Online criminal justice degree completion programs can connect earlier college study with law, courts, corrections, research or agency administration. Compare how your transfer credits fit the major, including its upper-level courses and final project. Keep the academic degree separate from any occupational training or certification you may also need.
Find the Curriculum That Fits the Work You Want to Study
Compare criminal justice degree completion programs through administration, legal procedure, research and applied experience. The subject covers several institutions and methods, so the remaining major matters more than a shared title.
This shortlist includes 20 online degree offerings at 20 colleges. Compare transfer credit policies with the requirements of your chosen major. Check each program’s schedule and any laboratory, fieldwork, or campus commitments before enrolling.
How we select programs
We select online criminal justice bachelor’s options with documented transfer pathways and specific academic requirements. Administration, research and applied experiences provide different directions for returning students. Each listing identifies the exact degree and its published completion conditions.
A Justice Major With A Broad Elective OptionOnline
Entry Requirements
Excelsior evaluates previous learning and advertises up to 113 transfer credits for this degree, subject to its requirements.
The programs, with context
Online Criminal Justice Degree Programs and Transfer Credit Requirements
An Agency Project or Research Alternative
Franklin University
BS in Criminal Justice Administration
OnlineTransfer entry route
Franklin makes the final application of criminal justice study a clear part of its degree. The concluding practicum can address an agency problem, while students without an agency connection can complete a research project on a current justice issue. Courts, policing, criminal procedure and ethics provide the academic foundation. That alternative matters when you are returning to college from another occupation and cannot assume access to a criminal justice workplace.
Before you apply: The 120-credit degree requires at least 30 credits and its capstone experience at Franklin. Confirm the approved final-project arrangement before scheduling your last term.
Where You Start
Provide qualifying high school completion or an equivalent, or an eligible accredited college degree, and request evaluation of previous college coursework.
Transfer Credits
Up to 90 credits toward the 120-credit degree, subject to evaluation.
Degree Requirements
120 semester credits; at least 30 at Franklin and the required Franklin capstone experience.
Published Tuition
2026–2027 standard tuition is $398 per credit, plus a $100 semester resource fee and other applicable costs.
Study Schedule
Online classes use six- and twelve-week formats.
More About the Curriculum +
Justice institutions:Courses examine policing, courts, criminal procedure and ethics.
Final course:CJAD 495 applies learning through an agency practicum or an approved research alternative.
Academic foundation:American Government and scientific study support the major's examination of public institutions and evidence.
UMGC's Criminal Justice BS separates a 33-credit major from general education and 46 elective credits. Its subjects span criminal law, investigation, corrections, victimology and juvenile justice. The capstone brings those institutions together through interagency cooperation and systems thinking. This is a useful structure for someone whose earlier coursework is partly outside criminal justice: an evaluation can identify the elective contribution while preserving the major's required breadth.
Before you apply: UMGC requires 30 credits through the university, including half the major and 15 upper-level credits. Check the two-year versus four-year transfer limits before estimating how much of the degree remains.
Where You Start
Meet UMGC's undergraduate admission requirements. Previous criminal justice experience and professional certifications are not required for the degree.
Transfer Credits
Up to 90 credits from four-year institutions or 70 from two-year institutions, subject to evaluation and degree requirements.
Degree Requirements
120 total credits; at least 30 through UMGC, including half the major and 15 upper-level credits.
Published Tuition
$337 per credit for Maryland residents; $499 per credit for out-of-state students. Other fees may apply.
Study Schedule
All courses are available online, with courses offered year-round.
More About the Curriculum +
Degree structure:The curriculum includes 33 major credits, 41 general education credits and 46 electives.
Major topics:Study includes criminal law, investigation, corrections, juvenile delinquency and victimology.
Capstone:The final course uses interagency cooperation and systems thinking to analyze justice-system problems.
American Public University's Criminal Justice BA follows the legal and institutional movement of a case, from investigation through courts and corrections. Concentrations let students examine general criminal justice, maritime law enforcement or organizational leadership. The emphasis on constitutional protections, evidence and procedure gives the degree a clear academic direction. Bring earlier criminal justice and public-service courses for an evaluation against the concentration you actually want to finish.
Before you apply: APU states that this BA does not meet professional licensure or certification requirements. Keep academy, employer and credential requirements separate from completing the academic degree.
Where You Start
A high school diploma or equivalent is required. Submit undergraduate admission documentation and request evaluation of previous coursework.
