College of Social & Behavioral Sciences # Criminal justice bachelor's degrees [Apply now](/application/quick-app/personal-info) ## Answer the call for criminal justice Learn skills to support and serve the criminal justice system with a criminal justice bachelor’s degree. Whether you’re looking for public administration or human services opportunities in the federal or state jurisdictions or your local municipality, our criminal justice bachelor’s degree can prepare you for administrative roles in the criminal justice system including law enforcement, criminal courts and corrections, as well as for opportunities in the private sector. Take the next step to play a bigger role in your community. _The best part?_You’ll gain criminal justice insight from experienced professionals that serve as faculty including chiefs of police, captains, lieutenants, wardens, judges and detectives._ _And with all our coursework being 100% online and only 5 weeks long, you’ll have the flexibility to build criminal justice skills you're looking for, on your terms. ## Let's get started [Request Info](https://www.phoenix.edu/request/request-information)[Apply Now](https://www.phoenix.edu/application/quick-app/personal-info) ## Find the criminal justice bachelor's degree for you 12 The number of times a year you can start your degree based on your schedule. 120 > credits The number of credits required to complete a criminal justice bachelor's degree with UOPX. 4 years The program length of a criminal justice bachelor's degree with UOPX. [See start dates](/admissions/class-start-dates.html) ## Skills you’ll develop with core criminal justice bachelor's degree courses --- ### BACHELOR OF JUSTICE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION  - Communication - Problem-solving - Innovation  - Research - Operations [See the BS in Criminal Justice](/online-criminal-justice-degrees/criminal-justice-administration-bachelors-degree.html) --- ### BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION - Public administration - Management - Data-driven decision-making - Problem-solving - Budgeting [See the BS in Public Administration](/online-criminal-justice-degrees/public-administration-bachelors-degree.html) --- ### BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN Correctional Program support services - Evidence-based practice - Advocacy - Service delivery - Behavioral health   [See the BS in Correctional Program Support](/online-behavioral-sciences-degrees/correctional-program-support-services-bachelors-degree.html) ## Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years Get value from your education before you even graduate. Update your professional profile with learned skills when you complete every 5- or 6-week course in our associate, bachelor's and master's programs. [Learn more](/online-degrees/skills-aligned-learning.html) ## Outlook for workers with a criminal justice bachelor's degree ### Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration BLS CATEGORY: First-line supervisors of police and detectives JOB GROWTH: 3**%** [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/police-and-detectives.htm) job growth for police and detective occupations is projected to be**as fast as average** between ((edu.BLSyears)). JOB TITLES: - Police sergeant - Detective supervisor - Loss prevention manager - Patrol captain - Police shift commander [Request info](https://www.phoenix.edu/request/request-information)[Apply now](https://www.phoenix.edu/application/quick-app/personal-info) ### Bachelor of Science in Public Administration BLS CATEGORY: Social and community service managers JOB GROWTH: 6**%** [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm), job growth for social and community service manager occupations is projected to be**faster than** **average**between ((edu.BLSyears)). JOB TITLES: - Community outreach coordinator - Nonprofit manager - Program manager - Operations manager - Regulatory affairs manager [Request info](https://www.phoenix.edu/request/request-information)[Apply now](https://www.phoenix.edu/application/quick-app/personal-info) ### Bachelor of Science in Correctional Program Support Services BLS CATEGORY: Social and community service managers JOB GROWTH: 6**%** [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm), job growth for social and community service manager occupations is projected to be**faster than** **average**between ((edu.BLSyears)). JOB TITLES: - Program eligbility specialist - Case manager - Social services manager [Request info](https://www.phoenix.edu/request/request-information)[Apply now](https://www.phoenix.edu/application/quick-app/personal-info) ## Criminal justice bachelor's degree course requirements --- ### Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration You’ll take**14**core courses with program-specific knowledge to help you gain confidence and skills to succeed. These core courses include topics like ethics in criminal justice, diversity in criminal justice, interagency communication, criminal justice policy analysis and program evaluation and more. [See all courses](/online-criminal-justice-degrees/criminal-justice-administration-bachelors-degree.html#courses) --- ### Bachelor of Science in Public Administration You’ll take**14**core courses with program-specific knowledge to help you gain confidence and skills to succeed. These core courses include topics like: foundations of public administration, The public policy environment, fiscal management, program implementation and evaluation and more. [See all courses](/online-criminal-justice-degrees/public-administration-bachelors-degree.html#courses) --- ### Bachelor of Science in Correctional Program Support Services You’ll take**14**core courses with program-specific knowledge to help you gain confidence and skills to succeed. These core courses include topics like survey of corrections in the United States, foundations of criminal behavior, working with the correctional population and more. [See all courses](/online-behavioral-sciences-degrees/correctional-program-support-services-bachelors-degree.html#courses) --- ## Tuition and financial aid ### Affordable, locked-in tuition [Learn about tuition](/tuition-financial-aid.html) ### Ways to pay — and save. Explore your options. From scholarships to transfer credits and federal financial aid for those who qualify, there are a variety of ways to pay for school and save on tuition.  > Financial Aid Federal Financial Aid is money from the U.S. Department of Education to help you pay for your college tuition and expenses. [More about financial aid](/tuition-financial-aid/federal-financial-aid.html) > Military or Veteran Benefits See if you qualify to use veterans’ education benefits or tuition assistance to help pay for school. [More about military benefits](/military.html) > Credit for Prior Learning Earn your degree without starting from scratch. Have previous relevant work and life experience evaluated for potential credit. If you have military or law enforcement training, such as [Peace Officer Standards and Training](/content/dam/edu/degrees/doc/admissions/corporate-alliances/p/post-academy-training-crg.pdf)(POST),[Basic Corrections Academy](/content/dam/edu/degrees/doc/admissions/corporate-alliances/b/basic-corrections-academy-training-crg.pdf)training or[Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy](/content/dam/edu/degrees/doc/admissions/corporate-alliances/f/federal-bureau-of-investigation-crg.pdf)training, you can apply to have that experience evaluated for up to 30 credits. [More about credit for experience](/tuition-financial-aid/prior-learning-assessment.html) > Scholarships Starting with your first course, every new qualifying student will be awarded one of our scholarships. [More about scholarships](/tuition-financial-aid/scholarships.html) > Employer Tuition Discounts Check if your employer provides tuition assistance, benefits, or reimbursement programs toward your degree. [More about employer tuition benefits](/tuition-financial-aid/employer-tuition-benefits.html) > Transfer Credits Your prior eligible credits could help you graduate from your bachelor's degree faster and for less. [More about transfer credits](https://www.phoenix.edu/tuition-financial-aid/transfer-credits.html) --- ## Student experience “_Making the decision to enroll at University of Phoenix was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life_.”  **—Zebrick J.**  _BSCJA, 2012_   Over 1 million alumni have earned their degrees while balancing work, school and life.**So can you. ** > Manage Time with Flexible Courses [More about time management](/life-as-a-phoenix/time-management.html) > Use Robust Student Resources [More about student resources](/student-resources.html) > Learn Online [More about classes](/student-resources/going-to-class.html) ## How to apply for your criminal justice bachelor’s degree program Once you’ve selected your degree program, choose your start date from our calendar, apply for free and register before the deadline (usually one week before the program starts). Then you'll speak to an enrollment representative to begin class. - No application fee - No SAT, GMAT or essay required - Our[risk-free trial](https://www.phoenix.edu/cmp/risk-free.html)lets eligible students try out University of Phoenix for three weeks with no financial obligation [See admissions requirements](/admissions.html)[Explore start dates](/admissions/class-start-dates.html) ## Meet your college deans Our college deans focus on developing a career-relevant curriculum. They bring industry experience to the classroom and lead a faculty of academic professionals with one goal in mind—to help you earn the skills you need to pursue your career. ### Christina Neider, EdD Associate Provost, Colleges [Learn more](/about/academic-leadership/associate-provost-christina-neider.html) ### Franzi Walsh, DBA Associate Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences [Learn more](/about/academic-leadership/associate-dean-franzi-walsh.html) # Accreditation ## Accredited for 45+ years Since 1978, University of Phoenix has maintained institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC),[hlcommission.org](https://www.hlcommission.org/). Learn more about the value of University of Phoenix accreditation and how it benefits our students. [Learn more](/about/accreditation.html) ## Criminal justice bachelor's degree FAQs Expand AllCollapse All ### Is a BA or BS better for a criminal justice degree? A criminal justice bachelor’s of science degree (BS) focuses more on the technology and data-driven knowledge. These areas of study can be important to fields like law enforcement, criminology and public administration, which can be more helpful for anyone preparing for a career in criminal justice.   ### What is the benefit of getting a criminal justice bachelor's degree? Having a bachelor’s degree has become an increasingly important way to gain the knowledge and critical skills today's workers need to stay competitive in growing fields like criminal justice, human services, public administration, and criminology. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, projects that  job growth for social community service manager occupations is[projected to be much faster than average ](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm)between 2021 and 2031.* So if you’re looking to build knowledge and career-relevant skills, a criminal justice bachelor’s degree could help.    *The BLS Projected Growth for 2021-2031 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates. ### Can I get my criminal justice bachelor's degree online?  Yes, all our courses are available 100% online. Where most colleges expect you to take several courses at once, here you take one course at a time over five weeks in an innovative, virtual, asynchronous learning environment. You and your peers will engage in discussions, assignments and learning activities. Plus, you’ll learn from faculty who bring their own real-world experience and practice the same knowledge and skills they teach, all while learning industry-relevant skills necessary to promote your career growth. What’s more? Throughout the course of your learning experience, our academic counselors and finance advisors are always there to support and guide your decisions from your first day to your last. ### Can I use transfer credits toward my criminal justice bachelor's degree? You may be able to save time and money on your criminal justice bachelor’s degree by [transferring eligible credits](/tuition-financial-aid/transfer-credits.html) from an accredited institution or applying to have your relevant  [work and life experiences](/tuition-financial-aid/prior-learning-assessment.html) evaluated for potential credit toward your degree. If you have military or law enforcement training, such as[Peace Officer Standards and Training](/content/dam/edu/degrees/doc/admissions/corporate-alliances/p/post-academy-training-crg.pdf)(POST),[Basic Corrections Academy](/content/dam/edu/degrees/doc/admissions/corporate-alliances/b/basic-corrections-academy-training-crg.pdf)training or[Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy](/content/dam/edu/degrees/doc/admissions/corporate-alliances/f/federal-bureau-of-investigation-crg.pdf)training, you can apply to have that experience evaluated for up to 30 credits. - [What’s a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice](/articles/criminal-justice/what-is-a-bachelors-degree-in-criminal-justice) — Online Degrees | October 13, 2025 • 5 minutes - [Criminal Justice vs Criminology](/articles/criminal-justice/criminal-justice-vs-criminology) — Online Degrees | February 09, 2026 • 6 Minutes - [What Is Criminal Justice?](/articles/criminal-justice/what-is-criminal-justice) — Online Degrees | June 02, 2022 • 8 minutes Load More...