Criminal Justice Degree Online

Earn your criminal justice degree online!

Why choose an
online criminal justice degree?
Does your idea of success combine professional opportunity with the chance to make the world a better place? If you’re concerned with justice and social issues, and want to make a difference, a career in criminal justice may be your path. Mountain State University offers online criminal justice programs for maximum convenience; earn an associate or bachelor’s degree from the convenience of your home or office.

Criminal Justice is a changing and dynamic profession, its growth spurred by new technologies, increased need for law enforcement personnel, and a continuing focus on homeland security. Whether you’re a seasoned professional looking to advance in your career, or someone new to the field, an online MSU criminal justice degree offers you the opportunity to pursue any field of study relating to police, courts, corrections, or homeland security.

Regional Accreditation — The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

Affordable Tuition — Full-time financial aid availability and reasonable costs.

Faculty — Academic credentials and real-world experience.

What can I study at MSU?
MSU offers both online associate and bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice.

The online associate criminal justice degree program prepares you to enter criminal justice agencies or can be used as the first step to complete a bachelor’s degree.
Click here for the A.S. course sequence.

MSU offers online bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with two concentrations:

Homeland Security: The focus is on combating terrorism through investigation, detection, location, and apprehension of foreign and domestic terrorists. In this concentration, you will train for law enforcement response to incidents, disasters, and crisis management.
Click here for the Homeland Security course sequence.

Corrections Management: If you see yourself as a future leader in community corrections agencies, prisons, or jails, this concentration allows you to focus on a management and interdisciplinary approach to corrections.
Click here for the Corrections Management course sequence.

Why choose MSU?
Flexible learning delivery. Classes in the criminal justice program are offered online and in-classroom. You can also receive credit for past academic courses and prior learning experience.

Gain both academic and field experience. To supplement the academic classes, MSU offers practicum opportunities which gives our students a competitive edge in a criminal justice field that requires both a college education and relevant field experience for the top jobs.

Homeland security emphasis. All of the bachelor’s degree concentrations include courses and training in homeland security, and MSU is the only university in West Virginia that offers a Criminal Justice concentration in Homeland Security.

Career Opportunities
Criminal justice graduates will qualify for jobs such as:
Local police officer,
Sheriff’s deputy,
Correctional officer,
Private security officer,
Probation/parole officer,
Federal agent positions (with bachelor’s degree), and
Homeland security specialist.

MSU’s new concentration in its online criminal justice programs reflect the need for more law enforcement professionals in all areas of local, state, and national government. The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, projects this area to grow faster than average, which means approximately a 21 to 35 percent increase in jobs between 2002 and 2012.

Since both bachelor’s degree programs feature elements of Homeland Security, graduates will be able to target more competitive areas within the federal government, such as the FBI, U.S Marshals, DEA, BATF, and U.S. Customs for career opportunities.

For more information about these exciting online programs,
please contact Jason Holliday 304.929.1704 or email

Department, of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Associates of Arts Degree, Concentration – Criminal Justice
96 Credit Hours - Regional Accreditation as required by the Chicago Police Department and Illinois State Police.

The criminal justice practitioner deals with the broad areas of law enforcement, courts and corrections. The work may include police work; juvenile probation or parole work; or counseling and correctional work in institutions, group homes or halfway houses. Within these broad areas the practitioner enjoys exciting professional challenges and opportunities for serving society and helping people.

The Field Of Study
During the past few years the demand for professionals has increased. Many criminal justice agencies and program administrators see a continuing need for qualified professionals. East-West University students have pursued criminal justice careers in local, state and federal agencies throughout the United States. The field of study is designed so that our graduates will succeed in both beginning and advancing their criminal justice careers.

Faculty
The criminal justice curriculum is administered by the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Criminal Justice faculty provide teaching, and practical expertise related to many issues in criminal justice. Chicago and the surrounding community, provides a rich source of criminal justice education through a wide variety of criminal justice agencies which work with student interns.

Career Opportunities
Students studying the criminal justice concentration have experienced much success in pursuing their career goals. Our alumni work in law enforcement, courts, correctional agencies, probation and parole departments; and do so at the local, state and federal level. Salaries are respectable and vary from agency to agency. Types of agencies which have employed our graduates include: police departments, sheriff’s departments, planning agencies, group homes, juvenile courts, family courts, probation and parole departments, juvenile and adult correctional institutions, halfway houses and crime and delinquency prevention programs.

The Curriculum
The criminal justice curriculum represents an interdisciplinary field of study drawing on the social sciences, behavioral sciences, humanities, computer sciences. Course requirements are based on the idea that our students should have a curriculum which enables them to advance their long term specialized educational training and professional development.

Internship Program
Usually students complete an internship in their junior or senior year. Internship opportunities exist in many agencies in Chicago, and surrounding communities and can be done at any time during the calendar year. By completing an internship, the student is able to combine the theoretical and applied aspects of professional preparation. Internship experience is an important element of successful job placement.

Sample Curriculum*

CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAM

FIRST YEAR
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter
Spring Quarter

Rhetoric and Style
Writing From Sources
Biology

Intermediate Algebra
General Math Education
Introduction To Art

Introduction To Computers
Introduction To The Justice System
Administration Of Criminal Justice

Speech (16 Hrs)
Biology (16 Hrs)
Administration Of Juvenile Justice (16 Hrs)

SECOND YEAR
Fall Quarter
Winter Quarter
Spring Quarter

East-West Signature Course
Introduction To Psychology or Introduction to Sociology
Crisis Intervention and Deviant Behavior

Introduction To American Government
Police Organization and Management
Criminal Justice Internship

Criminal Law and Procedure
Professional Responsibility In Criminal Justice
Elective

Introduction To Investigation (16 Hrs)
Constitutional Law (16 Hrs)
Elective (16 Hrs)

*Assumes placement into Intermediate Algebra and Rhetoric and Style

The Criminal Justice Club and Alpha Phi Sigma, the Criminal Justice honor society, are student run groups that provide students with a wide range of opportunities. Both groups participate in service activities on and off campus. The groups also coordinate trips to national conferences where students can network, engage in scholarly learning, and participate in national job fairs.
Honor Society

Alpha Phi Sigma is the national honor society for criminal justice. The society recognizes the scholastic excellence of undergraduate and graduate students in the criminal justice sciences. Students who join the honor society are eligible to receive a higher pay grade upon obtaining a federal job, along with many other benefits.
Upsilon Chapter

The Mercyhurst College Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma is the Upsilon Chapter, which was chartered in October 1981. The chapter has received three national awards for most outstanding chapter. Criminal justice honor society students have been active participants in community projects, campus presentations, and at the national meetings of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, where they have made presentations and participated in job fairs and other activities.
Member Qualifications

All students must have completed one-third of the credit hours required for graduation by a college or university accredited by the appropriate regional accreditation organization. They also must be recommended by a local chapter advisor or faculty member. Undergraduates must maintain a 3.0 Cumulative GPA and a 3.2 GPA in the Criminal Justice field, while graduate students are required to have a 3.4 GPA in all graduate courses. Students must rank in the top 35% of their class. In addition, applicants must have completed at least 4 courses in a Criminal Justice major, minor, or equivalent.

Complete and return the Alpha Phi Sigma application to Attorney Tina Fryling in Preston Hall, Room 122. Please note that a certified check or money order must accompany the application.