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Criminal Justice

Bachelor's Degree

Online Program

Next Start Dates
November 08, 2023
January 02, 2024
Apply By
November 06, 2023
December 28, 2023

Get a Head Start on Your Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree

You can get transfer credits reviewed in one business day (on average) and transfer your credits to save time and money. Take advantage of our online Criminal Justice degree Bachelor Completer entrance pathway to save time and money by transferring in your Associate's degree or conferred credits.

Explore Our Tuition Estimator Tool


What Does This Degree Prepare You For?

With your Criminal Justice Bachelor’s degree, you can pursue work throughout the justice and corrections systems—which means a wide variety of paths are open to you.1 Common career paths for graduates with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice include:

  • Crime victims advocate
  • Security manager
  • Corporate security supervisor

Why Pursue a Career in Criminal Justice at Rasmussen University?

We’re here to help you protect and serve your community at a higher level.

  • Our online criminal justice courses are built to help you balance work and life while you learn and advance in our programs.
  • You’ll work with instructors who bring years of criminal justice experience and are committed to your success.
  • This program was designed and reviewed by industry experts with experience at organizations such as the FBI, DEA, United States Secret Services and Homeland Security.2

The Criminal Justice program is not designed to meet the educational requirements for professional licensure or certification in any states. This program has not been approved by any state professional licensing body and does not lead to any state-issued professional license.1

What Do Criminal Justice Courses Look Like?

You’ll learn through live interactive sessions with faculty and peers, authentic assessments of what you know, and real-world projects like analyzing a real interrogation video.

  • Cultural Diversity and Justice
    • Examines the true picture and statistics of minority representation at every point in the criminal justice process, from point of contact with the police to incarceration and the death penalty.
    • Includes a comprehensive examination of unbiased racial and ethnic theories, and research and practice of behavior and victimization affecting the criminal justice system.
  • Values-Based Leadership in Criminal Justice
    • Address unique ethical challenges that leaders in criminal justice may confront.
    • Discuss delegation and abandonment of duties, use of power, discretion and responsibility to act and the role of personal character.
  • Mental Health and Substance Abuse in Criminal Justice
    • Examine unique responses from the perspective of law enforcement and the courts, as well as corrections as the importance of collaboration and multi-disciplinary approaches is studied.
    • Analyze emerging trends and challenges to addressing mental health and substance abuse issues in the criminal justice system.

What Skills Will I Gain?

  • Serve with integrity

    Understand and appropriately act based on your knowledge of ethical challenges, the use of power, the discretion and responsibility to act and the role of personal character in service professions.

  • Understand crime and its impacts

    Our criminal justice programs will give you the skills needed for recognizing and addressing criminal behavior, crime prevention, complex ethical situations, criminal theories, relationships with diverse populations and the behavior and victimization affecting the criminal justice system.

  • Apply criminal justice best practices

    Apply an advanced knowledge of the criminal justice field and an understanding of the theory and practice of criminal justice procedures and research methods.

  • Know the impact of mental health and substance abuse

    Evaluate and analyze the intersection of mental health and substance abuse and how together they impact the criminal justice system.

Online Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree

Rasmussen University courses are fully online and rich in interactive learning—to give you more control and balance in your life. Plus, we offer support on the ground at 23 campuses.

Speed and Cost Savings

Earn your Bachelor’s in as few as 18 months when transferring in your Associate's degree or previous college credits.3 Self-directed assessments can save even more time and money.

Plus, transferable skills that take you farther.

Along with gaining justice-related expertise, you’ll grow in critical thinking, digital fluency, information literacy, communication, diversity and teamwork, and ethics and professional responsibility.

illustration of checked icons for criminal justice

9 Careers in Criminal Justice for Degree Holders to Consider

Not sure what you can do with a Criminal Justice degree? The field goes further than roles as a police officer and we’ve done the research to compile the wide variety of careers available to those with the right education.

Read more

Take the Next Step—Talk to Us!

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Request More Information About Our Criminal Justice Program

Fill out the form to receive information about:

  • Program Details and Applying for Classes
  • Financial Aid and FAFSA (for those who qualify)
  • Customized Support Services
  • Detailed Program Plans

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Get Credit for What You Know

Self-Directed Assessments

Show that you have already achieved the skills for a course and don't need to take it. Your potential savings could be over $7,000!4

Transfer Credits

No matter your education background, you can transfer your conferred Associate’s degree or 91 credits to finish your Bachelor’s in as few as 18 months.3

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Education Built for Working Adults

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Help Paying for College

An admissions advisor can help you go over options including military discounts, corporate grants, loans and other grants, and scholarship opportunities.

Fully Online

You really don’t need to go very far to learn. Do it at your pace, where you work best.

Affordable Education

Tuition & Savings

Do the Math:

Courses are delivered in 5.5-week terms and full-time students can finish in as few as 18 months for as low as $29,620.3

$279 cost per full-time credit
x 90 total credits
_______________________
$25,110 total full-time tuition
+ $4,510 total fees
_______________________
$29,620 full-time estimated total program cost

Learn more about the financial aid cost of attendance (COA).

Explore our Tuition Estimator Tool

Other Ways to Save

Higher education should be a manageable investment. Talk to an admissions advisor and learn how our online Criminal Justice program is designed to be more affordable with Knowledge Credit™ through transfer credits, self-directed assessments, and military training or professional certification. Plus, save more with loans and grants, scholarship opportunities, and military discounts for those who qualify. Find more about:

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Entrance Requirements

To be considered for admission, students must hold a conferred Associate’s degree from an accredited institution as recognized by the Department of Education, or students must have successfully completed 60 quarter or 40 semester credits with a grade of C or higher.

Talk to an admissions advisor

You've Got Questions, We've Got Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Don't See Your Question Here?

Our dedicated team of admissions advisors can help you answer questions related to tuition, financial aid, admissions and more.

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Call: 877-308-9946

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