours. The online classes for Criminal Justice include:
- Foundations of Ethics in Liberal Studies
- Theories of Criminal Behavior
- Deviance and Social Control
- Comparative Justice Systems
- Statistics in Criminal Justice
- Study-in-Depth Prospectus
- Introduction to Forensic Science/Criminalistics
The program includes a variety of electives.
Due to the accelerated pace of these courses, students can complete the program in 18 months.
The University of Oklahoma is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
10University of Louisville – Department of Criminal Justice
(Louisville, Kentucky)
The University of Louisville, a public university and a member of the Kentucky state university system, has more than 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
The University of Louisville offers an online Bachelor of Science degree program in Criminal Justice designed for individuals with an associate degree or equivalent credits already earned from a regionally accredited institution.
The online Bachelor in Criminal Justice degree includes courses such as:
- Crime and Justice in the United States
- Law Enforcement in the United States
- Corrections in the United States
- Criminal Behavior
- Criminal Procedure
- Juvenile Justice
- Criminal Law and Evidence
The Criminal Justice degree online prepares students for careers as police officers, special agents, criminal investigators, corrections officers, probation and parole officers, correctional treatment specialists, and more.
The University of Louisville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.