Study Criminal Justice in Texas

Criminal justice is one of the most popular college majors, so you can easily find programs that align with your educational and career goals. That’s especially true in Texas, where numerous online criminal justice degree programs are available from schools large and small.

In fact, you can get an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctorate in this field online at Texas colleges and universities. The hardest decision to make, though, is likely which of these programs is the best fit for your needs. That’s where this guide comes in!

Below, we’ve summarized some of the popular options for getting an online criminal justice degree in Texas. Each one offers excellent opportunities to gain essential knowledge and skills in this field.

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

Online Criminal Justice Degrees in Texas

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

  • University of North Texas
  • West Texas A&M University
  • University of Texas at El Paso
  • American Public University
  • Sam Houston State University
  • Lamar University
  • Liberty University
  • Texas State University
  • Texas A&M International University
  • Southern New Hampshire University

University of North Texas

Online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice at the University of North Texas examines multiple angles of criminal justice. On the one hand, you’ll study the theoretical aspects of this field. On the other hand, you’ll learn about the practical applications of criminal justice theories. This program also requires you to investigate the empirical components of criminal justice.

This 120-credit program typically takes four years to complete. During that time, you’ll work through various general education and major-area courses. The general education coursework runs the gamut from English to math to social science. You’ll also take courses in natural sciences, humanities, and communications, to name a few.

The point of general education classes is to give you a broad education in many different subjects. Likewise, you’ll learn skills applicable to working in the criminal justice field. For example, you need to have excellent communication skills as a criminal justice professional. You can acquire improved written communication skills in general education English courses, while better oral communication skills can be developed in general education courses like Public Speaking.

The major-area components of this degree are divided into two parts: required courses and electives. You must complete six specific required courses, each of which is worth three credits. These courses focus on specific aspects of criminal justice, like Crime and Justice in the United States. This class examines various types of crime and the punishments that arise from committing those crimes.

Another required course – Inequality, Crime, and Justice – looks at the pitfalls of the criminal justice system and how justice is applied differently to different groups. You’ll discuss racial issues in criminal justice, gender issues, and examine juvenile justice issues, too. The remaining four required courses include the following:

  • Criminology
  • Research Methods in Criminal Justice
  • What is Justice?
  • Criminal Justice Capstone

The capstone experience is especially important because it requires you to apply your learning to a criminal justice-related issue. You’ll reflect on your learning in your other classes and use that knowledge to address real-life problems for the courts, corrections, and other areas of criminal justice.

You must also complete 15 elective credits. The University of North Texas offers you a couple of options for completing these classes: you can take five classes within the same concentration or mix and match classes from different fields.

For example, if you envision yourself in a law enforcement career, you might take five classes within that specialization, such as:

  • Police Systems
  • Introduction to Criminalistics
  • Domestic and International Terrorism
  • Criminal Investigation
  • Administration of Criminal Justice Agencies

Alternatively, let’s say you’re interested in law. In that case, you would take a five-course sequence that includes the following classes:

  • Criminal Law
  • Criminal Procedure
  • Law and Social Problems
  • Judicial and Legal Systems
  • Administration of Criminal Justice Agencies

However, if you want a broader-based education, you might combine coursework from law enforcement, corrections, law, and other areas. The university offers classes in contemporary issues in criminal justice, rehabilitation and victim services, and supporting fields like psychology, too.

The application for undergraduate admission to the University of North Texas is available online. You must meet the following requirements to apply:

  • Complete the online application linked above and pay a $75 application fee.
  • Submit official high school transcripts or equivalency scores.
  • Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
  • Submit official SAT or ACT scores (though this is an optional step)

West Texas A&M University

Online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

At West Texas A&M University, you can enroll in a 100 percent online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree that focuses specifically on criminal justice administration. This focus ensures that you graduate with an understanding of crime and punishment, criminal justice policy, and law.

This program requires 120 credits to graduate and includes a typical slate of general education and major-area coursework. For example, the general education component includes studies in communications, math, and life and physical sciences. You must also take classes to satisfy language, philosophy, and culture requirements, as well as creative arts, American history, and government, to name a few. These classes constitute 42 credits.

