Criminal Justice Degree Online

As professional standards in criminal justice continue to rise, administrators are finding that they need not only professional skills but also advanced proficiency in such areas as analysis, communication, and management. The M.C.J.A. program helps criminal justice professionals develop those skills across a broad array of settings and contexts. Students can select from prescribed concentrations or design their own emphasis in such specialized areas as security, prevention, education, and training.
The program’s flexible approach makes it ideal for those who wish to pursue their degree part time or at a distance. It also allows students who are working in professional settings to tailor their graduate study to specific workplace challenges and goals, and to use the working environment as a setting for action research.
A graduate certificate in criminal justice education, focusing on theory and research, is also available for those who wish to prepare for teaching or for advanced graduate study.
APPLICATION AND ADMISSION
Admission to the graduate program in criminal justice administration, including both the M.C.J.A. program and the graduate certificate in criminal justice education, is open to those with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a related field (with a comparable course distribution) from a regionally accredited college or university. There are no standardized test requirements, although upon admission a writing sample may be required for advising and assessment purposes.
To apply, submit a graduate application and arrange for transcripts of all your undergraduate studies, as well as any graduate work you have completed elsewhere, to be sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies. You can apply, enroll, and begin your studies at any time during the academic year.Because of the individualized nature of the program, it is recommended that you discuss your educational goals with the program staff either before you apply or as soon as possible after you are accepted.
THE GRADUATE EXPERIENCE
Your graduate experience can be of immense value to you in the future, not only because it advances specific career or educational goals, but also because it cultivates habits of mind and discipline that will be important throughout your life. It fosters independent critical thinking; the ability to plan and perform; and skills in communication, research, and presentation.

Students in any major may minor in Criminal Justice. In addition to three upper-level criminal justice elective, required courses include Criminal Law and Procedure, Constitutional Law, and Criminology.

Minor/Certificate in Victimology
The recognition of victim’s issues has taken on great importance in this day and age. Victims of all types require advocates and service providers that can assist them in understanding their rights and guiding them through the various processes and resources available to them.

In response, Anna Maria College has developed an interdisciplinary minor/certificate program in Victimology and Victim Studies. The curriculum draws on coursework in Criminal Justice, Human Development, Nursing, Psychology and Social Work. Students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in any field or concentration may earn a minor in Victimology and Victim Studies though the completion of four required courses and two electives. Students who currently, or seek to work in law enforcement, the courts, corrections and professional settings involving work with victims of crime, families of crime victims, victims of disaster and the community at large may pursue a certificate program in Victimology and Victim Studies through the completion of four required courses and four electives.

Does law enforcement, criminal justice, or social work interest you as a career choice? This degree program combines courses in criminal justice and behavioral science to prepare you for success in a variety of professional settings in the areas of crime prevention, the administration of justice, or rehabilitation. You’ll learn about public policy and the causes, enforcement, and prevention of crime in today’s society.
General Education Requirements - 60 credits

BEH 221 Introduction to Behavioral Science - Required for all Bachelor of Arts students.
Common Body of Knowledge Requirements - 18 credits
Liberal Arts Core Requirements - 15 credits
Major Requirements - 33 credits

BEH 317 Biological Basis of Behavior
BEH 318 Addictions
BEH 411 Lifespan Development
BEH 430 Theories of Counseling*
BEH 440 Abnormal Psychology*
CRB 300 Foundations of Criminal Behavior
CRB 320 Criminology
CRB 340 Juvenile Justice Procedure
CRB 360 Communication in the Criminal Justice System
CRB 370 Criminal Investigation
CAP 485 Integrated Capstone*
Credits Required for Degree: 126

*Indicates courses requiring a prerequisite.

Criminal Justice

Of all the problems that the social sciences might address, the upgrading of our criminal justice system would seem to be among the most important. Yet, the complexity and enormity of this problem–as well as the traditional boundaries of the liberal arts–have imposed limits on efforts to study the criminal justice system, except within narrow technical and operational contexts. In recent years, however, concern with the quality of the personnel of the criminal justice system has become intensified by abrasive social upheaval in our society, rising street crime and disorders related to the role of social and political protest in a democratic society. All of these combine as a catalyst encouraging renewed efforts to improve the educational backgrounds of our criminal justice professionals.
What can I do with a criminal justice degree from Pikeville College?

The criminal justice programs at Pikeville College are designed to educate students for leadership positions in the field of criminal justice. This field prepares students for a variety of professional settings, including law enforcement, correctional case management, correctional education, chemical dependency and substance abuse counseling, victim-offender mediation and alternative dispute resolution, or pre-law.

Employment is often found in government, the private sector, universities and nonprofit organizations. Government is the largest employer in the criminal justice field, with approximately 50% employed at the local level. The field of criminal justice is constantly changing to meet the new demands of a changing society. Employment opportunities are expected to increase faster than average for all other occupations. The most stringent competition is in intelligence and computer technology. Demands for both police and corrections professionals will continue to increase both in numbers of those employed and in the complexity of the job as this field assumes more sophisticated methods of handling duties.

Graduates with a criminal justice degree from Pikeville College can choose to pursue a variety of careers including:
Computer Security Expert
Court Officer
Domestic Violence Counselor
Federal Law Enforcement Officer
Evidence Technician
Forensic Scientist
Judge
Lawyer
Legal Assistant/Paralegal
Police Officer
Probations and Parole Officer
Private Investigator
Statistical Research Analyst
Warden
Youth Counselor

Some of these careers require additional education or experience.
Criminal Justice at Pikeville College

Multidisciplinary by design, the Criminal Justice Major consists of a core of required courses in Criminal Justice (beyond the General Studies Core), combined with a foundation and a theory-method sequence of courses in the social sciences. The multidisciplinary thrust of the major is also evident in the option of a self-designed emphasis of 21 hours drawn from other disciplines. Two other concentrated emphases supplementing the Criminal Justice core requirements are in Law Enforcement and Corrections. This major also includes a “portfolio” option, with a potential 15 hours of academic credit derived from work or other educational experience for qualified students, and an off-campus practicum or internship, usually within one of the Social Science disciplines. Following the foundation courses in Sociology and Psychology, students select a theory-methods sequence from either of those two Social Sciences. This foundation, together with the Criminal Justice core, a concentrated emphasis and related electives, provides a unique, comprehensive bachelor’s degree program.

Additional options in the Criminal Justice Program include an Associate Degree and a Criminal Justice minor. The associate degree includes 40 hours of study in criminal justice. The criminal justice minor is composed of 21 hours of required and elective courses.

Degree Options
B.S. or B.A.
Major
Minor
A.S.

Key Point

The criminal justice field is moving toward specialization in areas of technology, computer security and intelligence.