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Online Criminal Justice DegreeOnline Criminal Justice DegreeOnline Criminal Justice Degree
Put your passion for justice and law into action with Maryville University’s online bachelor’s degree in criminal justice/criminology. Our 100% online coursework combines criminal justice, criminology, psychology, and criminal law, preparing you for cutting-edge careers in law enforcement, criminal courts, and corrections.
Two program tracks let you choose between police academy training and a project-based learning experience combining seminar courses with internship opportunities at social and protective service agencies.
Are you ready to serve your community as you work to advance your career in the criminal justice system? Find out more and apply today.
No application fee or entrance exams
Choose to start in the fall, spring or summer
Explore financial aid and eligible transfer credit options
Choose from two tracks – police academy or non-police academy
Eligible for Early Access – get a head start on your online graduate degree
Why earn your criminal justice degree online?
Your online degree for criminal justice can open doors to a wide range of careers in the criminal justice field. Whether you’re looking to get your start in the field, move up the ranks to a leadership role, or break into a new field, our online criminal justice bachelor degree will help prepare you for success.
An interdisciplinary curriculum delivered online by an industry-experienced faculty will teach you complex theory through carefully crafted core courses and electives you choose based on your interests and goals. On top of that, you may be able to earn credit for police academy training from qualifying institutions. You can also choose to embark on a social science research sequence and internship so you can apply what you’ve learned in practice.
Flexible, affordable — and 100% online learning
100% online coursework
No campus visits required.
Supportive and attentive guidance
Discuss your goals with dedicated faculty members who can help you connect the curriculum to your career vision.
Simplified admission
No entrance exams or fees to apply.
What can you do with your online criminal justice degree?
Completing a bachelor’s in a criminal justice online program is a great path toward advancing your current career or kick-starting your career within the criminal justice field.
As a graduate, you can pursue criminal justice career paths and opportunities to apply your knowledge of criminology in graduate school, criminal law in law school, and law enforcement at your selected police academy. Career outcomes include finding employment in state, local, or federal law enforcement, protection services, private security firms and government agencies.
The possibilities are many — and only limited by your ambition.
Criminal justice career paths
Graduates of our online bachelor’s degree in criminal justice program may find employment in police departments, community organizations, schools and more. Individuals may pursue careers, including:
- Police officer
- Homicide detective
- Criminal investigator
- DEA special agent
- Air marshal
- Probation officer
- Corrections officer
- Customs and border protection officer
- Fish and game warden
- Computer forensics investigator
Prepare to work in exciting settings, including:
- Law enforcement
- Corrections
- Community service
- Probation and parole services
- Government/public sector
- Nonprofit organizations
- Private enterprise
Criminal justice median salaries
A bachelor’s in criminal justice online can lead to careers with median salaries such as:
What’s the market outlook for online criminal justice/criminology degree graduates?
Employment growth will remain higher than average.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects the overall employment of police and detectives to grow 3% from 2022 to 2032.4 Approximately 64,500 new jobs will become available each year over the next decade, many due to the need to replace workers who retire or transfer to different occupations.
Police officers with bachelor’s degrees earn higher salaries.
Police and detectives earned a median salary of $74,910 in 2022, according to the BLS.5
Why choose Maryville University’s online criminal justice program?
At Maryville University, we recognize that superior law enforcement starts with a solid foundation of practical knowledge. That’s why our online criminal justice program offers an interdisciplinary approach to help you apply theory to real-world scenarios. You’ll graduate from our program prepared to advance your career in law enforcement or the social sciences, or pursue graduate studies.
Our university has been connecting motivated professionals with industry expertise since 1872. We’re proud of our reputation for quality academics, accelerated growth and affordability because it demonstrates our devotion to advancing students like you.
Our online students are finding success at Maryville — and so can you.
“It’s really awesome to make a mistake in the classroom with a police officer as your instructor, because they address the mistake, and I’ll learn from them now instead of in the academy or out on the street.“
— Richard Hinchsliff
“I think the main thing I love about our program is how deeply involved you become in everything, and how interactive it is.”
— Jasmine Schmidt
Our faculty members know the law inside and out
Meet Geriann Brandt
Director of the Online Criminal Justice/Criminology Program, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Criminology
A leading educator in criminology, Geriann Brandt has been helping Maryville criminal justice students hone investigative skills for more than 15 years.
- MA, University of Missouri–St. Louis
- BA, Maryville University
Professor Brandt began teaching criminal justice courses at Maryville University in 2002, after more than 13 years working in law enforcement. As an officer, she positively impacted her community, and now as an educator, she inspires students to cultivate sharp investigative skills so they can do the same.
Today, she leads our online criminal justice degree program by combining firsthand experience with more than a decade of success teaching students to connect theory to real-life work. It’s why her expertise is in demand as a reviewer of academic texts, including the 2016 edition of Criminal Violence: Patterns, Explanations, and Interventions.
