CSU Global’s Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree requires the completion of 120 total credits, including a mix of core degree courses, general education courses, elective courses, and optional degree specializations and certificates.
Flexible Schedule
Like all courses at CSU Global, our Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice students can work full time, spend time with family and friends, and still be part of a rigorous degree program.
100% Online
Our 100% online learning environment means you don’t have to put life on hold to pursue a degree, and with asynchronous classes, you can complete coursework from anywhere.
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Gain the Knowledge and Skills Needed to Protect People and Property with an Online Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice
Getting your Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from CSU Global will help you develop a deep understanding of the inner workings of law enforcement, corrections, and the law itself, providing you with the skills and knowledge needed to serve as a criminal justice professional.
As a dedicated public servant, a service member transitioning from the military, or someone who’s simply interested in law enforcement administration and criminal justice, your next career move could start with a B.S. Degree in Criminal Justice from CSU Global.
If you’re seeking employment with State or Federal agencies, local police and sheriffs departments, correctional and government facilities, private sector investigation, security, and risk-assessment firms, insurance, banking, or other financial-sector companies, our online Criminal Justice program is the perfect way to gain the knowledge, skills, and credentials you need to advance your career and improve your potential value on the job market.
This fully-accredited bachelor’s degree program provides students with a complex understanding and knowledge of the criminal justice system, ensuring you’ll be on the cutting edge as a leader in criminal justice.
Completing your online Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree with CSU Global will prepare you to bring value to any organization from day one, ensuring you’re well prepared to protect the safety and security of the United States and beyond.
Our Criminal Justice program includes an exploration of both traditional and contemporary methods of maintaining the important balance between ensuring public safety and protecting civil liberties.
This program provides students with detailed knowledge of crime, law, the justice system, as well as important ethical issues and relevant theories that apply to public and private sector criminal justice organizations.
As a student in our program, you’ll explore important contemporary topics like cybercrime, terrorism, international investigations, forensics, white-collar crime and technology, ensuring you’re able to serve on the front line to help protect the safety and security of the United States.
Whether you already have some experience in criminal justice and simply need a degree or credential to take the next step in your career, or you have no prior experience, our online B.S. Degree in Criminal Justice is designed to train you to pursue a successful career in the industry.
Our online criminal justice program will provide you with the skills and abilities that could serve as an important foundation for an exciting career in law enforcement, at a public- or private-sector agency, or in political science, research, social work, investigations, the military, or another related field.
Courses in this Program
CSU Global’s Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree requires the completion of 120 total credits, including a mix of core degree courses, general education courses, elective courses, and optional degree specializations and certificates.
CSU Global’s General Education Courses are more than a bachelor’s degree requirement. They are designed to help you develop and strengthen valuable skills demanded in the workplace.
Already taken some courses? Up to 90 total credits (and 64 from community colleges) can be transferred into a bachelor’s degree at CSU Global. Request a Transcript Evaluation Summary to see how close you already are to graduation!
When you earn your bachelor’s degree through CSU Global, you can choose to customize it with an undergraduate specialization in a subject that matches your professional goals or personal interests.
The remainder of your degree is comprised of courses of your choice that support your educational goals and needs. Including a specialization reduces the number of elective credits you'll need to complete your bachelor's degree.
Learning Outcomes
This program was designed to provide you with practical knowledge of the law enforcement field needed to ensure that you are fully prepared to serve as an effective criminal justice professional by giving you:
Real-world experience in criminal justice situations through interactive simulations used to improve your deciding-making skills.
Detailed knowledge about how to run an effective criminal justice system, and an overview of the theories and practices of law enforcement.
A deeper understanding of the impact that criminal justice has on communities and society, as a whole, including the necessary balance between safety and civil liberties.
A complex awareness of the ethical issues and controversial policies facing criminal justice organizations and personnel.
Knowledge about how related jobs in criminal justice and investigations will be changing and evolving due to cyberthreats and increased access to information through improving technology.
The courses you take as part of our online bachelor’s in criminal justice will give you a deep understanding of the functions and relationship between the police, courts, and corrections components of the criminal justice system, while also allowing you to explore important contemporary issues facing criminal justice professionals.
Specific learning outcomes for this program include building the skills and knowledge required to:
Describe the main components of the criminal justice system.
Discuss theoretical approaches to deviance and crime.
Determine how quantitative and qualitative research methods are used in the field of criminal justice.
Apply ethical standards in the criminal justice system.
Evaluate the balance between crime control strategies and appropriate civil liberties.
Describe the needs of victims, offenders, and the affected community.
Evaluate technology and its role in today’s criminal justice environment.
Finally, CSU Global’s partnership with important criminal justice agencies and associations ensures that our program and related specializations will provide the very latest information from the field, while also helping to build your professional network.
Our partner agencies include:
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM)
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)
Coalition Against Insurance Fraud (CAIF)
Alpha Phi Sigma Honors Society
Affordable Tuition
As a not-for-profit public university, our goal at CSU Global is to make your online tuition cost as affordable as possible. We offer low-cost online degree tuition rates without taking anything away from the quality of the education you receive. We also lock in that low tuition rate with our tuition guarantee, and we provide additional discounted tuition rates for members of the armed forces and employees of our corporate affiliate partners.
Criminal justice is an extremely important sector that has a significant impact on communities and society, as criminal justice professionals are effectively responsible for protecting everyone and everything from criminal activity, terrorism, and other threats.
The criminal justice system is made up of law enforcement agencies and personnel, courts, and the corrections department, who must collaborate to prevent, deter, and address crime. There are many other components to the criminal justice system, however, and other important elements include the military and specifically certain types of military personnel, as well as private-sector investigators, and technology experts who play significant roles in ensuring the safety and security of people, companies, and property.
