Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
Degree Overview
To pursue a career in criminal justice, you must have a firm working knowledge of the law, and you must understand the motives and societal issues that contribute to crime. Virginia Wesleyan University’s online criminal justice degree provides a criminal justice education viewed through a liberal arts lens. By taking a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach, we ensure you’re able to put criminal justice issues within their broader social context.
Our online bachelor’s program teaches you real-world skills and emphasizes flexibility so that you can fit your education into your already busy life. Our highly qualified professors include lawyers, criminologists, police officers, NCIS officers and a homicide detective, and you’ll learn not just how to work within the criminal justice system, but why that system is necessary.
Upon graduation, you’ll have the skills and knowledge necessary to enter a career in law enforcement, victim support or court support. At Virginia Wesleyan University, discover an online bachelor’s in criminal justice with a social conscience.*
*At VWU, we value our students’ previous academic and professional experience. Police academy graduates may be able to receive prior learning assessment credit. Talk to your enrollment counselor for more information!
Program Details
- 01/27/2025
Next Start Date - 128
Total Degree Credit Hours
- Program Length
Finish in as little as 12 months - $399
Cost Per Credit Hour
- 44
Major Credit Hours
Course Information
General Education is the component of the degree that all students share. The requirements include both a scholarly core experience and a broad array of courses from across the university. The core provides students a common sequence of courses that form a foundation for their education and that will serve them throughout their lives. The breadth requirement ensures a well-rounded education.
The major is a component of the degree that a student chooses: a major requires students to take a deep dive into the complexities of knowledge within a particular area of inquiry and to understand the methods and tenets of a discipline or interdisciplinary field. A major consists of a guided program that builds from gateway or intermediate courses to at least five advanced courses.
Core Requirements
- CJ 100 - Introduction to Criminal Justice (4 credits)
- CJ 301 - Criminology (4 credits)
- CJ 350 - Introduction to Social Research (4 credits)
- CJ 387 - Criminal Law (4 credits)
- CJ 488 - Senior Integrative Assessment (4 credits)
- Choose six additional courses at any level, including one or two from allied courses (24 credits):
CJ 210, 215, 222, 250, 260, 266, 290, 300, 310, 340, 348, 360, 385, 388, 389, 393, 400, 418, 420, 460, 480 - Internship (Optional) (8 credits)
CJ 483: Internship Preparation (2) AND CJ 484: Internship in Sociology & Criminal Justice - Two Allied Courses Below (see advisor) (8 credits):
- ART 208: Photography I
- MC 222: Public Speaking
- CHEM (any course)
- CS (any course)
- MATH 210: Statistics
- MBE 203: Accounting I
- MBE 204: Accounting II
- MBE 216: Taxation
- POLS 371: Constitutional Law I: The Federal System
- POLS 372: Constitutional Law II: Substantive Rights
- PSY 350: Psychology & the Law
- SOC 270: Social Problems
- SOC 227: Social Psychology
- SOC 353: Applied Sociology
- SPAN 307: Topics in Advanced Conversation & Composition
- SW 384: Drugs of Abuse
- SW 385: Substance Abuse & Chemical Dependency
Career Outcomes
-
Local Law Enforcement
Whether you’re a police officer, a probation officer or a crime scene investigator, your VWU education will prepare you to enforce the law and investigate crime in the real world. VWU encourages a sense of social responsibility in law enforcement officers, to ensure you’ll do the most good.
-
Federal Law Enforcement
You might decide that a career in the FBI, DEA or other, similar organization is for you. Use the skills you’ve learned at VWU to enforce the law at a federal level, investigate civil rights violations, fight terrorism and reduce drug use.
-
Detective Work
Whether you work as a homicide detective, a private investigator or a fraud investigator, VWU’s online criminal justice degree gives you the tools you need to perform investigative work. With your knowledge of forensics and evidence collection, you’ll excel in this field.
Why VWU Online
Successful Alumni
More than 90 percent of our alumni are working or in graduate school within 1 year of graduation.
Highly Qualified Faculty
90 percent of our professors have attained the highest degree in their fields.
Military-Friendly
Virginia Wesleyan University is a Yellow Ribbon school, and we have a dedicated Veterans Service Team.
Streamlined Admission
Admission decisions are made on the basis of a review of the applicant's undergraduate transcript. No SAT, ACT, or GMAT required!
How to Apply
Admission Requirements
- Complete our online application.
- Applicants who have not yet completed 12 semester hours of college work must submit an official high school transcript and SAT/ACT score, and an official college transcript from all colleges and universities previously attended. Applicants who have not taken an SAT or ACT may be admitted on the basis of an evaluation of high school coursework. Applicants who are not high school graduates may be admitted on the basis of GED test results.
- Applicants who have successfully completed 12 or more semester hours of college work must submit official college transcripts from all institutions previously attended. Generally, individuals transferring to Virginia Wesleyan must present a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Financial Aid
There may be financial aid options available to you when you apply for an online program at Virginia Wesleyan University.
Dive into Digital Learning!