Criminal Justice Online Bachelor's Degrees - Match A Degree Specialty To Your Goals

A note on degrees at criminal justice colleges: One of the first thing that confuses many students is trying to understand the difference between a "bachelor of science" (BS) degree (the most common type in this particular subject area) and a "bachelor of arts" (BA) degree. In broad brush strokes, the BS is generally viewed in the academic world as a more technical, perhaps more career-specific degree, while a BA is more a liberal arts major, which includes subjects like as English or language. In the real world, however, there is generally less of a distinction made between the two.

You might want to lean toward the bachelor of science degree to show your committment to a career specialty. But it's not totally predictable how employers will react. It's certainly possible that a hiring manager could see the bachelor of arts as a somewhat "softer" degree, but it's also possible that it might be viewed in a very positive light. That's because BA degrees tend to involve studies in communication arts, which are becomming more and more highly valued in law enforcement at all levels.

It's probably best not to worry too much about BA versus BS. Focus instead on finding the best criminal justice college with a degree program that suits your personal needs. If you choose a highly specialized path for your criminal justice online degree like homeland security, computer crime or juvenile justice, for example, you're likely to find that all the degrees are of the bachelor of science type.

The standard bachelor's degree is 120 credits. A few of the programs here require a small number of credits over that, though most are 120 credits total. These degree programs are all delivered 100% online. We've tried to provide information on job opportunities each degree generally provides, as well as some information on the particular school.

Like most bachelor's degrees, the BS in criminal justice will generally involve some broad liberal arts requirements in subjects like English or communication and social science, followed by courses in both the practical (corrections, criminology) and theoretical (statistics, behavioral science) aspects of law and enforcement.

Everest University
Proprietary school with a nine campuses in Florida and a large presence in online career teaching. Both the classroom and online programs are heavily focused on educating working adults.
Bachelor Criminal Justice (BS)

Kaplan University
Very large, well-known proprietary school owned by the Washington Post. Offers a tremendous array of online degrees in many specialties. Offers a "fast start" option for students who have some credits from previous work or study to complete the degree quickly.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice

Liberty University
Largest Evangelical university on earth, which has more than 13,000 undergrads students and 5,800 postgraduates. Based in Lynchburg, Virginia. The online learning program educates over 50,000 students every year, in over 70 different academic specialties.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice

Post University
Post is a small Connecticut-based university founded in 1890. For-profit school with several campuses.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice

Rasmussen College
Possibly the oldest for-profit college in the U.S., Rasmussen is 110 years old. It has four campuses in Illinois, Wisconsin,, Minnesota and Florida, and offers over 40 different degree programs online.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice

South University
Proprietary school based in Savannah, Georgia, formerly known as "Draughon's Practical Business College." Has quality regional accreditation.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice

Baker College
Small independent private school in Michigan that has grown into a large online teaching institution. Founded in 1911, Baker offers extremely affordable tuition rates.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice

California Coast University
A 100% online university based in Santa Ana, California, with about 8,000 students. For-profit school with unusually low tuition rates, accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice

Capella University
Capella is a Minneapolis-based proprietary school that offers well over 1,000 courses online and has 33,000 students. It is a 100% distance learning focused institution and has an open admissions policy.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice

Colorado Technical University
Private for-profit school established in 1965 with good regional accreditation. It has several campuses and about 25,000 students, with almost all courses having at least a partial online component.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice

Upper Iowa University
Very old (founded 1857) small private school in the midwest that has built up an online degree program with far more students than it has on-campus, as well as a series of independent study centers in Hong Kong and Malasia. Regionally accredited, the school offers distance learning programs that are 100% online or part online and part classroom based ("blended").
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice

Grantham University
Kansas-based school with about 12,000 students, and 16 different undergraduate degree programs. Grantham is known as a very military-friendly university. Tuition cost is a moderate $250. per credit hour.
Bachelor of Arts, Criminal Justice

Keiser University
Proprietary career college with 14 campuses in Florida and a very large presence in online learning. Keiser offers a very wide range of degrees from the associte to the bachelor's level, and operates several international programs around the world.
Bachelor of Arts, Criminal Justice

Strayer University
Curriculum covers theories and applications for law enforcement, as well as prevention, court adjudication and juvenile and adult corrections strategies. Career is designed to allow students to tailor their studies to a specific career goal.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice Administration

Bellevue University
Teaches a mix of stragetic planning, budgeting skills and management techniques for leadership positions in criminal justice. Key job positions the degree prepares a graduate for include public or private jobs as a law enforcement supervisor, parole administrator or legal office manager, among others.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice Administration

Walden University, School of Public Policy
Combined coursework and a capstone project covering the theory and the nature of crime, in both a national and international perspective. Prepares graduate for jobs in regional law enforcement offices, victim and other advocacy service offices and law or criminal justice-focused non profit groups.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Management & Administration