EKU combines criminal justice coursework with a specific example of professional training credit: eligible Kentucky DOCJT training can receive nine college credits. Its broader degree studies policing, corrections, law and social justice, with cooperative experience and internship opportunities. For a returning student, the useful distinction is between this named training arrangement and a general assumption that employment history will replace courses. The university also publishes its institutional credit minimum.
Before you apply: The online degree uses seven-week terms without required campus visits. Optional field experiences need separate planning, and at least 30 of the 120 credits must be completed at EKU.
UMass Lowell gives research and data analysis a substantial role in its Criminal Justice BS. The required sequence includes research methods, criminal justice statistics and data analysis, followed by a choice involving crime mapping or technology and security. A core covering policing, corrections, law and criminology provides the institutional context. Students returning with statistics or social-science credits can ask how those courses support this analytical sequence.
Before you apply: Graduation requires a 2.200 overall average and a 2.500 average in the major. Upper-level electives and the capstone remain part of the evaluation alongside the transfer total.
Criminal Justice With Concentration and Prior-Learning Options
Purdue University Global
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
OnlineTransfer entry route
Purdue Global's Criminal Justice BS lets you keep a broad plan or use electives for a concentration such as juvenile justice or crime scene investigation. A final capstone brings the coursework together. The university also evaluates previous education and eligible training, giving returning students several kinds of documentation to bring to the review.
Before you apply: An optional internship requires an approved local placement. The bachelor's also remains separate from any academy training an employer requires for a specific law enforcement position.
A Broad Criminal Justice Degree With Focus Choices
Southern New Hampshire University
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
OnlineTransfer entry route
SNHU offers several ways to direct a Criminal Justice BS, from crime analysis and cybercrime to corrections and advocacy. That range lets you compare your previous coursework with the field you intend to study next. Its transcript review comes before your enrollment decision, so you can examine the actual remaining degree requirements.
Before you apply: Training awards depend on the academy and instructional hours. A concentration is an academic focus and does not itself award a professional license or agency qualification.
Where You Start
Apply online, complete the required attestation form, and submit a transcript request for each previous college. Confirm any additional requirements for your program.
Transfer Credits
Up to 90 credits may transfer toward the bachelor’s degree after evaluation; at least 30 credits must be completed at SNHU.
More About the Curriculum +
Degree Size:120 credits, including at least 30 at SNHU.
Concentrations:Options include criminology, cybercrime, corrections, police administration and human services.
Training Review:Qualifying police, corrections or probation academy training may receive academic credit.
Justice Research With Rules for Older Major Credit
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
OnlineTransfer entry route
Penn State combines study of police, courts and corrections with research methods and ethics. Its criminal justice major also has a specific age rule for credits applied to the major. That makes it particularly useful to check course dates early if you're returning after a long interruption, even when your total previous credit is substantial.
Before you apply: Older academy training receives a more limited review than recent training. Ask how course age affects major credit separately from general education and elective credit.
An Online BS Completion Route With Accelerated Major Courses
Old Dominion University
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
OnlineDegree completion route
Old Dominion offers a Criminal Justice BS completion route for students bringing lower-division college credit. The online major uses eight-week courses, allowing you to arrange a sequence around the requirements identified in your transfer review. Selecting the BS explicitly helps keep the evaluation consistent where the university also advertises a BA route.
Before you apply: Online courses can still have assignment deadlines and timed examinations. Confirm those commitments and the 30-credit ODU minimum when estimating your remaining study.
Where You Start
ODU evaluates earlier college credits and allows up to 90 approved transfer credits toward this degree.
More About the Curriculum +
Degree Size:120 credits, including at least 30 at ODU.
Selected Award:The BS is available through an online completion route.
Course Format:Major courses use an accelerated eight-week format without scheduled class meetings.
Research and Constitutional Study With a Senior Capstone
Florida International University
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
OnlineTransfer entry route
FIU's Criminal Justice BS connects criminological theory with research and constitutional questions. A senior capstone concludes the academic work, while Global Learning and language requirements shape the broader bachelor's. This is worth examining closely when earlier college credit comes from a different institution or state and may not satisfy the same general education structure.
Before you apply: An internship is encouraged as an elective rather than automatically required. Ask about the professional-development substitution if you already have qualifying full-time criminal justice employment.
Where You Start
Transfer applicants submit official transcripts from every previously attended postsecondary institution.
More About the Curriculum +
Core Study:Criminological theory, research methods, analysis and criminal justice and the Constitution.
Final Work:A senior capstone is required.
Degree Context:Global Learning and the college's language requirement accompany the major.
Criminology With Research and Statistical Analysis
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice
OnlineTransfer entry route
ASU combines explanations of criminal behavior with analysis of justice institutions. Research methods and statistics support courses on policing, courts, corrections and inequality. If earlier social science credits are part of your record, this broader criminology focus gives you specific course matches to discuss rather than treating the degree only as law enforcement preparation.
