Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Description and Outcomes

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program is designed to offer a level of academic study that provides you with a solid foundation in criminal justice and a broad liberal arts knowledge base. The baccalaureate program combines the professional skills of various specialized areas of criminal justice with research and analytical skills.

If you seek a practice-based program, the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice is designed to enhance your qualifications to help you pursue more challenging responsibilities in criminal justice agencies and corporations. Upon graduation, you may seek employment opportunities in various criminal justice environments such as law enforcement, courts, adult and juvenile corrections, corporate security, public safety, loss prevention, private protective services or investigations, or community-based programs and services. It should be noted that some positions may require additional academy training and experience.

If you have already completed an associate’s or bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, you may be eligible for degree requirements to be waived and replaced with advanced start credit. Refer to Advanced Start Credit in Bachelor’s Degrees for details.

This program is available in ExcelTrack. Speak with your University representative for any limitations. For more information on ExcelTrack, see Learning Paths in the Approach to Learning section of the Catalog.

Concentrations

The bachelor's degree program offers you the opportunity to personalize a degree with a concentration in business foundations, crime scene investigation, forensic psychology, homeland security, juvenile justice, law enforcement, or socially responsible leadership.

Program Length

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program consists of a minimum of 180 quarter credit hours. Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a bachelor of science degree.

Accelerated Master's Degree Options

If you are interested in earning a master's degree, consider an accelerated master's degree option. Refer to the Progression Requirements section for details.
 

Program Outcomes

Discipline-Specific Outcomes

  1. Criminological Theory: Use biological, sociological, and psychological criminological theories to understand the reasons individuals commit criminal acts.
  2. Law: Apply the principles of criminal law and civil liabilities to keep officers and agencies from committing criminal acts and violating civil liabilities.
  3. Research Methods: Use scientific methods to make professional and logical decisions.
  4. Leadership: Build relationships within the community by understanding organizational culture, community relations, and theories of behavior.
  5. Operations: Use available resources to make sound operational decisions for the criminal justice agency.
  6. Technology: Apply new technology to improve the operations within a criminal justice agency.
  7. Internationalism: Understand and evaluate worldwide criminal justice systems and enterprises.

General Education Literacies and Professional Competencies

In addition to the discipline-specific outcomes, general education literacies and professional competencies are integrated throughout your academic program. You can review the general education literacies and professional competencies associated with your academic program in the General Education and Professional Competency Requirements section of this Catalog.

Program Availability

For program availability, please refer to the U.S. State and Other Approvals section and Program Availability Information.

Policies

Please refer to school-specific policies and the Policy Information section for general Purdue Global policies.

Certification, State Board, and National Board Exams

Certain state certification and licensure boards have specific educational requirements for programs to lead to a license or certification that is a precondition for employment in a recognized occupation. Prospective and current students must review Purdue Global’s State Licensure and Certifications site to view program and state-specific licensure information.

Unless otherwise specified, Purdue Global's programs are not designed to meet any specific state’s licensure or certification requirements. Licensure-track programs may limit enrollment to students in certain states; please see Purdue Global’s Program Availability Information to determine enrollment eligibility.

You are responsible for understanding the requirements of optional certification exams. Such requirements may change during the course of your program. You are not automatically certified in any way upon program completion. Although certain programs are designed to prepare you to take various optional certification exams, Purdue Global cannot guarantee you will be eligible to take these exams or become certified. Your eligibility may depend on your work experience, completion of education and/or degree requirements, not having a criminal record, and meeting other certification requirements.