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online aacjs degree

Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice

Start your online criminal justice degree

Learn how the criminal justice and corrections systems operate 鈥 and prepare for a career that allows you to support the agencies, systems and procedures involved in criminal justice. Our customizable Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice is transfer-friendly when you optimize your work experience, transfer credits and certifications.

Courses in this program are just 5 weeks long, so they won鈥檛 get in the way of your busy life. Plus, There鈥檚 no application fee, no SAT test requirements, and we鈥檒l even request your prior college transcripts for you.

Program Purpose Statement

The University鈥檚 Criminal Justice programs are educational degree programs. These programs do not prepare students to become certified peace officers. For those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement, corrections or as a peace officer with any particular local, state, federal, tribal or international agency, there are numerous additional qualifications (and often disqualifications), depending on the position. Before enrolling in a Criminal Justice program, potential students are highly encouraged to check with the relevant agency for a complete list of position requirements and disqualifications.

Transfer credits

Your prior eligible credits could help you graduate听faster and for less.

Ways to save

Your work, life, and school experiences may give you a head start on your degree.

Apply free

No application fee
No SAT/ACT
No essay required

Ignite Your Passion

Start when you're ready

Courses

Browse courses for your online criminal justice degree

Education should hold practical value. That鈥檚 why our courses meet rigorous academic standards and provide you with skills and knowledge immediately applicable to your career.

Skills-aligned program icon

Look for this icon to see which skills you鈥檒l learn in a course.

Requirements: 60 credits

You鈥檒l need 60 credits to complete this associate in criminal justice.听Your course schedule may vary based on transferable credits or credits earned through the University鈥檚 Prior Learning Assessment.

6 Core Courses

Here鈥檚 where you鈥檒l pick up the bulk of your program-specific knowledge. By the time you finish these courses, you should have the confidence and skills needed in a criminal justice environment.

6 Core Courses

12 Gen Ed Courses

These courses lay the foundation for all our degree programs. Because communication, math and writing skills aren鈥檛 just universally applicable in this field 鈥 they鈥檙e useful in daily life.

12 Gen Ed Courses

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help you schedule your courses for an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice.

Skills-aligned program icon

Earn career-relevant skills in weeks 鈥 not years.

Learning shouldn鈥檛 take years to put into practice. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e empowering you to build career-relevant skills with every five- to six-week course.

We鈥檝e worked with the labor market researcher Lightcast to identify in-demand skills for occupations and mapped those to our related associate, bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree programs.

Tuition

Paying for school

Tuition is based on number of credit hours per course. Courses are typically 3 credits, but can range from 1-6 credits. Costs do not include savings opportunities like transfer credits and scholarships.

Undergrad cost per course

$1,364/ course

Cost per credit听

Credits per course

Resource fee

$398

x3

+ $170

Estimated cost per course

$1,364

An illustration showing a couple pushing a stroller with a dollar sign and clock in the background

What affects the overall cost of my program?

Your full program cost can vary by:听

  • Savings opportunities.鈥痀our cost could be reduced with eligible transfer credits, scholarships, employer discounts and more. Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11K and 1 year off their undergraduate degree at 爱污传媒.

With our Tuition Guarantee, you pay one flat, affordable rate from the moment you enroll to the day you graduate from your program.

Discover ways to save time and money on your degree with our Savings Explorer听tool:

Transfer credits

Get credit for what you already know.听Earn your degree without starting from scratch. Have previous relevant work and life experience evaluated for potential credit. If you have military or law enforcement training, such as Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), Basic Corrections Academy training or Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy training, you can apply to have that experience evaluated for up to 30 credits.

Save time and money when you transfer in eligible credits toward your degree.

The Savings Explorer tool can help you find ways to save on your education

Try our Savings Explorer庐 tool

Eligible students saved:

$11,000 & 1 year

Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11k and 1 year off their undergraduate degree听with 爱污传媒.

Try our Savings Explorer鈩 tool

Eligible students saved:

$11,000 & 1 year

Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11k and 1 year off their undergraduate degree听with 爱污传媒.

Financial aid

You may have options when it comes to paying for college tuition and expenses, such as federal grants and loans. Our finance advisors can answer your questions about financial aid and can help guide you through the process.

Federal Student Loan Basics

Careers & Outcomes

What can you do with an听Associate in Criminal Justice?

Discover where your degree might take you and make informed choices about your future.

An听AACJS can prepare you to be a:

  • Correctional Sergeant
  • Corrections Specialist
  • Corrections Officer (CO)
  • Correctional Officer
  • Juvenile Corrections Officer
  • Detention Officer
  • Security Officer
  • Jail Officer
  • Deputy Jailer
  • Corrections Corporal
  • Community Corrections Officer

Top skills learned in this program:

  • Enforcement

  • Sociology

  • Communication

Ready to get started?

Start your application for free or request additional information.

What you鈥檒l learn

When you earn your online associate in criminal justice, you鈥檒l be equipped with a concrete set of skills you can apply on the job. You鈥檒l learn how to:

  • Explain the foundational components of the criminal justice system.
  • Apply interpersonal and collaborative communication skills.
  • Explain societal issues in the criminal justice system.

-6% Growth

According to the听, job growth for correctional officers and bailiffs is projected to听decline听between听2023 and 2033.

The BLS Projected Growth for 2023-2033 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS鈥 projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to 爱污传媒 students or graduates.

Admissions

Apply for free 鈥 no application fee, no obligation.

Starting your degree is a big decision 鈥 and we want you to feel great about it. That鈥檚 why we remove obstacles from your application.

  • No SAT/ACT required听
  • No essay required听
  • No cost, risk-free trial for eligible students
  • We鈥檒l request transcripts at no cost to you, when possible, and we accept eligible credits from over 5,000 accredited institutions.
G. Galindo - Enrollment Representative

Gabriel G., Enrollment Rep

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 85% of our surveyed students.[1]

[1] Transactional Survey, September 2022-August 2023 (23,739 respondents)

Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

Call us at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.[1]听Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

[1] Transactional Survey, August 2021-22 (18,645 respondents)

Gabriel G., Enrollment Representative

Call or chat with us 7 days a week.

Student Experience

An education that fits your busy life

Balancing family, work and school

Work toward your degree without giving up what matters most. Start your degree year-round and take one class at a time.

Online learning

Enroll in online classes and attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night.

Around-the-clock support and resources

You have a support team available up to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week.听

Computer requirements for courses

Many course assignments will require you to use a computer to complete and submit your assignment.听

Student completing homework at night while child plays on floor.

Faculty Spotlight

Professionals dedicated to you

Your success is a top priority for our deans and faculty members. They bring an average of听28+ years of experience and hands-on perspective to the classroom, and help bridge the gap between academics and industry knowledge.

Doris Savron

As a faculty member, I'm on your team. I'm your coach and your cheerleader.

Doris Savron
Vice Provost of Colleges, 爱污传媒

As a faculty member, I'm on your team. I'm your coach and your cheerleader.

Accreditation

Accredited for 45+ years

Since 1978, 爱污传媒 has maintained institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), . Learn more about the value of 爱污传媒 accreditation and how it benefits our students.

While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.