Before you apply: ASU also offers a separate policing concentration. Use the broader Criminology and Criminal Justice BS requirements for this listing when requesting your evaluation.
Where You Start
ASU evaluates transfer applicants according to previous coursework, GPA and applicable major requirements.
CSU Global's Criminal Justice BS has a defined 30-credit core covering law, evidence, policing, leadership and research. The capstone investigates a justice issue in depth, and optional specializations can give electives a focused role. This structure helps you compare how previous general education and justice courses contribute to distinct parts of the degree.
Before you apply: The optional applied course for students already working in criminal justice requires a background check and fingerprinting. Confirm that requirement only if you choose that course.
Where You Start
CSU Global evaluates prior college coursework and other eligible learning through its transfer process.
More About the Curriculum +
Degree Size:120 total credits with up to 90 approved transfer credits.
Major Core:Ten courses totaling 30 credits.
Final Work:A capstone examines a justice issue after core and specialization study.
Justice Study With Documented Prior-Learning Review
University of Louisville
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
OnlineTransfer entry route
Louisville's online Criminal Justice BS combines academic study with a formal way to evaluate learning from earlier education and professional experience. Its Prior Learning Assessment can be useful if you bring knowledge beyond conventional college courses. The curriculum examines criminal behavior and justice institutions through policy and ethical questions, giving that experience an academic context.
Before you apply: The published prior-learning maximum depends on documented learning and degree fit. Ask which requirements an assessment award would satisfy before counting it toward your remaining bachelor's.
Where You Start
Transfer applicants with at least 24 transferable credits normally need a 2.0 college GPA; fewer credits bring additional admission requirements.
More About the Curriculum +
Academic Focus:Criminal behavior and justice institutions through social, ethical and policy perspectives.
Prior Learning:Documented professional and educational learning may qualify for assessment credit.
Further Study:Eligible students can take up to nine graduate credits toward the criminal justice master's.
UCF's online Criminal Justice BS examines both justice agencies and the evidence used to describe crime. Courses on police and society, crime patterns and justice careers connect institutional roles with social conditions. This gives returning students a useful framework for comparing earlier sociology, statistics or criminal justice courses with the major's requirements.
Before you apply: UCF offers both BA and BS pathways. Request the BS evaluation for this listing, including university requirements beyond the criminal justice coursework.
Troy's Criminal Justice BS brings digital forensics and national security law into a broader justice curriculum. Criminological theory and criminal law supply the foundation, while internship or fieldwork opportunities can add an applied setting. If your earlier coursework includes technology or legal study, ask how it contributes to the selected bachelor's plan.
Before you apply: An internship or fieldwork opportunity may require local arrangements. Any accelerated law-school pathway also has separate admission conditions beyond ordinary bachelor's enrollment.
Where You Start
Troy evaluates previous college coursework through its online transfer admission process.
Agency Administration With an Applied Writing Option
Park University
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration
OnlineTransfer entry route
Park's Criminal Justice Administration degree combines agency management with criminal law, procedure and research. The applied requirement can be an internship or, with approval, a Senior Writing Project for students already employed in the field. That choice gives working adults a concrete issue to resolve while evaluating the remaining coursework.
Before you apply: The writing-project substitution needs department-chair approval. Employment alone does not automatically remove the applied requirement, so confirm the approved option before planning your final terms.
Where You Start
Park evaluates official college transcripts through its transfer admission process.
More About the Curriculum +
Major Core:27 credits in law, criminology, research, administration and related justice study.
Electives:Nine additional criminal justice elective credits include upper-level work.
Applied Requirement:Students complete an internship or an approved Senior Writing Project.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration
OnlineTransfer entry route
Columbia Southern's Criminal Justice Administration BS includes management and supervision alongside law, evidence and investigation. Its degree plan separates the major, program electives, general education and general electives. That helps returning students see where earlier courses can apply, especially when the record combines professional studies with unrelated electives.
Before you apply: The bachelor's does not replace an employer's required professional license, certification or academy preparation. Evaluate those conditions separately from the academic transfer plan.
Justice Study With Communication and Conflict Skills
University of Arkansas Grantham
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
OnlineTransfer entry route
UA Grantham adds substantial communication study to its Criminal Justice BA. Alongside juvenile justice, corrections and research methods, you practice professional writing, presentations and conflict communication. This can be useful if you want a completion degree that connects justice knowledge with the interactions and documentation involved in organizational work.