The criminal justice administration core courses comprise 63 credits of the program. The required classes are extremely varied and give you insights into many different aspects of this field.

For example, you must take an Introduction to Sociology class that examines group behavior and its influence on (and how it’s influenced by) crime. You must also take 18 credits of introductory criminal justice classes, including the following:

  • Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • Court Systems and Practices
  • Crime in America
  • Introduction to Law
  • Correctional Systems and Practices

The final course in this component of the curriculum is Contemporary Policing. This class analyzes current practices in crime prevention and their efficacy. You’ll also discuss problems and issues that arise when carrying out policing duties.

The next aspect of this program is a 21-credit sequence of administration courses. These classes help you gain a better understanding of what it means to be a leader in this field. As such, you’ll take courses like Administration of Criminal Justice Organizations, Ethics and the Justice and EMA Systems, and the Constitutional Rights of the Accused.

You’ll gain further administration skills by learning about research in criminal justice. You’ll take a Social Research Class, Statistics for the Social Sciences, and participate in a capstone internship to gain empirical and practical experience that’s required for criminal justice administration careers.

The remaining credits needed to complete this degree include 39 hours of study from other departments. For example, you’ll take a Judicial Process class from the Political Science Department. You’ll take a Criminology class from the Sociology department, too. Other courses necessary to graduate include the following:

  • Public Personnel Administration
  • Principles of Emergency Management
  • Juvenile Delinquency
  • Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
  • Public Administration

As noted earlier, an internship is required for this degree. An internship gives you extremely valuable and meaningful experience working in this field prior to graduation. Not only are you able to apply what you’ve learned in legal, policing, and correctional settings, but you can also gain valuable insights from professionals who can help you ensure you’re prepared for a criminal justice administration degree.

You can apply to West Texas A&M University online at any time. To do so, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Have a high school diploma or its equivalent.
  • Submit high school transcripts or equivalency scores.
  • Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.

You’ll be guaranteed admission if you graduate in the top 30 percent of your high school class, have a 3.0 GPA or higher, or score 21 or above on the ACT or 1060 or above on the SAT.

University of Texas at El Paso

Online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

The Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at El Paso focuses on criminal patterns and behaviors along the U.S. border with Mexico. It also zeroes in on the unique law enforcement strategies and techniques along the border. As such, this program is ideal if you want to work in border protection, law enforcement, corrections, or even law.

By studying the theories and practical applications of criminal justice techniques in this program, you’ll gain a broad set of skills that allow you to make a positive difference in the community in which you work. You’ll understand why crime occurs, how society responds to crime, and how to change laws to improve responses to crime. You’ll also have the skills necessary to educate other people about crime, punishment, and the law.

At 120 credits, this program is like most degrees in that it takes about four years of full-time studies to complete. However, the 100-percent online format allows you to complete the program in less time, if desired, or more time, if you need to study part time.

You’ll begin the program with general studies, as is typical of undergraduate programs. These courses represent studies in the following fields:

  • Communications
  • Humanities
  • Mathematics
  • Natural Science
  • Political Science

You must also take classes in U.S. history, social and behavioral science, and visual and performing arts. Though you’re required to take classes within each of these categories, there is often leeway regarding the specific classes you take to meet these requirements.

The core criminal justice curriculum includes four required classes. You’ll start by taking Introduction to Criminal Justice, which provides a very broad overview of this field. You’ll then take a class in Applied Research Methods, which teaches you different methodologies for interpreting research on crime. You’ll also learn how to develop criminal justice policies and gain a basic understanding of criminal justice administration.

The other two required courses focus on crime: Criminology and Criminal Procedure. The former examines the causes of criminal behavior, while the latter focuses on the constitutional rules that apply to criminal investigations, detention of suspects, prosecution of criminal cases, and the adjudication of criminal sentences.

