Online Bachelor's in Criminal Justice

Degree Options

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 75% of the degree total

Next Start Dates: January 19, 2026 | February 16, 2026 | March 23, 2026

Take the Next Step in Your Career with a Criminal Justice Degree Online

Are you interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement? Perhaps you’re looking to protect your community as a first-time police officer. Maybe you’ve worked as a law enforcement officer for years, but you’d like to earn a career-enhancing credential and pursue positions of added responsibility. If either of these sounds like you, Liberty’s online criminal justice degree may be exactly what you need.

Conferring Liberty University’s Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice can help you gain the skills you need to start your journey in the criminal justice system. This degree program offers multiple specializations – allowing you to gain fundamental criminal justice expertise while growing in a specific area that you’re passionate about. Our 100% online criminal justice degree can also help prepare you for future certification and promotion possibilities.

With this program, you can build up your credibility through the development of excellent speaking and writing skills, which are vital in both professional and personal settings. Our online criminal justice degree courses can help equip you with an in-depth understanding of substantive and procedural criminal law, ethics, criminology, and much more.

There has never been a better time to pursue an online criminal justice degree, and with Liberty, it has never been simpler. Don’t put your career on hold any longer – partner with us, gain valuable knowledge, and take your career to new heights.

What is a criminal justice degree?

Criminal justice bachelor’s degrees help train you for a wide variety of careers that apply the study of crime, its prevention, and law enforcement. Liberty’s online criminal justice programs provide criminal justice degree classes that focus on specific disciplines. These areas of study can help you prepare for a specific role in criminal justice – and the general track* allows you to mix and match courses of your choosing that prepare you to reach your career goals.

*Please note that this is not a specialization. Any reference using the term “General” is the main degree and is only used to differentiate from other specializations.

What Will You Study in Our Online Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice?

Liberty University’s online criminal justice bachelor’s degree is designed to teach you about each phase of the criminal justice system from entry to trial. You can learn from professors who have years of experience in the courtroom and corrections field, as well as in the classroom.

Our criminal justice degree classes provide learners with a practical approach to studying criminal justice and include courses with exciting research projects and case studies. Our online criminal justice degree also offers multiple specializations, so you can tailor your degree to fit your career objectives.

Your criminal justice online classes can help give you background knowledge of the various parts of the criminal justice system, including juvenile justice, judicial process, criminology, and criminal investigations. Imagine a rewarding career as a juvenile probation officer, detective, or state trooper. The bachelor’s in criminal justice online offers many of the classes needed to apply your knowledge in these professions.

Featured Courses

Degree Information

Why Choose Liberty’s Online BS in Criminal Justice Degree?

As a pioneer in distance education since 1985, we understand what it takes to design a flexible, affordable online degree program that will challenge you to grow while respecting your personal commitments. Our online criminal justice program is designed to enhance your life – not control it. Our degree in law enforcement is more than a tool that you can use to broaden your career prospects – it is an opportunity for personal enrichment and growth.

Liberty’s bachelor’s in criminal justice degree online can help you gain an understanding of the internal workings of the criminal justice system. Throughout your criminal justice online program, you will study the constitutional, procedural, and structural differences of the federal criminal justice and representative systems.

Many students pursuing our criminal justice degree program are full-time law enforcement officers or other working professionals who need flexible education. Our bachelor’s in criminal justice is offered entirely online with no requirement to come to our campus. This allows you to continue serving your community or business while furthering your education online.

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Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

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Potential Career Opportunities for Online Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Graduates

Earning a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree online from Liberty is an excellent choice for current law enforcement officers, probation officers, or other civil servants. It is also an effective pathway to pursue many roles in criminal justice, including:

Administration
Casework
Corrections
Criminal investigator
Juvenile justice

Probation and parole
Social services
Private/corporate security
State and local police and sheriff
Homeland defense

Undergraduate Criminal Justice Degree Options

Liberty University’s BS in Criminal Justice degree online has many specialized areas of study to fit your career needs:

Generalized Track (No Specialization)

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice – generalized track* provides you with foundational criminal justice study with the flexibility to customize your degree. The free electives let you mix and match courses to create a personalized degree program that fits your passion. Think of this degree track as a canvas that you are able to paint the way you want to.

View the Degree Completion Plan.

*Please note that this is not a specialization. Any reference using the term “General” is the main degree and is only used to differentiate from other specializations.

Business Administration and Management

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice – Business Administration and Management can help prepare you for an effective career in business and criminal justice. You can gain foundational knowledge and skills related to upholding the law, carrying out administrative duties, and navigating the financial workings of the criminal justice system.

View the Degree Completion Plan.

Corrections and Human Services

Crime Scene Investigation

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice – Crime Scene Investigation provides a solid foundation to help equip you for a career in criminal investigation. You can develop a foundational understanding of law enforcement, the internal workings of the criminal justice system, and its response to different types of crime. This degree in forensic science can help provide the specialized study you need for a crime scene investigation career.

