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Online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

Program Highlights

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Lady justice with scales

120 credit hours |  In-state tuition: $420/credit hour | Out-of-state tuition: $540/credit hour

  • Convenient 100% online degree
  • Unique focus on law enforcement and crime patterns and behaviors along the United States-Mexico border
  • Can lead to employment in law enforcement, education, corrections, business or the legal field

PROGRAM ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

Connect to a Meaningful Career in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement 

New or aspiring entrants into the world of criminal justice will find this Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice degree program a great way to prepare for entry into a variety of different careers. The criminal justice online degree offers a great combination of theory and practice and can be the perfect area of study for individuals who want to:

  • Make a difference in their local communities by becoming a part of law enforcement
  • Study crime as well as methods in which society responds to it
  • Help shape and change laws that affect various levels of society
  • Educate others or conduct research in areas related to the justice system, law enforcement, etc. 
Examples of Available Jobs for Criminal Justice Graduates
  • Border patrol agent
  • CIA agent
  • Corrections officer
  • Court bailiff
  • Crime scene investigator
  • Emergency dispatcher
  • FBI agent
  • Fish and game warden
  • Forensic evidence technician
  • Fraud investigator
  • Gaming investigators
  • Immigration/customs agent
  • Paralegal
  • Police officer
  • Private detective
  • Probation officer
  • Security guard
  • State trooper
  • TSA agent
  • U.S. air marshal

See /extendeduniversity/utepconnect/blog/december-2023/highest-paying-criminal-justice-jobs.html for information about criminal justice jobs or visit /liberalarts/criminal-justice/student-resources/what-can-i-do-with-a-cj-major.html for information on more career options. 

The UTEP Career Center can also provide graduates with resources to help them pursue their career goals. 

Jaqueline Gonzalez

 

"I majored in criminal justice because I wanted to integrate more into that field and learn about law and our criminal system. This major will help my path in law when I begin my M.A. in Political Science. I see myself running for office in my community and even trying to become a lawyer. " - Jaqueline Gonzalez, Graduate

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Why Study Criminal Justice at UTEP?

Our talented faculty brings a world of knowledge to the classroom, combining theoretical knowledge with practical, real-world experience. Faculty members who teach in our online criminal justice degree program courses come from a wide range of backgrounds that combine to provide students with skills that help them understand and perform well in the field. UTEP’s unique border location also gives students access to many local agencies, and faculty form relationships with criminal justice agencies so students can benefit from putting their classroom learning to work.

Course Overview

Students in the criminal justice degree program take a full complement of required courses in English, mathematics, literature, social science, science, the arts, history, economics and other core subjects that provide a broad general education foundation. Click here to see the core curriculum for the online criminal justice degree program.

You will need to accrue a total of 120 credit hours to graduate, which includes 36 credit hours of coursework specific to criminal justice. 

Criminal Justice Requirements

Explore the basic foundations of criminal justice as they apply to our democratic society, and learn about the various agencies that administer criminal justice practices and procedures: the police, courts, and corrections.

Assess the best methodologies for learning how to interpret criminal justice research, policy development, application and administration.

Understand more fully what causes people to commit crime through various crime theories and explanations for criminal behavior.

Learn the constitutional rules governing the criminal investigation, detention, prosecution and adjudication of persons in the United States with focus on the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the United States Constitution and the Supreme Court decisions that have interpreted the meaning of these amendments. Prerequisites: CRIJ 1301

Criminal Justice Systems Courses (select THREE)

Examine the role of the courts in the administration of criminal justice, with special attention to legal processing of criminal defendants. Topics include the structure of the American courts, due process, right to counsel, pre-trial release, plea bargaining, trial proceedings, and sentencing.

Study the history and philosophy of modern criminal law, including the structure, definition, and application of statute and leading case law; the elements of crimes and penalties.

Trace the evolution and the philosophical underpinnings of institutional and community-based correctional practices.

An overview of the structures, functions, and operations of law enforcement agencies in the United States, with emphasis on municipal police departments. The course surveys police operations, staff functions, personnel policies, and current innovations utilized in delivering police services. Covers such topics as police discretion, ethics, police-community relations, and the future of policing in American society. Prerequisites: CRIJ 1301

Criminal Justice Electives (Select FIVE from the list below)

Study juvenile justice and procedural law by exploring the causes of delinquency, the juvenile justice system and the treatment of juveniles under the law.

Examine the methods used by correctional officers in rehabilitating offenders in community settings.

Examine those activities undertaken by public and private organizations to control and prevent crime. Those programs which have been successful in reducing the amount of crime will be analyzed, as well as attempts which have been made at predicting and deterring criminal behavior.

Study the epidemic of family violence in the United States by reviewing scientific research, discussing society’s response to family violence and gauging the effectiveness of police intervention.

Examine the current state of crime on the United States-Mexico border and look at the ways both governments are attempting to control unlawful activities.

Learn how to apply complex ethical concepts and the reasoning process to analyze and evaluate criminal justice dilemmas.

Focus on those selected issues and problems confronting the various components of the criminal justice system. Topics covered may change each semester. May be repeated for credit upon change of topic.

Learn how computer and internet crime represents a national security threat by exploring hardware and software components, vulnerable infrastructures and readiness for cyber terrorism.

Develop a comprehensive understanding of cultural norms, values, goals and beliefs pertaining to crime through the examination of film.

View legal and illegal immigration into the United States through the lens of federal requirements, employer sanctions, amnesty and constitutional rights.

Study the history and philosophy of white collar crime in the United States with an emphasis on private, corporate and governmental actions that define white collar crime as well as governmental responses to control it.

Learn about the history and role of women as offenders, victims, and professionals within the Criminal Justice System. Emphasis will be provided to cultural norms that impact women's role in the CJS.

Examine patterns and trends in homicide as well as the various theoretical explanations for why offenders engage in homicide. It will also focus on the process of solving homicides including investigation techniques, evidence, interrogation, investigative profiling, and cold case squads.

Learn about, discuss, and evaluate the various criminal justice systems across the globe with special attention given to the three stages of the criminal justice system (police, courts, and corrections). It also explores crimes involving more than one country, such as human smuggling and drug trafficking.

Examine patterns and trends in victimization as well as an overview of the history and theory of victimology. Identify the categories of people facing the greatest risks and assesses victim-blaming arguments that invoke facilitation, precipitation, and provocation.

Cover the epidemiology of violence as well as the roots of violence including biological, psychological, and social causes (e.g., economic deprivation, religious factors).

Be introduced to the factors that contribute to gang formation and membership, the structure and function of gangs, and patterns of gang crime. Focus on the various policy and programmatic response to gangs from the traditional law enforcement based efforts to school-based initiatives.

Analyze the structures, functions, and operations of criminal justice agencies, including the police, the courts, and corrections from an organizational and managerial perspective. Particular attention is given to supervision, decision-making and policy analysis in the administration of justice.

Examine the origins and modern activity of organized crime groups in the United States and internationally, including an examination of governmental approaches (national and international) that have been employed to address organized crime.

"My degree will be vital for future promotions while I am employed at the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. Having a degree allowed me to obtain my Intermediate TCOLE license within two years of becoming a Deputy Sheriff." - Daniel Guerrero, Graduate

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