You’ll supplement these basic courses with three classes that focus on criminal justice systems. You can choose from four options:

  • Courts Systems and Practices
  • Fundamentals of Criminal Law
  • Correctional Systems and Practices
  • Policing Systems and Practices

The final component of this program is five criminal justice electives. You have a lot of freedom regarding what courses you take to satisfy this part of the degree. The university offers nearly two dozen options ranging from Women in Criminal Justice to Cyber Crime to Violence in America. Other options include Organized Crime, White-Collar Crime, and Comparative and Transnational Crime.

You must meet the following requirements to be considered for admission:

  • Complete the online application for admission linked above.
  • Submit official high school transcripts that indicate your diploma type, your class rank, and your GPA.
  • Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
  • Provide official ACT or SAT scores. You can alternatively submit scores from the GED or Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).

American Public University

Online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

As a Texas resident, you can enroll in American Public University’s online programs, including the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. This program offers several benefits, such as free books and no application fees. Additionally, American Public University is test-optional, so entrance exams are not required for admission.

This program prepares you for entry-level work in criminal justice and also readies you for graduate studies in this field. You’ll gain skills and abilities that include the capacity to:

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

Designed by criminal justice professionals, and taught by faculty with real-world experience, this program provides you with practical insights, connecting theories and techniques with applications in criminal justice settings.

This 120-credit curriculum includes both 16-week and accelerated eight-week courses. You’ll complete courses in four main areas:

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

The general education requirement consists of 30 credits of required courses and 45 credits of electives, covering arts, humanities, history, natural sciences, communications, mathematics, and civics.

For general electives, you may choose 45 credits from any undergraduate field of study, provided these courses do not overlap with your major requirements.

You’ll need 27 credits in criminal justice core courses, such as Criminology, Ethics in Criminal Justice, and Constitutional Law. Additional classes include U.S. Law Enforcement, Corrections and Incarceration, and the Criminal Legal Process.

You must also select a concentration area, choosing from options such as:

  • Organizational Law Enforcement Leadership
  • Maritime Law Enforcement
  • Entrepreneurship

Alternatively, you may opt for a general concentration, combining coursework from each of these concentrations.

The program concludes with a three-credit senior seminar in criminal justice, during which you integrate and review your coursework. This seminar includes the creation of an academic paper that demonstrates your understanding of key principles in criminal justice, as well as your mastery of program outcomes.

To apply to American Public University online, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
  • Provide a copy of your diploma or equivalency scores.
  • Submit official transcripts from each college or university attended.

Sam Houston State University

Online Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Sam Houston State offers an online Master of Science in Criminal Justice that allows you to advance your career in policing, law, the court system, or corrections. You’ll also gain knowledge and skills applicable to careers in security and social services, so you’ll have plenty of options career-wise after completing this program.

You’re required to complete 36 credits of coursework to graduate. This usually requires two years of full-time studies or three or more years if you’re studying part-time. During that time, you’ll take required and elective courses that give you intimate insights into this field.

The required courses cover essential aspects of working in criminal justice. For example, you’ll take a class called Critical Analysis of Justice Administration that explores the features of the U.S. criminal justice system. This includes issues and problems that commonly arise in the administration of justice and the societal response to crime.

You’ll also take a class in Organization and Administration in Criminal Justice that informs you of the bureaucracy of criminal justice organizations. You’ll learn how to manage workers in a public agency, examine various philosophies of criminal justice leadership, and explore different models of criminal justice administration as well.

Another interesting required course is Community Theory and the Administration of Justice. This course explores the economic, political, and social aspects of criminal justice and how all of these elements impact various communities. You’ll learn about mental health issues, juvenile justice, and criminal victimization, too.

Other required classes include the following:

  • Research Methods and Quantitative Analysis
  • Emergent Issues in Criminal Justice Leadership
  • Program Evaluation in Criminal Justice
  • Computer/Technology Applications for Criminal Justice -or- The Ethics of Criminal Justice

You’ll complete this degree by taking five graduate-level courses in this field. You have wide latitude in terms of the classes you take, that way you can customize your studies to your educational and career interests.