Before you apply: Some communication assignments require recorded submissions through the learning system. Check those course activities and the actual core-credit matches before choosing your first remaining courses.
Where You Start
UA Grantham evaluates previous coursework and permits up to 75% transfer credit toward this degree.
More About the Curriculum +
Selected Award:Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice.
Justice Study:Juvenile justice, corrections and research methods.
Communication:Business, interpersonal and conflict communication are part of the program core.
An Adult-Student Justice Degree With Concentration Choices
Thomas Edison State University
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
OnlineTransfer entry route
Thomas Edison State gives the Criminal Justice BS a defined required area plus elective or concentration study. Options include forensic psychology, homeland security and law and society, while a social sciences capstone concludes the major. Its acceptance of several approved credit sources makes course level and academic fit especially important during your evaluation.
Before you apply: At least 18 area-of-study credits must be advanced. A large transfer total still needs to satisfy those upper-level requirements and the capstone within your chosen plan.
Excelsior's Criminal Justice BS offers a choice between a concentration and a broader elective arrangement. The no-concentration plan can be useful when your previous credits come from several subjects, while Homeland Security gives the later study a more defined direction. Compare those alternatives before deciding which evaluation best reflects your intended degree.
Before you apply: The high transfer ceiling applies within the degree's categories. Confirm the required major, university coursework and selected concentration rather than subtracting all previous credits from the total.
Where You Start
Excelsior evaluates previous learning and advertises up to 113 transfer credits for this degree, subject to its requirements.
More About the Curriculum +
Transfer Ceiling:Up to 113 evaluated credits can apply.
Concentration Choice:General, Homeland Security or no concentration.
Elective Structure:The no-concentration plan has 47 elective credits; a concentration uses part of that space.
Organize your previous college credits in the degree planner, then take your course list and questions to a school’s transfer advisor. The school’s evaluation determines which credits count toward your degree.
Where Do Your Transfer Credits Fit in Criminal Justice?
Franklin's Criminal Justice Administration BS emphasizes the operation of justice organizations and ends with an applied or research-based experience. UMGC includes criminology, investigation, corrections and juvenile justice. UMass Lowell makes research methods, statistics and advanced criminal justice electives visible in the degree plan.
Use those differences to frame your transfer-credit evaluation. Earlier government or psychology credits might serve a different role from criminal procedure, statistics or investigation courses. Ask the university which major requirements your transfer credits satisfy and which advanced criminal justice courses remain.
Separate Evaluated Training Credit From Degree Requirements
EKU identifies a particular Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training pathway that can carry nine college credits. That is a defined arrangement, not evidence that every academy, employer course or training certificate receives the same credit.
If you want training evaluated by criminal justice degree completion programs, submit the exact documentation requested and ask which requirements the award would satisfy. American Public University's degree also explicitly distinguishes the academic program from professional licensure or certification in a jurisdiction.
Franklin's final criminal justice practicum permits an agency project or a research alternative for students without an agency connection. EKU offers online study without required on-site visits while also describing optional internship and cooperative education opportunities. Those arrangements support different choices about applied experience.
Confirm whether a proposed activity is required, optional or an alternative before putting it into your schedule. Ask who approves the project, what prerequisites remain and whether a current workplace can participate.
Questions About Criminal Justice Degree Completion Programs
Can Criminal Justice Degree Completion Programs Accept Prior College Credits?+
Yes, these programs offer transfer routes. Franklin, EKU and UMass Lowell publish up to 90 transfer credits toward their listed bachelor's degrees. Individual evaluation and remaining major requirements still determine your plan.
Does This Bachelor's Degree Automatically Qualify Me for a Licensed Role?+
Treat the academic award and occupational requirements separately. American Public University's criminal justice page explicitly states that its program does not provide licensure or certification in any jurisdiction. Check requirements for the particular role you intend to pursue.
Will Police Academy Training Count Toward My Degree?+
It depends on the institution and the exact training. EKU publishes a nine-credit arrangement for specified Kentucky training. Ask for an evaluation of your own documents rather than applying that agreement to other training.
Do Criminal Justice Degree Completion Programs Require Internships?+
No single rule applies across these programs. Franklin publishes a practicum with a research alternative, while EKU describes optional applied experiences. Review the final requirement for the exact university and degree.
UMass Lowell's curriculum identifies research methods and statistics alongside criminal justice study, with upper-level elective requirements and a capstone. Compare those courses with your earlier methods classes during transfer review.
Program details come from the schools’ own degree, admission, transfer, and tuition pages. Program selection follows the criteria stated above. Each school determines how your previous coursework applies.