Professor Brandt provides expert career guidance to help you consider what career is best suited for you. She also shares insights from her connections in law enforcement, exemplifying the expert guidance you can receive as a Maryville criminal justice student.
Online criminal justice degree curriculum
Maryville’s bachelor’s in criminal justice online curriculum is designed to prepare you with a deeper understanding of the law and law enforcement. It includes general education courses, criminal justice core courses and electives, a social science research sequence and police academy or internship options.
Students enrolling in the online criminal justice degree program may also be able to obtain credit for successful completion of police academy training through select academies. Alternatively, students may opt for a non-police academy track and, through an internship and seminar courses, complete project-based learning at social and protective service agencies.
Qualified online criminal justice degree program students can satisfy the general education requirement through eligible transfer credits to complete the program sooner.
Criminal Justice/Criminology Core Courses — Enhance your understanding of the dynamics related to criminality, the law, and its enforcement with courses covering criminology theory, criminal law, police administration and procedures, police management, multicultural policing and more.
Criminal Justice/Criminology Elective Courses — Select your electives, depending on your interests, with courses covering topics such as criminal investigations, domestic and international terrorism, and mental illness and society.
Social Science Research Sequence — The social science research sequence includes a series of courses designed to help you gain an interconnected understanding of research methods, how to craft research, analyze results and present findings.
General Education Courses — Broaden your learning with coursework in psychology, biology, English composition and more.
Double the impact of your online criminal justice degree
At Maryville University, you can get a head start on your graduate degree while earning your online bachelor’s degree in criminal justice/criminology through our Early Access program. With Early Access, you can earn up to 12 credits that count toward your master’s degree and your online bachelor’s at the same time. Credits you earn through Early Access are charged at the undergraduate tuition rate, meaning you can save time and money on your graduate education.
To qualify for Early Access, you must be a current Maryville undergraduate student and have completed at least 75 credit hours with a GPA of 3.25 or better. If you qualify and have not yet completed your elective requirements, we invite you to contact your academic advisor to explore Early Access and learn more about some of our exciting online graduate programs.
When you’re ready to go further, consider these online graduate program options:
Online Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and Leadership
Learn to lead through an immersive curriculum that gives you the opportunity to study theory, gain practical experience and earn relevant professional certifications.
Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity
A robust curriculum of specialty courses provides the skills and experience you need to be well-versed in both offensive and defensive techniques.
Online Master of Arts in Management and Leadership
The dynamic, professionally focused program is designed to help you prepare for a senior-level management position in any field you choose.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Maryville’s online criminal justice bachelor’s degree can help you become a capable and qualified criminal justice professional. Graduates can choose from a wide range of career paths and pursue additional education as needed.
Popular careers available to criminal justice graduates include:
- Police officer
- Homicide detective
- Criminal investigator
- DEA special agent
- Air marshal
- Probation officer
- Corrections officer
- Customs and border protection officer
- Fish and game warden
- Computer forensics investigator
Some criminal justice careers require police academy training (an option through this online program), work experience, advanced degrees or specific certifications. But any way you look at it, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice can be a valuable stepping stone in your career in criminal justice.
Find out more about criminal justice careers.
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Yes. Maryville University proudly holds regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Maryville has maintained accreditation from the HLC since 1941, and this status was most recently reaffirmed in 2015.
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Most online students complete this online criminal justice degree in four years. Qualified students may be able to satisfy the general education requirements through transfer credits to complete the program sooner.
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With Early Access, students in our criminal justice degree online program can get a head start on earning a graduate degree by taking graduate-level courses that count toward their undergraduate and graduate degrees. Furthermore, graduate-level Early Access courses are billed at the undergraduate tuition rate — so students save time and money.
Our Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Master of Arts in Management and Leadership are among the many Maryville graduate programs that offer Early Access options for online criminal justice degree students.
If you’re interested in participating in the program, you should apply one semester before you plan to start taking Early Access courses. To apply, you must have completed at least 75 credit hours and have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. Through the program, you can earn up to 12 credit hours toward your master’s degree. Our advisors can help you select your Early Access courses, which must be taken one at a time.
Learn more about the Early Access program.
Apply to the online bachelor’s degree in criminal justice program at Maryville University.
Be Brave
Bring us your ambition and we’ll guide you along a personalized path to a quality education that’s designed to change your life.
1 Occupational Outlook Handbook: Police and Detectives. (2023). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved April 17, 2024.arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference
2 Occupational Outlook Handbook: Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists. (2023). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved April 17, 2024.arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference
3 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Fish and Game Wardens. (2024). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved April 17, 2024.arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference
4 Occupational Outlook Handbook: Police and Detectives. (2023). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved April 17, 2024.arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference
5 Occupational Outlook Handbook: Police and Detectives. (2023). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved April 17, 2024.arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference