Understand the justice system from a variety of viewpoints, from policing to advocating for victims to forensics. Our criminal justice degree is created and taught by criminal justice and legal experts.
Help your community and your career. UMass Global’s Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice degree explores real-life experiences and draws from the insights of our accomplished faculty, consisting of attorneys, litigators, and prosecutors. Develop your skills by examining ethical and legal strategies for solving problems. Our program is a good fit for students seeking a wide variety of law enforcement, court, and justice careers.
Transfer up to 90 credits — up to 75% of your degree — and earn your bachelor’s in as few as 10 courses.
Explore real cases and scenarios taught by accomplished faculty who have worked in the field.
Our program provides you with valuable information about courts, corrections, forensics, evidence, gangs and the different types of law enforcement.
Applicants for this program must complete the formal application process and submit required documents. Documents required vary based on the number of transferable credits and include:
Yes, a bachelor’s in criminal justice provides foundational preparation for law school. Courses in legal evidence, court proceedings, constitutional law, and ethical decision-making build the critical thinking, analytical writing, and legal research skills required for the LSAT and law school coursework.
While many local law enforcement agencies only require a high school diploma or an associate degree for entry-level officer positions, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice provides distinct advantages:
Yes. An eligible California Basic POST Certificate may count for 15 lower-division general elective credits toward the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. These credits count toward your total degree requirements, but not directly toward Criminal Justice major requirements.
A criminal justice degree opens doors to a variety of roles in local, state, and federal government, as well as private sector security and community advocacy.
Popular career paths include:
Private sector: Fraud investigator, corporate security manager, loss prevention specialist
Criminal justice takes a broad view of public safety, law enforcement practices, corrections, and criminal procedures.
Legal studies focuses specifically on the law itself, legal theory, civil litigation, and paralegal skills.
Dig deeper into this helping profession and explore its different career paths.