To be successful in the field, you’ll need to be capable of combining managerial skills with knowledge of law enforcement best practices to ensure that the department or agency you work for can continue to run smoothly and efficiently, allowing it to complete its core mission of protecting people and their property.
There are all sorts of interesting, exciting, and rewarding career opportunities in criminal justice, especially for people who are reliable, thorough, independent, clear communicators, and who are willing to be challenged, yet who can remain calm under pressure. Whether you’ve already got experience in the field or you’re looking to start a career from scratch, getting your bachelor’s degree in criminal justice could help set you up for lifelong success in the industry. According to The Balance Careers, top-rated reasons to consider working in criminal justice include getting to help others on a daily basis, enjoying job stability and security, getting to engage your brain in complex, challenging work situations, and enjoying excellent health and retirement benefits. If you’re the type of person who wants to have a positive impact on society, then a career in criminal justice could be the perfect fit for you.
Criminal justice professionals are tasked with a huge variety of responsibilities, with duties being dramatically different depending on the specific role.
The criminal justice system encompasses a huge number of different types of roles, and is not at all limited to jobs working as police officers or corrections personnel, as is commonly thought.
As a criminal justice professional, you’ll have the opportunity to explore careers in a whole series of related sectors, institutions, and organizations, including:
State and federal agencies, including, but not limited to law enforcement agencies.
Local police and sheriff departments, or other related organizations.
Correctional and government facilities.
Private sector investigative, security, and risk-assessment firms.
Insurance, banking, and other companies in the financial sector.
Because there are so many different options for criminal justice professionals, it’s difficult to say exactly what any given professional is responsible for doing on a daily basis, but some typical responsibilities across different positions in the field include:
Developing policies.
Advising on crisis response.
Providing law updates.
Managing records.
Depending on what specific role you pursue, your work functions and duties may be similar, or significantly different from the list above.
The great thing about getting into the criminal justice industry is that you’ll have lots of different options for the types of roles you choose to pursue, so no matter what you’re interested in doing, as long as you’re keen on having a positive impact, you should be able to find a compelling and rewarding position in the field.
CSU Global’s Criminal Justice Bachelor’s program prepares alumni to lead criminal justice, law enforcement, and related organizations by providing them with a strong foundation of competencies in a range of related skills, including:
Learning how to run an effective criminal justice system and how to serve as a professional who is capable of making excellent decisions even while under a great deal of pressure.
Developing a detailed understanding of the role and impact that the criminal justice system has on communities and society as a whole, including a sophisticated awareness of addressing safety concerns and protecting civil liberties.
Awareness for how the criminal justice system and investigation-related jobs and processes are changing due to cyberthreats and rapid improvements in technology.
Our online B.S. in Criminal Justice introduces students to the theories and practices of law enforcement, helping them to develop a complex understanding of the ethical issues and controversial policies facing criminal justice organizations and personnel, setting them up for success in pursuing roles in:
Law enforcement.
Public- and private-sector agencies.
Political science.
Research.
Social work.
Investigations.
Military personnel.
Corporate security.
Executive protection.
Global security specialist.
Government contractor.
Other related fields.
With the detailed understanding our program provides of the functions and relationship between the police, courts, and corrections component of the criminal justice system, our graduates emerge from their bachelor’s program fully-prepared to provide value to any organization from day one.
Yes. While it may take hard work and dedication to complete your bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, CSU Global’s 100% online program is one of the best ways to prepare for a career in the field.
Earning your bachelor’s degree in criminal justice can contribute to your overall career advancement, preparing you for employment in some of the industries top roles, like:
It really is worth getting a bachelor’s in criminal justice, because the skills, knowledge and abilities you develop by learning about criminal justice best practices will set you up to pursue lifelong success in the industry.
CSU Global is one of the best online colleges for criminal justice, and you should consider studying with us because:
Our B.S. in Criminal Justice program earned a #1 ranking for 10 Best Online Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice Degree Programs from Online Course Report.
Our partnership program with important criminal justice agencies and organizations could help build your professional network
A Gold School of Distinction award from Best Colleges, making us one of only 15 schools to receive gold rankings, out of more than 2,000 online degree programs.
Career Outlook
Qualities Needed for Success in the Field
Reliable, thorough, independent, clear communicator, willing to be challenged, and able to remain calm in high-pressure situations.
CSU Global's Criminal Justice Partner Agencies
FEMA, IAEM, ACFE, CAIF & Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society
$66k+ Median Salary
According to the BLS, the average annual salary for Police Officers and Detectives in 2021 was over $66k.
Program Accreditations and Rankings
CSU Global is proud to offer affordable, reputable programs that have received recognition for their quality, value, and more. Click here to learn more about our rankings and acknowledgements.
Best Online Bachelor's Degree Programs
U.S. News & World Report ranks CSU Global among the Top Online Bachelor's Programs for 2023.
#1 Best Online Bachelor's in Criminal Justice
Online Course Report ranks CSU Global #1 in their 10 Best Online Bachelor's in Criminal Justice Degree Programs.
#1 Affordable Online Law Enforcement Degree Programs
Best Value Schools ranked CSU Global the most affordable online B.S. in Criminal Justice undergraduate program.
#8 Best Online Bachelor of Criminal Justice Degree Programs
The Best Schools selected CSU Global based on curriculum quality, faculty excellence, rankings, awards, and reputation.
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I have had a wonderful experience and am proud to take part in the CSU global community. I have become the A-student I was meant to be. Thanks to CSU Global for the wonderful support!
