Study Criminal Justice in Washington

While the cost of getting a college education has become increasingly expensive, the fact remains that college-educated workers make more money than non-college-educated workers. Comparing high school graduates with bachelor’s degree holders, there is a $14,000 per year wage gap in favor of those with a bachelor’s degree.

As a student in Washington, you can reduce the cost of your college education and make the most of that wage gap by studying online. With numerous options for getting a criminal justice bachelor’s degree or master’s degree available, you can acquire the skills necessary to move up the pay scale in a career field with ample job opportunities.

Below is a guide to some of the popular options for Washington college students to get a criminal justice education. These programs are highly revered, cost-effective, and completely online.

Best Accredited Online Criminal Justice Degrees in Washington State - Criminal Justice Bachelor's, Master's and Associate's Programs in Washington State

Online Criminal Justice Degrees in Washington State

Listed below are some of the popular schools offering online criminal justice degrees in Washington State:

  • Washington State University
  • University of Washington-Tacoma
  • American Public University
  • Liberty University
  • Seattle University
  • Southern New Hampshire University
  • Grand Canyon University
  • UMass Global
  • Walden University

Washington State University

Online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Criminology

The Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Washington State University’s Global Campus combines cutting-edge studies with real-world faculty expertise to help you develop expertise in this field. You’ll emerge from the program with a solid understanding of criminal justice theories, techniques, and research. Likewise, you’ll have the skills required to pursue many different jobs, from cybercrime prevention to court administration to working in victim advocacy.

This program is one of the oldest in the nation, having been founded in 1943. Its faculty are esteemed members of the criminal justice community, both in terms of their academic credentials and their on-the-job experience in criminal justice. The curriculum has been developed over the years to focus on policy issues. As such, the coursework you complete is from a broad range of fields, including criminal justice, psychology, sociology, and political science.

You must complete various types of classes to graduate with this degree. Your studies start with general studies in a broad range of liberal arts topics. For example, you must complete two years of studies in the same foreign language, one approved Equity and Justice course, and two lab science courses in approved natural science fields like biology or chemistry.

Furthermore, Washington State requires all undergraduates to complete a University Writing Portfolio. Part of the portfolio requirement is to complete two writing-intensive courses within the major. As a criminal justice student, that means taking a Senior Capstone in Criminal Justice and Criminology and a second criminal justice course with a significant writing requirement, such as Comparative Criminal Justice Systems, Criminal Procedure, or Senior Seminar: Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice.

This program has a core sequence of 18 credits that give you a solid understanding of the fundamentals of criminal justice. For example, one of your first courses is Introduction to the Administration of Criminal Justice. This class offers an overview of the various agencies that operate in the criminal justice system (e.g., law enforcement, the courts, and corrections) as well as the processes of criminal justice (e.g., criminal investigations, criminal law, and sentencing).

From there, you’ll take a course in Criminological Theory that explores the nature of crime. You’ll examine the psychological factors that might contribute to criminality as well as social forces that may compel some people to engage in criminal activity. The course also examines how social factors influence the perceived seriousness of certain crimes.

Other core criminal justice courses you’re required to take include the following:

  • Research Methods for Criminal Justice
  • Criminal Law
  • Quantitative Methods for Criminal Justice
  • Criminal Justice Capstone

In addition to the required courses listed above, you must also choose four criminal justice electives. Washington State offers nearly a dozen options, so you have ample choices for taking classes that most closely align with your interests.

For example, you might take Crime Control Policies if you’re interested in an administrative or policy-focused criminal justice class. As another example, you might take Criminal Courts in America if you have your eye on attending law school. Yet another option is to take a Comparative Criminal Justice Systems class to get a clearer idea of how the U.S. criminal justice system compares to systems in countries around the world.

This program offers you the opportunity to complete an internship, too. Though not required, an internship can be crucially important to your development. Not only do you get to apply what you’ve learned in a real-world setting, but you can also make important connections with potential employers during your internship placement.

You must meet the following requirements to apply as a first-year student:

  • Have a high school diploma or GED.
  • Submit official high school transcripts or GED scores.
  • Submit official transcripts from every college or university from which you’ve earned credit.

You can also submit ACT or SAT scores, but this is not a requirement.

