Criminal justice master's programs delve into law enforcement, corrections, and the courts, preparing graduates for careers in diverse areas, including information technology, the legal system, and homeland security.
What is the best online school for criminal justice? This guide explains how to find the right program and what to expect from an online master's in criminal justice, exploring admission requirements, degree and specialization options, popular criminal justice courses, and degree cost.
10 Best Online Graduate Programs in Criminal Justice
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Explore program formats, transfer requirements, financial aid packages, and more by contacting the schools below.
Why Get an Online Criminal Justice Master's Degree?
Online master's in criminal justice programs prepare students for high-level careers in areas like law enforcement, the legal system, government, and information technology. Programs focus on the role of policing in society, criminology, cybercrime, and research methodology. Students gain specialized knowledge in management and administrative theory and practice. Learners also develop research, problem-solving, communication, and analytical skills.
Criminal justice master's programs typically attract enrollees who want to protect people from crime and who prioritize law and order. Master's candidates often pursue graduate degrees to advance in their careers and make more money.
The type of job graduates pursue varies depending on their previous academic and professional backgrounds and program focus. Potential careers include information security analyst, emergency management director, and probation officer. Other options include forensic psychologist and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.
Those who earn a graduate degree can make higher salaries and may qualify more often for management and leadership roles in the field than individuals with just a bachelor's degree. Below, we explain some benefits of earning a criminal justice master's degree.
New Skills Criminal justice master's programs help students gain advanced knowledge of criminal justice theory and practices. Criminal justice majors develop in-demand, career-relevant skills in writing, research and analysis, management, and administration.
Promotion Graduates of online master's in criminal justice programs often qualify for promotions to management or leadership roles, garnering higher salaries than their less-educated counterparts.
Job Opportunities A criminal justice master's can open the door to diverse career opportunities in law enforcement, the courts, and corrections. Potential careers include emergency management director, DEA agent, forensic psychologist, and information security analyst.
The Top Online Master's Degrees in Criminal Justice
What To Expect From Criminal Justice Master's Programs Online
Online master's in criminal justice programs build a foundation in the theories and practices of the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, the courts, and corrections. Graduates pursue diverse career paths depending on their professional and academic backgrounds and interests. Typical criminal justice master's programs require 30-60 credits and take two years to complete. Accelerated online degrees may offer the opportunity to graduate more quickly.
Price varies by program, but attending a public university and paying in-state tuition usually presents the most affordable option. Some criminal justice master's programs provide graduate research or teaching assistantships, which offer a tuition waiver or reimbursement to students in exchange for their work teaching or conducting research for the department.
Criminal justice master's programs often offer concentrations in areas like criminology, homeland security, case management, and law enforcement. Popular criminal justice courses include research methods in criminal justice, criminology, and juvenile justice.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements for criminal justice master's programs vary by school, but typically include a bachelor's degree from an accredited university and a minimum 3.0 GPA. Criminal justice master's programs usually accept applicants with an undergraduate degree in any field. However, those with bachelor's degrees in criminal justice or related disciplines may increase their chances of acceptance.
Prospective students often need to submit satisfactory GRE/GMAT scores, letters of recommendation, a resume or CV, and writing samples or answers to essay questions. Applicants fill out an online application; pay a fee; and submit college transcripts, test scores, and other required supplemental materials. Some programs require an interview.
Degree and Specialization Options
Schools with online master's in criminal justice programs offer different types of degrees, including a master of arts (MA) or master of science (MS). Below, we outline the differences between these degrees.
MA in Criminal Justice
Typically a terminal degree, an MA in criminal justice provides a foundation in criminal justice.
MS in Criminal Justice
An MS in criminal justice also explores advanced issues of criminal justice, but may focus more on technical and professional skills. An MS also prepares students who may want to continue their education and earn a doctorate.
Criminal justice master's programs also often offer specializations, in areas like criminology, homeland security, and law enforcement.
Criminology
A criminology concentration explores the role of crime in society, including the causes of crime and criminal behavior. Potential career paths include corrections officer, parole officer, police supervisor, and forensic psychologist.
Homeland Security
A specialization in homeland security prepares learners to respond to threats to national security, including terrorism and natural disasters. Potential career paths include FBI agent and information security analyst.
Law Enforcement
A concentration in law enforcement develops the knowledge to respond to and evaluate scenarios that law enforcement officers confront. Students gain analytical, decision-making, and technical skills to use in positions like police supervisor, DEA agent, and corrections officer.