Kaplan University
A business degree designed to track graduates toward a managerial career in a law enforcement or other criminal justice organization. Curriculum stresses technical competencies in business functions, human resources, accounting, operations and decistion-making skills. This degree can also serve as a foundation for a "fast track" MBA through Kaplan.
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration - Criminal Justice (advanced start degree)

Ashford University
Teaches managerial skills with an emphasis on the human side of business, with courses in communication, human resource management and ethics. Concentrated studies are added in law enforcement, corrections and forensics, to equip the graduate to manage a criminal justice department or organization.
Bachelor of Arts - Organizational Management, Criminal Justice

DeVry University
Teaches a mix of management and computer skills, primarily aimed at students who are already working in a criminal justice position and want to advance to a higher career level. The combination of tech and other skills is designed to qualify the grad to work in the FBI, private investigation, and border patrol jobs in particular.
Bachelor of Technical Management - Criminal Justice

DeVry University
Degree program designed to prepare students for security careers in financial organizations or businesses who are increasingly concerned with physical security, safety and asset managment. May also apply to some government security careers in homeland security.
Bachelor in Business Administration - Security Management

Ashford University
Prepares graduates for careers in the large but still growing U.S. Homeland Security Department and regional agencies that are charged with handling terrorist and other threats. Focuses on social elements influencing crime in American society, U.S. homeland security strategy and issues of coordinating multiple law enforcement and rescue teams involved in handling disasters.
Bachelor of Arts, Social & Criminal Justice - Homeland Security
Ashford offers an additional online bachelor's degree specialized in homeland security
Bachelor of Arts, Homeland Security & Emergency Management

Rasmussen College
Provides expertise on criminal justice leadership and homeland security policy, designed to prepare student for potential employement mainly in one of the many federal agencies charged with protecting the nation from various threats. Career track includes border patrol, FEMA, immigration, customs or U.S. intelligence agencies.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, Homeland Security

Central Penn College
Combines teaching in security, intelligence analysis, emergency management and other key elements to prepare students for management of multi-disciplinary teams that work together on a regular basis in the homeland security field.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, Homeland Security Management

Colorado Technical University
Covers a wide range of knowledge areas key to the protection of the U.S. the program, which was developed in consort with the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security, provides a foundation in intelligence, infrastructure protection, technology and emergency management that can apply to jobs in many different governmment agencies and private companies. Students gain an understanding of hout to analyze important risks and design solutions.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, Homeland Security & Emergency Management

Read more here on the Specific career benefits of getting a homeland security degree online

Ashford University
A degree program designed to create opportunities for upward mobility in a criminal justice career. Focuses on both the social and legalistic aspects of law enforcement and criminal justice. Includes foundation studies in psychology, forensics and prevention of crime or terrorism that can be applied in varied career tracks in the criminal justice system.
Bachelor of Arts, Social & Criminal Justice

Ashford University
Broad-based degree the provides training in prevention of crime and terrorism, legal aspects of criminal justice, as well as security concepts involving resource planning, dealing with threats and applying countermeasures. Degree preps the graduate for a more strategic role in a security organization in regional or federal government.
Bachelor of Arts, Social & Criminal Justice - Security Management

Regis University
A program that teaches students to profile, identify, and ultimately catch criminals, with a focus on the causes and nature of very specific types of crimes like juvenile offenses, workplace violence and terrorist acts. Curriculum also includes training in interorganizational communication.
Bachelor of Science, Criminology

Portland State University
In studying the causes of criminal activity, the degree involves courses like crime analysis, crime control strategies, crime & fear, juvenile offenders and American courts. Advanced courses include community health studies, human sexuality, drug education and a senior capstone project. Portland State is part of Oregon's public university system.
Bachelor of Science, Criminology & Criminal Justice

Lincoln College Online
Degree program that covers the key theories and concepts of how the criminal mind functions. Also provides career skills in management, with focused study of human relations, smart decision making and principles of professional ethics.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Criminal Mind

Rasmussen College
Prepares the student to work as a defense consultant, who works in the court processes of selecting juries, interviewing suspects to determine if they are competent to go on trial, or, at the most advanced levels, testify before a jury about what a defendant's state of mind was at the time a crime was committed. Specific training is also provided for grads to work in offender supervision, psychology evaluations, addiction counseling and other types of assessment and training programs.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Criminal Offenders

Walden University
Walden, one of the largest online schools, offers a program targeted at careers in law enforcement, the court system, homeland security, social services or corrections. Areas of study include crime scene assessment, handling of witnesses, suspects and informants, and techniques of surveillance. The degree includes study of both the nature of crime in the U.S. and internationally.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Crime & Criminals

South University
One of five fields of emphasis in South University's online criminal justice degree program. This one focuses on the key triggers that create problems with juvenile offenders and on current practices in rehabilitation and corrections of young people. The degree prepares grads for entry-level jobs in local or federal law enforcement organizations, while providing a bachelor's degree level of preparation for eventual promotion to supervisory roles as a special agent, field investigator, private security supervisor or deputy warden.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Juvenile Justice

Kaplan University
In addition to foundation criminal justice learning in computer crime, crime scene investigation and forensices, this specialized program develops the student's knowledge in the needs of young people in the criminal justice system, with study of sentencing practices, risk assessment, intervention and relationship building, and case management.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Juvenile Justice
Kaplan also offers an "advanced start" juvenile justice degree to allow students who already have some completed credits to complete this degree far more quickly.