University of Washington-Tacoma

Online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

If you’ve already started your college education and want to change majors or schools, the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from UW-Tacoma might be a good fit. As a 65-credit online major, you can use transfer credits to satisfy general education, prerequisite, and elective coursework, then focus primarily on completing the criminal justice major. All told, you must have at least 180 quarter credits to graduate. You must have completed at least 90 credits to be eligible for this program.

The curriculum is divided into three major components:

  • General Education Requirements
  • Criminal Justice Core Courses
  • Criminal Justice Electives

As discussed earlier, the general education requirement ensures you get a broad-based education in many different liberal arts fields. This includes taking at least five credits of English composition, five credits of quantitative or symbolic reasoning classes, and completing two years of study in the same foreign language.

Furthermore, UW-Tacoma stipulates that all students must earn 15 or more credits in each of the following areas: natural science, social science, and humanities. An additional five credits related to diversity studies and 10 credits related to writing are necessary to graduate.

As for the criminal justice core courses, you’ll participate in classes that introduce you to critical topics in this field. For example, you’ll take a Police and Society course that explores the nature of police work and its relationship with society at large. As another example, you’re required to take an Adult Corrections course that analyzes the types of correctional settings adult offenders might experience as part of their sentence.

An interesting part of this curriculum is a class entitled Helping Skills in the Criminal Justice System. The purpose of this class is to help you develop skills like empathy, active listening, and even basic counseling techniques that you can use to help victims of crimes. But these skills have further uses. For example, you can learn how to keep yourself calm in times of stress, support colleagues in the face of difficult situations, and address the basic mental health needs of suspects, too.

Other required core courses examine many other topics, including the following:

  • Mental Health, Substance Use, and the Criminal Justice System
  • Introduction to Social Welfare Research
  • American Criminal Courts
  • Professionalism and Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice

The electives you can use to complete this degree can come from criminal justice and related fields. For example, you might take classes in Abnormal Psychology, Political Theory of Human Rights, and Mobile Digital Forensics. Alternatively, you can take courses like Managing Organizations, Minorities and the Law, and Violence in Intimate Partner Relationships.

Other potential elective courses explore themes like restorative approaches to justice, harm reduction, and social justice. Furthermore, you’ll have opportunities to learn in multidisciplinary settings from highly experienced professors, guest speakers, and criminal justice professionals.

UW-Tacoma’s application portal is available online. As noted earlier, you must complete at least 90 quarter credits before you can apply to this program. Other requirements are as follows:

  • Complete any necessary program prerequisites.
  • Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.

American Public University

Online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

While American Public University isn’t based in Washington, its online programs – including a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice – are available to you as a Washington resident. This program offers numerous advantages, not the least of which is that books are free and there are no application fees. What’s more, American Public University is a test-optional school, so you need not take entrance exams to be considered for admission.

This program is preparatory for entry-level work in criminal justice. It also prepares you for advanced studies in a graduate criminal justice program. No matter which direction you choose, you’ll complete this program having acquired important skills and abilities, such as the ability to:

  • Compare local, state, and federal criminal justice systems.
  • Identify the most important components of the criminal justice system.
  • Design criminal justice research.
  • Analyze how criminal justice standards impact the legal system.
  • Explain common criminal justice theories.

Furthermore, this program was designed by criminal justice professionals and is taught by faculty with real-world experience. This gives you improved insights into the application of the theories and techniques you discuss while also connecting abstract concepts with applications in various criminal justice settings.

The curriculum for this degree includes 120 credits of required coursework. Classes vary in length; some follow a traditional 16-week format, while others adhere to an accelerated eight-week format. The classes you’ll take fall into one of four categories:

  • General education courses
  • Major required courses
  • Concentration courses
  • Final program requirements

The general education requirement includes 30 credits of required coursework and 45 credits of electives. The required coursework explores various fields, from arts and humanities to history to natural sciences. Additionally, you must complete a certain number of credits in the fields of communications, mathematics, and civics.

The elective component is much more broad. The 45 credits can be earned by taking classes from any undergraduate field of study. The only caveat is that the courses you use to satisfy the general elective requirements cannot also be used to fulfill major requirements.

A total of 27 credits of coursework are required for the major-area portion of the curriculum. These classes examine important themes in criminal justice, including Criminology, Ethics in Criminal Justice, and Constitutional Law. You’ll also take classes in U.S. Law Enforcement, Corrections and Incarceration, and the Criminal Legal Process.

You must also select a concentration as part of your studies. The university gives you some choices, allowing you to focus your studies in any of the following areas:

  • Organizational Law Enforcement Leadership
  • Maritime Law Enforcement
  • Entrepreneurship

You may also choose a general concentration composed of coursework from each of the other three concentrations.

The final program requirement is a three-credit senior seminar in criminal justice. The purpose of this class is to integrate the work you’ve done throughout the program, review it, and analyze it in the context of a detailed academic paper. The subject of your paper is up to you, but it must be approved by your advisor. Your paper must demonstrate your understanding of key criminal justice principles while also assessing your mastery of the program’s degree outcomes.

You can apply to American Public University online at any time. The admission requirements for first-year students are as follows:

  • Have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
  • Provide a copy of your high school diploma or equivalency scores
  • Submit official transcripts from every college or university from which you’ve earned credit.

Liberty University

Online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

At Liberty University, you can complete a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice within four years. During this time, you’ll earn 120 or more credits that cover a wide range of academic disciplines, preparing you for work in the criminal justice field. This degree equips you for various careers such as police officer, correctional officer, or probation officer. Additionally, you can find opportunities in victim advocacy, social research, and criminal justice policy development.

One notable aspect of this program is the ability to choose from nine different degree options. If you prefer a broad-based education, you might select the Generalized Track. Alternatively, if you have specific career goals, you might choose Juvenile Justice, Crime Scene Investigation, or Corrections and Human Services. Other options available to you include:

  • Business Administration and Management
  • Criminal Psychology
  • Homeland Security
  • Public Administration
  • Strategic Intelligence Studies

Regardless of your chosen specialization, you’ll benefit from 8-week accelerated courses. Taking fewer, shorter classes simultaneously helps reduce your workload while still allowing you to graduate in four years.

A common feature among each specialization is the foundational coursework and major-area requirements. Like the degrees mentioned above, you must complete studies in liberal arts fields such as communications, civics, social and scientific inquiry, and math. As Liberty is a religious institution, you are also required to take Christianity courses.

Before starting the criminal justice coursework, you need to complete two major foundational courses: American Government and Constitutional Government and Free Enterprise. After completing these classes, you can proceed with the 39-credit core sequence of courses within the major.

You’ll begin with lower-division classes such as Introduction to Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice Research and Writing, and Criminal Justice Report Writing. These courses help you build essential skills for becoming an effective criminal justice student. For instance, Introduction to Criminal Justice introduces you to various theories, techniques, and practices in this field, including modern theories of crime and punishment. The other two courses enhance your research and writing capabilities, which you’ll use throughout your degree and career.

Next, you’ll take upper-division criminal justice classes. Examples include courses on the Judicial Process, Criminal Law, and Constitutional Criminal Procedure. Additionally, you are required to take classes on Juvenile Justice, Corrections, and Criminology.

Finally, you’ll complete a series of Cognate courses that focus on your chosen specialization. This is where your degree options diverge, as each of the nine concentration areas has different cognate courses.

For example, the Strategic Intelligence Studies track includes:

  • Introduction to Intelligence and National Security
  • Intelligence Analyst
  • Counter-Terrorism
  • Military Operations and Intelligence
  • Strategic Intelligence

Meanwhile, the Criminal Psychology track includes:

  • Overview of Theory and Treatment of Substance Abuse
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Behavior Management
  • Abnormal Psychology
  • Psychology of Criminal Behavior

To qualify for admission, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Complete the online application for admission.
  • Submit a $50 application fee.
  • Submit official high school transcripts or equivalency scores.
  • Submit official transcripts from every college or university from which you’ve earned credit.

You must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA or higher for admission in good standing.

Seattle University

Online Master of Arts in Criminal Justice

Seattle University’s online Master of Arts in Criminal Justice is a 55-credit program that requires two years of full-time studies to complete. The program has a specific focus on social change and anti-racist criminal justice principles. As such, you’ll analyze crime and justice through a diverse and socially conscious lens while studying with faculty members who are renowned in the criminal justice community.

To graduate, you must complete 11 foundational courses and eight electives. The foundational courses explore areas like Criminal Justice Theory, Advanced Criminological Theory, and Law and Social Control. You’re also required to take a Criminal Justice Ethics and Decision-Making class that analyzes common ethical dilemmas in this field. You’ll discuss topics like discretionary power and examine how that power can impact criminal justice proceedings.

Another course you must take is Theory and Research in Policing, Courts, and Corrections. As the name indicates, this class is a review of important research findings in the criminal justice system, including research on police practices and correctional techniques. An examination of the U.S. court system also takes place in this class.

Further foundational courses include the following:

  • Organizational Theory and Analysis in Criminal Justice
  • Advanced Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • Statistical Analysis and Statistics Lab
  • Critical Criminology
  • Criminal Justice Capstone Seminar

You must complete at least 24 credits of elective coursework, too. Your selection of electives comes from a large collection of approved courses. In fact, though you only need to take eight electives, you can choose from a list of more than two dozen options. These options are on varied topics like Crime Analysis, Criminal Justice Legislation and Policy, and Crime Mapping.

You can also choose to complete a practicum. Seattle University has partnerships with various organizations that allow you to get hands-on experience in a setting that aligns with your career goals. For example, practicum experiences are available with the FBI, DEA, ATF, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Various other elective options allow you to gain real-world experience, too. For example, you can complete an internship at an approved site, such as a law enforcement agency, a district attorney’s office, or a correctional facility. You can also choose to complete a teaching assistantship to gain teaching experience or a research assistantship, during which you’ll assist professors in conducting academic examinations of criminal justice topics. Other elective options include the following:

  • Forensics Practicum
  • Restorative Justice: Behind Bars
  • Fundamental Counseling Skills
  • Administrative Law
  • Criminal Justice Master’s Thesis

Seattle University offers numerous specializations, too. For example, you can focus your master’s degree on Research and Evaluation, Investigative Criminology, or Victimology. Whatever specialization you choose, you must meet the same 55-credit threshold to graduate.

You must meet the following requirements to qualify for admission:

  • Have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or a related field from a regionally accredited college or university. If your degree is not in criminal justice or a related field, you must have at least 45 quarter credits of criminal justice-related coursework or significant work or volunteer experience in criminal justice.
  • Have a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA or higher.
  • Complete undergraduate coursework in Introductory Statistics with a grade of C or higher.
  • Submit a statement of purpose in which you discuss your personal background and interests as well as your reasoning for applying to this program.
  • Provide three letters of recommendation from academic or professional references.
  • Submit a writing sample.
  • Submit a resume or curriculum vitae.

What is the Difference Between a BA and a BS in Criminal Justice?

The BA in Criminal Justice generally emphasizes a broader liberal arts education. This program includes more courses in the humanities and social sciences, such as sociology, psychology, political science, history, and public administration. In addition to core criminal justice courses, students might study topics such as ethics, philosophy, and cultural studies. This approach aims to develop critical thinking, writing, and communication skills.

The BA program emphasizes developing strong analytical and communication skills, critical thinking, and a comprehensive understanding of the social and cultural contexts of crime and justice. Graduates often pursue careers in social services, community outreach, probation and parole, and administrative roles within the criminal justice system. Additionally, the BA can serve as a solid foundation for those planning to attend law school or pursue graduate studies in criminology, public administration, or related fields.

In contrast, the BS in Criminal Justice places a greater emphasis on technical and scientific aspects of the field. This program includes more courses in natural sciences, mathematics, research methods, and statistics. In addition to core criminal justice courses, students might study topics such as forensic science, criminal investigation, data analysis, and quantitative research methods.

The BS program focuses on developing strong technical and analytical skills, data analysis, and scientific research methods. It provides practical knowledge in areas such as criminal investigation, forensic science, and cybersecurity. Graduates often pursue careers in law enforcement, forensic science, crime scene investigation, homeland security, and roles that require technical expertise. The BS degree can be particularly beneficial for those interested in advanced technical roles, such as forensic analysts, cybersecurity specialists, and criminal investigators.

Related Reading