Serve and protect your community through careers in corrections, law enforcement and the court system. The Criminal Justice major is designed for students who have already completed an applied associate degree in a related area such as law enforcement, human services technology, corrections technology, or police administration.
It offers students with technical education backgrounds an academic program to broaden their education, helping them qualify for careers in law enforcement administration, parole and probation, forensic science, adult and juvenile corrections, and police administration. This flexible online format allows you to pace your classes to fit your life and career. Prior college credits often transfer, allowing you to finish your degree more quickly.
Criminal Justice Courses
The multidisciplinary curriculum comprises a broad range of courses from the social and behavioral sciences, humanities, natural sciences, and professional disciplines, all of which make a contribution to the complex field of Criminal Justice. You may individualize your program of study through elective courses.
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Potential Careers
The Criminal Justice program offers students with technical education background the opportunity to broaden their exposure to a liberal arts curriculum while training for careers fields like parole and probation, adult and juvenile corrections, and police administration. Criminal justice students might also prepare for law school or for further study in graduate or professional schools.
- The median annual wage for police and detectives nationally in 2024 was $77 ,270 with 4% growth in employment demand from 2023-33.
- The median annual wage for Forensic Science Technicians nationally in 2024 was $64,440 with %14 growth in employment demand from 2023-2033.
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Tuition and Fees
The OHIO Guarantee takes the guesswork out of budgeting for college and provides a fixed rate table for tuition and most fees for four years (or 12 consecutive semesters).
Financial aid for undergraduate students (regardless of discipline) is available in the form of scholarships, grants and student loans. Visit our Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships to learn more.
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West Virginia and Kentucky Residents
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Learning Environment
The BCJ major is available on all campuses and online through OHIO Online . Nearly all BCJ majors will be required to complete online coursework. The program is intentionally designed to be completed in two years. Contact your transfer advisor to see if your college has an articulation agreement with our BCJ program.
Program Admission Requirements
First-Year Students
Completion of an applied associate degree in a related technical field (criminal justice, paralegal, human services, law enforcement, corrections, police science, police administration, security/safety, forensic studies) is required for you to qualify for admission to the Criminal Justice major. If you have not earned an applied associate degree, you may first enroll in and complete the Law Enforcement Technology applied associate degree program at Ohio University.
Transfer Students
To enter the Criminal Justice program, you must complete a separate online application in addition to the application to the University and submit a college transcript showing that you have completed an associate degree in an appropriate technical field. Students can obtain the online application from University College, regional campus, or OHIO Online Criminal Justice advisors. Upon admission, a student will be assigned a Criminal Justice advisor. A student must be admitted to the major at least one semester prior to graduation.
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