Our Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice Equips You with Advanced Research and Analysis Skills
If you are an experienced law enforcement professional, Liberty’s online Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice can prepare you for senior leadership roles in criminal justice organizations at all levels of government. Through advanced research and analysis of criminal justice practices, you can learn how to assess and improve government and law enforcement organizations while mastering techniques in teaching and leadership.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, at Police and Detectives (viewed online August 25, 2021). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.
Liberty University’s professors are seasoned professionals who understand the critical issues facing criminal justice organizations today. This criminal justice Executive Certificate can prepare you for the rigors of leadership without committing to a doctoral degree. If you do choose to pursue your PhD, then this Executive Certificate can help you seamlessly transition into your doctoral studies.
Potential Career Opportunities with an Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice
Our Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice can help you prepare for several career paths. Depending on your current knowledge, education level, and experience, there are many different positions that could benefit from our accredited criminal justice certificate:
- Administration/management (federal, state, or local)
- Administrator (department chair, dean, chancellor)
- Crime scene investigation unit manager
- Criminal justice writer
- Detective/investigator
- Forensics investigator
- Police chief
- Polygraph examiner/operator
- Prison warden
- Professor/instructor
- Public policy advisor
- Researcher
- Sheriff
The skills you gain in analyzing justice policy and corrections can help you in your current role at your organization or help prepare you for positions of elevated responsibility. Because some occupations may require that you have a doctorate, Liberty created Executive Certificates that can seamlessly transfer into one of our corresponding postgraduate or doctoral programs. You can transfer all 21 credits from this certificate into our PhD in Criminal Justice. Take the next step towards your personal and professional goals with an Executive Certificate from Liberty University.
Military Tuition Discount
If you have served in the military, we want to go above and beyond to show you our gratitude. That’s why we designed our 21-credit-hour certificates to work especially well for you. Earning an Executive Certificate makes you eligible for our military alumni doctoral discount — you’ll receive the discounted $300/credit hour military rate both during the certificate and later during a doctoral degree.* Many of our certificates roll directly into a corresponding doctoral degree, allowing you to get a jumpstart on your doctorate!
If your plans to earn a doctoral degree lie further in the future, each certificate also stands on its own as a professional development credential, setting you apart from your peers and giving you the flexibility to start a doctoral degree whenever you’re ready. It’s one more way we show our appreciation.
*In order to retain the $300/credit hour rate, the doctoral degree must be started within 2 years of completing the Executive Certificate.
Why Should You Choose Liberty University’s Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice?
Do you want to improve your leadership skills and apply your years of experience in the criminal justice field to help guide and train the next generation of law enforcement professionals? Liberty University’s online Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice can help you attain the knowledge you need without the commitment of a full doctoral degree.
Whether you are currently working in a leadership role or are preparing to advance in your career, our online Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice provides a convenient way to gain the skills and knowledge you need to successfully fill senior leadership roles at all levels within criminal justice organizations.
What Will You Learn in Our Online Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice?
Our online Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice develops senior criminal justice leaders with a Christian worldview who can serve in organizations everywhere with diligence and integrity. Our courses provide advanced training in a wide range of critical issues such as crime causation. Understanding why a criminal commits a crime can often lead to success in both the prevention of crime and apprehension of perpetrators. Advanced training in juvenile justice policies and advanced corrections policies can help you better understand the present state of corrections at all levels.
In order to better equip leaders and ensure success in various aspects of criminal justice, we believe you should have expert breadth and depth of knowledge about criminal justice systems. Therefore, you can also learn about some of the differences and similarities between U.S.-based systems and at least 7 other countries’ criminal justice systems. You can also study international crime and terrorism to increase your awareness of the global impact of organized crime.
Required Courses
- CJUS 700 – Theories of Crime
- CJUS 701 – Comparative Criminal Justice Systems
- CJUS 702 – Advanced Juvenile Justice Policy
- CJUS 703 – Advanced Corrections Policy
- CJUS 810 – Transnational Organized Crime
- CJUS 820 – Advanced Topics in Terrorism and Intelligence
- CJUS 830 – Criminal Justice Organizational Conflict
Program Highlights of the Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice
- We are recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility. Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America. Earning your online Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
The majority of tuition for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs has not increased in 9 years. While many other online colleges have raised tuition, Liberty has been able to keep costs low as a nonprofit university.
- You can complete our online Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice in as little as 1.5 years.
- You can transfer all of your criminal justice credits from this certificate into our PhD in Criminal Justice!
Military Benefits
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe. Whether you are a current service member, discharged or retired from service, or the spouse of a service member or veteran, we are here to support you every step of the journey.
As a thank-you for your dedication and service to our country, Liberty is honored to serve and support you in your pursuit of online education by offering the following benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $300 per credit hour for postgraduate courses
- Roll these credits into the corresponding doctoral degree
- 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)
Please note: The $300/credit hour doctoral military rate cannot be combined with the First Responder Discount.
Executive Certificate in Criminal Justice Information
- This program falls under the Helms School of Government.
- Download and review the Certificate Completion Plan for this program.
- View related Graduate Government Course Guides (login required).
Admission Requirements for the Executive Certificate
A regionally or nationally accredited master’s degree with a 3.0 or above GPA is required for admission in good standing. Please visit our admission requirements page for more detailed admissions-related information.
All applicants must submit the following:
- Admission application
- Application fee*
- Official college transcripts
- Proof of English proficiency (for applicants whose native language is other than English)
*There is no upfront application fee; however, a deferred $50 application fee will be assessed during Financial Check-In. This fee is waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required.
