BS in Criminal Justice – Crime Scene Investigation Advancing Investigations With Modern Forensics
120
Credit Hours
100% online, 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 75% of the degree total
Learn How to Investigate Crimes and Safeguard Physical Evidence with a Criminal Investigation Degree
These days, CSI brings with it an image of an exciting, action-packed life filled with drama and romance. The actual field of crime scene investigation is not exactly the same as what is portrayed on TV. If you want a rewarding and exciting job that involves helping to solve crimes and mysteries, then join the ranks of the many professionals who have pursued this as their chosen profession. Crime scene investigators can also be called forensic investigators.
If you are wondering how to become a forensic investigator, then Liberty University’s Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice – Crime Scene Investigation is a great place to start.
Our CSI degree is designed to help provide you with a strong understanding of the criminal justice field and the skills necessary to develop and analyze forensics laws. Through this program, you can learn the essential skills needed to conduct criminal investigations as well as protect and record vital evidence to ensure that it can be accurately analyzed.
Offered online, our program’s flexibility allows you to study without sacrificing your career — because our goal is to support you as both a student and a professional as you become a positive force in the criminal justice field. You can gain the knowledge you need to pursue roles at police departments and government agencies across the country.
Why Choose Liberty’s BS in Criminal Justice – Crime Scene Investigation?
At Liberty, we are dedicated to excellence, and as a pioneer in distance learning since 1985, we have a history of innovation. Today, we put our experience to use by providing you with an education that is affordable and at the forefront of forensics. Our goal as a nonprofit Christian university is to help provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to lead in the criminal justice field with strength and integrity.
If you want to be out in the field actively recording crime scenes and collecting evidence, then this crime scene investigation degree can help. If you prefer to work in the lab studying the evidence that has been collected, then this degree can help as well.
Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), so your degree has met rigorous academic standards and accreditation requirements. We strive to bring you the best education you can get with the flexibility to study in your home or office without having to travel to campus.
What Will You Study in Our Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice?
Through Liberty’s online forensics degree program, you will study both the scientific and analytical aspects of forensics. By analyzing past criminal cases, you can understand what police officers and crime scene investigators go through in the execution of their duties. Learn how to identify, collect, preserve, record, process, and analyze all forms of evidence. You will also learn how to capture the crime scene through the use of digital photography.
Furthermore, you can gain the essential skills needed to conduct a criminal investigation, such as how to process a crime scene and how to collect evidence via subpoenas and interviews. Your crime scene investigator education will teach you what is legal under the Constitution and how criminal laws govern the actions of both police and regular citizens.
Potential Career Opportunities
Our forensic investigation degree is designed to help lead you to a career in a diverse and challenging atmosphere in the criminal justice system. Potential career fields include:
- Crime scene investigator
- Crime scene technician
- Criminalist
- Forensic analyst
- Forensic project coordinator
Featured Courses
Degree Information
- This program falls under the Helms School of Government.
- View the Undergraduate Government Course Guides (login required).
- Want more out of your degree? Add a minor (or 2) to focus or expand your studies further.
Degree Completion Plan
Not sure what to choose?
Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
Tuition & Aid
Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.
To continue our mission of providing affordable education, electronic textbooks are provided for all undergraduate courses at no 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 |
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Undergraduate Part Time | $455/Credit |
Military Undergraduate | $250/Credit |
All Tuition & Fees
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Admission Information for Online Undergraduate Degrees
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
If you have military-only transfer credits (completed basic training and enlistment), you must request an official military transcript. Please go to the Military Transfer Credit webpage to request your military transcript.
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 Online Admissions Verification
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
Ready to Apply?
Submit your application online or over the phone.
Military
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 service 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does a Forensic Scientist Do?
The general term “forensic science technician” is used for someone who aids criminal investigations by collecting, safeguarding, and analyzing evidence. Usually, you would pick an area to specialize in such as crime scene investigation or laboratory analysis. If you were working at a crime scene, you would be involved in analyzing the scene and determining what evidence is there and how it can be collected.
You would then record the scene for use in the investigation by taking photographs, making sketches, and marking the location and position of evidence. This evidence would then be brought to a crime lab for further analysis.
In the laboratory, you might perform chemical, biological, and microscopic analyses on the evidence that was taken from the crime scene. This would involve analyzing DNA results and consulting with other experts on areas such as toxicology to determine if someone was poisoned. You might work with medical experts to study the causes of death and the identity of the victims through dental records.
Liberty University’s forensic science online degree focuses on helping to prepare you for these roles by covering essential skills that would typically be studied in a criminal justice program. Our online forensic science bachelor’s degree helps provide the knowledge and tools you need to approach your career with confidence.
Is Liberty University accredited?
Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
What benefits are there to pursuing a program like this online?
As an online forensic science degree student, you will have the opportunity to network with leaders and experts in the crime scene investigation field from across the country.
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