For example, you can take a specialized course in constitutional issues to learn more about the laws that govern policing practices in the U.S. Alternatively, you might explore multiculturalism issues in criminal justice to get a better understanding of how minority groups experience policing and corrections. You can also take courses in police strategies, social deviance, and organized crime, to name but three.

This program is offered by Sam Houston State’s prestigious College of Criminal Justice, one of the top schools in the nation. You can start the program in either the fall or spring. You have to be admitted first, of course! Application deadlines are August 1st for the fall semester, December 15th for the spring semester, and May 15th for the summer semester.

You must meet the following admissions requirements to be considered for this program:

  • Submit the graduate application for admission linked above, along with a $50 application fee.
  • Have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.
  • Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
  • Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher (or 2.8 or higher over the last 60 credits).
  • Submit official TOEFL scores if English is not your native language.

Is an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice Worth It?

Determining whether an associate’s degree in criminal justice is worth it depends on your personal career goals, financial situation, and the opportunities you seek in the field of criminal justice. Here are some key considerations to help you evaluate the value of this degree:

Benefits of an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice

  • Entry-Level Opportunities: An associate’s degree can qualify you for various entry-level positions in law enforcement, corrections, security, and related fields. Common roles include police officer, correctional officer, probation officer, and private security guard.
  • Cost and Time Efficiency: Compared to a bachelor’s degree, an associate’s degree typically requires less time (around two years) and lower tuition costs. This makes it a more affordable and faster option for starting your career.
  • Foundation for Further Education: If you plan to continue your education later, an associate’s degree can serve as a stepping stone. Many programs allow you to transfer credits to a bachelor’s program, which can shorten the time needed to complete a higher degree.
  • Skill Development: The program provides foundational knowledge in criminal justice, including courses in criminal law, criminology, and law enforcement practices. You’ll also develop critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills that are valuable in the workforce.

Considerations and Potential Drawbacks

  • Limited Advancement Opportunities: While an associate’s degree can open doors to entry-level positions, advancing to higher-level roles or specialized positions often requires a bachelor’s degree or higher. Your career growth may be limited without further education.
  • Salary Expectations: Entry-level positions with an associate’s degree generally offer lower salaries compared to roles that require a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Research the average salaries for positions you are interested in to ensure they align with your financial goals.
  • Job Market Competitiveness: The job market in criminal justice can be competitive. Candidates with higher education levels, additional certifications, or relevant experience may have an edge in securing desirable positions.
  • Regional Variations: The value of an associate’s degree in criminal justice can vary depending on the region and the specific requirements of employers in your area. Some regions may have a higher demand for criminal justice professionals with associate’s degrees, while others may prioritize bachelor’s degrees.

What’s the Difference Between Criminal Justice and Criminology?

Criminal justice primarily concerns the systems and processes involved in detecting, prosecuting, and punishing criminal behavior. It includes the study of law enforcement agencies, court systems, correctional institutions, and policies aimed at maintaining public safety and order.

Key components of criminal justice include the role of police and investigative agencies in preventing and responding to crime, the functioning of courts and the legal process, the management of prisons, probation, parole, and rehabilitation programs for offenders, and the development and implementation of laws, regulations, and policies related to crime control and justice administration.

Graduates in criminal justice often pursue careers as police officers, detectives, correctional officers, probation officers, and roles in federal agencies such as the FBI or DEA. They may also work in legal professions, court administration, or criminal justice policy-making.

Criminology, on the other hand, is the scientific study of crime as a social phenomenon. It explores the causes, consequences, and prevention of criminal behavior from a theoretical and research-based perspective. Criminologists seek to understand why crimes occur and the social and psychological factors that influence criminal behavior.

Key components of criminology include the study of various theories that explain criminal behavior, analysis of crime statistics, patterns, and trends to identify factors that influence crime rates, the study of victims and the impact of crime on individuals and communities, and the use of scientific methods to conduct research on crime and criminal behavior.

Graduates in criminology often pursue careers in research, academia, policy analysis, and consulting. They may work for government agencies, think tanks, non-profits, or international organizations focused on crime prevention and criminal justice reform. Criminologists can also work in criminal profiling and forensic analysis.

Related Reading