View the Degree Completion Plan.

Criminal Psychology

Liberty University’s 100% online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice – Criminal Psychology is designed to help you understand the criminal mind. This program can guide you through a study of the thoughts and intentions of criminals or potential criminals. Our criminal psychology program also emphasizes the importance of applying ethics to practices.

View the Degree Completion Plan.

Homeland Security

Juvenile Justice

Liberty University’s 100% online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice – Juvenile Justice is a youth corrections program. This program is designed to help you understand the criminal justice system and its response to youth in the penal system. You can develop professional skills in correctional procedures as well as study cultural and social diversity. This background can help ensure that you are equipped with the most relevant and comprehensive information needed to impact the lives of today’s youth.

View the Degree Completion Plan.

Public Administration

Strategic Intelligence Studies

Liberty’s 100% online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice – Strategic Intelligence Studies can help develop your leadership and management skills with a focus on intelligence and national security. You can gain the foundational skills needed to examine and analyze criminal trends and patterns accurately to counter criminal behavior and terrorism with tactical efforts.

View the Degree Completion Plan.

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

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Tuition & Aid

At Liberty University, a private Christian education is less expensive than you think. Over the last 10 years, Liberty University’s Online Program has only raised its standard tuition costs by less than 5% – and most of our online tuition rates rank in the top 35% for affordability for 2025 when compared to our leading online competitors.

To continue our mission of providing affordable education, electronic textbooks are provided for all undergraduate courses at no additional cost to you. As a full-time student, this could save you an estimated $800-2,000 per year on textbooks!

Undergraduate Full Time	$390/Credit
Undergraduate Part Time	$455/Credit
Military Undergraduate	$250/Credit

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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Admission Information for Our BS in Criminal Justice

Admission Requirements

Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9595.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
Send official high school transcripts or official GED test scores.*
- Students may be allowed to enroll in up to 12 credit hours with Liberty with the submission of our High School Self-Certification Form (login required – you will first need to claim your Liberty Account).
Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system).
- Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form.
Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.

*Official high school transcript requirement may be waived with college transcripts from an accredited college/university showing at least 12 earned credit hours with an acceptable GPA.

Note: A 2.0 or above cumulative GPA is required for admission in good standing.

Transcript Policies

High School Transcript Policy

Applicants may submit a High School Self-Certification Form in lieu of a final official high school transcript in order to enroll in up to 12 credit hours at Liberty University.

Applicants may submit a college transcript showing 12 or more credits from an accredited institution and a High School Self-Certification Form in lieu of high school transcripts.

Students must submit official high school transcripts, or official college transcripts showing at least 12 credit hours earned with an acceptable grade point average (GPA) from an accredited institution, in order to register for additional courses.

The official high school transcript, GED requirement, and High School Self-Certification Form can be waived if the applicant has earned an associate degree or higher.

Final transcripts must reflect all coursework and final grades received for grades 9-12, a graduation date, and an overall GPA. (Mailed transcripts must be in a sealed and unopened envelope.)

Unofficial College Transcript Policy

Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:

Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
Cumulative GPA
A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
Degree and date conferred (if applicable)

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.

If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Military Transfers

International Applicants

If you are an international applicant, you may be required to have your international transcripts reviewed. Information regarding the transcript evaluation process for international students can be found by visiting NACES.

Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.

Admissions Office Contact Information

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

Active Duty
Reserve/National Guard
Veterans/Retirees
Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

Tuition discounts – $250 per credit hour for undergraduate courses
Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $565 per course)*
8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)
Potential college credit for military training

*Not applicable to certificates.

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

View Military Benefits

Frequently Asked Questions for Our Online Criminal Justice BS Degree

What professional skills can you gain from a BS in Criminal Justice?

What types of criminal justice degrees are there?

From law enforcement to national security, criminal justice degrees cover all aspects of protecting the public from criminal threats. While many law enforcement agencies require specific academy training, Liberty’s criminal justice degrees give you a foundation of essential theory and best practice.

These studies will focus on government, criminal science, and policy to help you navigate the career field of your choice. Criminal justice roles cover every aspect of the support and function of law enforcement and investigation. That’s why Liberty has areas of study that cover administrative as well as fieldwork roles.

These options may focus on specific fields of law enforcement that require a unique approach to psychology and justice. Areas of study such as juvenile justice require special knowledge of childhood development. Some areas, like crime scene investigation, require technical studies for the fieldwork. Liberty’s flexible online format lets you take these criminal justice courses online while working through simulations and online projects for practical experience.

What are some available careers for criminal justice majors? What can you do with a bachelor’s in criminal justice degree?

Liberty’s online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice helps provide pathways to many careers in criminal justice and law enforcement, including:

Caseworker
Crime scene investigator
Forensic analyst
Homeland security agent
Immigration services agent
Police detective
Private or corporate security officer

Choosing to pursue one of our criminal justice specializations can also be an asset to you – especially if you want to work in a niche area of criminal justice that is covered by one of our criminal justice degree tracks.

Please note that many law enforcement roles require specific academy training to be eligible for fieldwork.

I have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice – now what?

With a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, you can be ready to take the next step in a career in a law enforcement organization or a supporting role. Agencies with fieldwork will often require specific academy training. However, having a BS in Criminal Justice can help set you apart and may give you an advantage in the application and training process.

Other roles may only require knowledge and study from a degree that meets standard accreditation requirements. Liberty’s program may be the best online criminal justice degree for you if you want to meet these requirements with a flexible format.

If you’ve finished your bachelor’s in criminal justice but you’re not yet ready to end your academic journey, consider a master’s in criminal justice online degree from Liberty. Like our bachelor’s in criminal justice, our MA in Criminal Justice is offered 100% online with no set login times and no required intensives.

Can I earn a criminal justice degree online?

Though the term “degree” brings to mind a residential experience for many people, yes – at Liberty, you can earn your criminal justice degree online! Our 100% online BS in Criminal Justice can be completed from the comfort of your home. This degree program does not require intensives or set login times – which means that you’ll be able to pursue a respected degree while remaining committed to your job, family, and community.

At Liberty, we don’t shortchange you when you pursue an online degree – we empower you by bringing world-class education, expert professors, and valuable networking opportunities to your fingertips.

Is a degree in criminal justice worth it? Are criminal justice jobs in demand?

Yes – we believe that a degree in criminal justice from Liberty University is worth it. The time and resources you invest in an online law enforcement degree may require prior thought and prayer, but a degree could be your ticket to a more successful, enriching career.

A degree in criminal justice, however, can be more than just a ticket to a career – it can be an asset that empowers you to better serve the people of your community. Crime is not always limited to the whims of foolish individuals – it can be carefully planned by intelligent criminals. Our online criminal justice degree can help develop your investigative skills and equip you with the knowledge needed to stay a step ahead of those who seek to harm others.

What is the difference between criminal justice and criminology?

The field of criminology and the field of criminal justice are closely related, and they sometimes overlap in professional settings. In fact, criminal justice professionals and criminologists often work closely together. There are a few differences that separate the 2, though.

Criminal justice focuses more on the system of law enforcement and how it operates, while criminology focuses on the study of why criminals commit crimes and which psychological and sociological aspects lead people to criminal behavior. In short, criminologists study trends and motivations behind crimes, and criminal justice simply entails the enforcement of the law.

If you are interested in both criminal justice and criminology, our BS in Criminal Justice – Criminal Psychology may be a great fit for you!

Does this online criminal justice degree require any internships or field experience?

Though internships are an excellent way for you to gain hands-on, real-world experience during your time as a student, Liberty’s online criminal justice degree does not require any internships. This degree program can be completed 100% online.

If you are interested in completing an internship during your time at Liberty, we offer online career services that can help match you with internship sites. We also offer resume templates, cover letter critiques, career advice, and much more. To find out more, request information, or apply today!

Are you ready to change your future?

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*Some restrictions may occur for this promotion to apply. This promotion also excludes active faculty and staff, military, non-degree-seeking, DGIA, Continuing Education, WSB, and certificate students.

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Online Bachelor's in Criminal Justice Degree Learn the Pursuit of Justice

Take the Next Step in Your Career with a Criminal Justice Degree Online

What is a criminal justice degree?

What Will You Study in Our Online Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice?

Featured Courses

Degree Information

Why Choose Liberty’s Online BS in Criminal Justice Degree?

What Sets Us Apart?

Potential Career Opportunities for Online Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Graduates

Undergraduate Criminal Justice Degree Options

Generalized Track (No Specialization)

Business Administration and Management

Corrections and Human Services

Crime Scene Investigation

Criminal Psychology

Homeland Security

Juvenile Justice

Public Administration

Strategic Intelligence Studies

Not sure what to choose?

Tuition & Aid

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Admission Information for Our BS in Criminal Justice

Admission Requirements

Transcript Policies

Military Transfers

International Applicants

Admissions Office Contact Information

Military

Frequently Asked Questions for Our Online Criminal Justice BS Degree

What professional skills can you gain from a BS in Criminal Justice?

What types of criminal justice degrees are there?

What are some available careers for criminal justice majors? What can you do with a bachelor’s in criminal justice degree?

I have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice – now what?

Can I earn a criminal justice degree online?

Is a degree in criminal justice worth it? Are criminal justice jobs in demand?

What is the difference between criminal justice and criminology?

Does this online criminal justice degree require any internships or field experience?

Are you ready to change your future?

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