Popular Criminal Justice Courses
The curriculum and specific classes required for criminal justice master's programs vary by school. Most programs focus on research methods, criminology, and criminal justice administration and include core, elective/concentrations, and project/capstone credits. Below, we explain what to expect from some popular criminal justice classes for master's students.
Research Methods in Criminal Justice
This survey class provides a foundation in advanced research techniques that criminal justice professionals typically use. Topics include defining a research problem, stating hypotheses, experimental research designs, and sampling. Students also grapple with the ethics of criminal justice research and develop critical thinking and analysis skills relevant to any position.
Criminal Justice Administration
This core course explores contemporary issues in law enforcement, the judicial system, and corrections. Students explore theories of management and organizational behavior in the context of the criminal justice system. They also learn about issues like employee management, professional responsibility, and challenges of working as a criminal justice leader.
Criminology
Students in this core survey course learn the major theories of criminal behavior and crime causation, including psychological, sociological, genetic, and physiological theories. Participants examine how these theories influence policy development and research in criminal justice. Other topics include crime victims, criminal patterns, and crime prevention.
Juvenile Delinquency
This elective course focuses on the relationship between crime and children and teenagers. Enrollees investigate topics like juvenile crime treatment, patterns, and prevention. The class also focuses on the differences between the adult justice system and the juvenile justice system. Students planning to work with youth offenders may find this class particularly useful.
Criminal Justice Master's Capstone
This culminating experience helps students apply knowledge gained during their program to real-world problems in criminal justice. Learners may complete an individual or group research project, master's thesis, or professional portfolio.
How Much Will a Master's in Criminal Justice Cost?
The cost of a criminal justice master's degree varies by program. Factors affecting cost include school type (private or public), tuition rate (in-state or out-of-state), prestige, and program format (online, in-person, or hybrid). In-state, public universities typically charge the lowest tuition rates. Students usually pay premiums to earn their degrees at prestigious, private institutions.
Online master's degree in criminal justice programs often offer affordability compared to traditional, on-campus options. Many schools offer reduced or in-state tuition to out-of-state distance learners, a large savings.
Criminal justice majors at regionally accredited schools typically find many financing opportunities to help pay for their degree. Look for scholarships, grants, loans, and graduate assistantships at your school, and consider contacting the criminal justice department directly to find out about special financial aid options for students.
Jobs for Master's in Criminal Justice Graduates
What can you do with a master's in criminal justice? Because of the versatility of the degree, graduates pursue career paths in law enforcement, the courts, corrections, and beyond. Your previous educational experience, program focus, and personal interests all influence your career path after graduation.
Below, we describe what to expect from some potential master's in criminal justice jobs, including emergency management director, information security analyst, and probation officer.
Choosing the Right Criminal Justice Graduate Program
Our list of the best online graduate programs in criminal justice is a great place to start looking for a school, but learners should also do their own research. Consider the following key factors to help decide where to earn your online master's in criminal justice.
Accreditation Attending a regionally accredited university makes it easier to receive financial aid, transfer credit to another institution, qualify for industry certifications, or to apply to a Ph.D. program. Look up accreditation information for your prospective school at the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Program Length It typically takes two full-time years to complete a master's degree in criminal justice. If you want to graduate more quickly, look for accelerated options and programs that offer classes year round.
Staff Credentials Highly qualified faculty members hold doctorates in their fields and are active in professional research and projects. Most universities list faculty accomplishments and awards on their websites. Find out if the department includes any faculty members doing research relevant to your interests and consider getting in touch with them before applying.
Cost Calculate your estimated cost of attendance, including tuition and fees, textbooks, technology repairs and upgrades, and room and board. Investigate any financial aid opportunities, including departmental scholarships, grants, and research assistantships.
Why You Should Get Your Degree Online
Earning a criminal justice master's degree online presents many potential benefits for busy students. The flexibility and convenience of completing classwork anytime and anywhere appeals to working professionals, learners with families, and many others.
Most distance education programs offer asynchronous classes, meaning participants do not need to log on at a particular time as long as they turn in assignments on time. This makes it much easier to keep working a full-time job while in school.
The distance learning experience may be especially relevant to those seeking an online master's in criminal justice, because criminal justice professionals in a variety of positions increasingly need strong computer and information technology skills.
Only you can decide if an online master's degree in criminal justice would work for your personality type, learning style, and schedule. Although more and more students appreciate the benefits of going to school online, some people prefer a more traditional, in-person experience.