South University
This degree offers a broad training in the techniques and technologies of modern day law enforcement, with an added emphasis on how the correction system protects the public from convicted criminals. Students also learn current approaches to rehabilitating criminals and returning them successfully to society. The degre is designed to prepare students for entry into law enforcement, corrections jobs, homeland security or private security positions, and to give them a foundation that can lead into later promotion into a position as deputy warden, special agent, detective or other more senior level position in corrections or law enforcement.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Corrections

Kaplan University
In addition to a broad liberal arts foundation, this program provides the student with expertise in the administrative issues that dominate the U.S. corrections system. Curriculum includes study of tough issues like overcrowding, the rights of inmates and dealing with juvenile offenders. The program is designed to help students get job opportunities at local or federal prisons or juvenile detention centers at the administrative or managerial level.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Corrections
Kaplan also offers an "advanced start" Bachelor of Arts in Corrections that can, in many cases, be completed in less than two years total.

Ashford University
Bachelor's degree program that covers the key issues of how a criminal justice system maintains a strong and just society. Specialized study covers current theories of sentencing and punishment of criminals, recent Supreme Court decisions that affect corrections and the rights that prisoners have under the constitution.
Bachelor of Arts, Social & Criminal Justice - Corrections

Bellevue University
A 60-credit completion degree designed to teach administrative and managment techniques for corrections professionals. Graduates learn current practices in prisoner management, communication skills and organizational approaches to manageing a large organization. Job track with this degree can potentially include titles like Warden, corrections supervisor or agency director.
Bachelor of Science, Corrections Admistration and Management - Completion Degree

Strayer University
In addition to the broad teaching of a criminal justice bachelor's degree, this program delves into computer forensics, security and computer technology in emergency management. Also covers tech applications used in homeland security operations.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Computer Security & Forensics

Kaplan University
Degree program that can be completed quickly by students who have either an associate's degree or some credits already completed. The curriculum includes coverage of the basics of computer crime and how it impacts society. Key topics include investigation of computer crimes against business or government, the legal issues around monitoring criminals electronically, computer forensics and techniques for the protection of digital assets.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Computer Crime (Advanced Start)

Salem University
Criminal justice bachelor's degree with in-depth study of techniques of collecting crim scene evidence such a fingerprints. Also covers handling and testing of biological evidence involved incrimes. Courses include firearm identification, crime scene photography, latent prints and blood pattern study.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Crime Scene Investigation

Kaplan University
Equips student with current techniques in finding, gathering and analyzing evidence from crime scenes. Specialized study of understanding the boundaries of a crime scene that are searchable, and keys to finding important evidence and forensic materials required for a court case. "Fast start" degree designed for quick completion in cases where the student already has an associate's degree or some number of credits already earned from another school.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Crime Scene Investigation (Advanced Start)

Ashford University
Students gain knowledge of the underlying principles of criminal liability and the mental state of criminals and other circumstances key to analyzing and prosectuting criminal acts. Covers forensics as they apply to the key elements in crimes against companies, people or society as a whole.
Bachelor of Arts, Social & Criminal Justice - Forensics

Post University
Prepares graduate for varied jobs in the human services category, as well as for graduate study. Student will be given the foundation to gain entry-level position as a paraprofessional in mental health services, family support services and community or day treatment centers. Potential job titles include assistant counselor and caseworker or caseworker aid. The criminal justice specialization directs the graduate toward the social services offered to criminal populations or toward services designed for juveniles or other populations at risk for criminal activity.
Bachelor of Science, Human Services - Criminal Justice

Rasmussen College
A degree to prepare you for a job as a corrections officer, parole or probation officer of as an administrator in various types of detention centers. The degree specialization includes study of dealing with special populations in criminal justice, rehabilitation, success strategies in returning former criminals to society and to employment and court procedure.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice - Client Services

Kaplan University
Having a broad understanding of international approaches to criminal justice can potentially prepare a graduate to work for organizations from large urban police departments to organizations like the F.B.I, The Homeland Security Agency, INTERPOL or even the CIA. Skills learned include emerging trends, planning and preventative approaches to trans-national crimes.
Bachelor of Science, International & Comparative Criminal Justice
Kaplan also offers an "advanced start" Bachelor of Science, International Criminal Justice to allow students who already have some completed credits to complete this degree far more quickly.