Bachelor of Science (B.S.C.J.) Major in Criminal Justice Online

Advance your career in criminal justice with a degree that prepares you for leadership roles, federal opportunities and a deeper understanding of the justice system beyond academy training.

Apply by: 8/5/26
Start class: 8/19/26
Apply Now

Program Overview

Build real-world expertise by earning a criminal justice degree online

Build a solid understanding of the justice system with the Bachelor of Science (B.S.C.J.) Major in Criminal Justice from Texas State University. You will gain skills for roles in policing, courts, corrections, corporate and private security, and related fields. Learn from nationally respected scholars as you study in the Texas State School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, home to the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center (ALERRT), the Texas Crime and Justice Center, the Center for Geospatial Intelligence and Investigation, and the Texas School Safety Center.

Develop essential written and verbal skills as you learn to interpret crime data, examine laws, analyze policies, explore forensic evidence, and use ethical reasoning to make informed decisions. You can also complete internships and network with alumni and peers in the industry.

As a student in this online B.S. in Criminal Justice program, you will learn how to:

  • Analyze, interpret, and apply criminal justice principles
  • Identify best practices across policing, courts, and corrections
  • Evaluate criminal justice policies and data
  • Make ethical, evidence-based decisions that support effective, equitable, and professional practice across diverse criminal justice settings
  • Understand how different parts of the criminal justice system work together to address complex public safety challenges
As a student in this online B.S. in Criminal Justice program, you will learn how to:
  • Analyze, interpret, and apply criminal justice principles
  • Identify best practices across policing, courts, and corrections
  • Evaluate criminal justice policies and data
  • Make ethical, evidence-based decisions that support effective, equitable, and professional practice across diverse criminal justice settings
  • Understand how different parts of the criminal justice system work together to address complex public safety challenges

Also available:

We offer a variety of student-centered online degrees that can help you advance. Explore other undergraduate programs.

Per credit hour $405*
Transfer Credits Up to 90**
Credit Hours 120
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Tuition

Learn more about the online program costs

Tuition for the online bachelor’s degree program in criminal justice is affordable and paid by the course, so you can achieve your academic goals while remaining within your budget.

View full tuition

Program Per Credit Hour Per Course
B.S. Criminal Justice $405* $1,216

*Students in Accelerated Online Programs are not eligible for payment plans or emergency loans. Tuition and fees are subject to change by legislative or Board of Regents action; changes become effective on the date of enactment. BookSmart fees are automatically added each semester but are not included in program costs; students may opt out by the start of each term. Registrations after the tuition deadline require full payment at registration. Cost of Attendance details are available through TXST One Stop.

Tuition breakdown

Per course $1,216
Per Credit Hour $405*

Transfer your credits for lower tuition

Use our Tuition Estimator to see how affordable your degree could be. Slide the notch to the number of credits you've already earned—which may qualify for transfer credit—to get an estimate of what your degree might cost.

**Texas State will apply to an undergraduate degree up to 72 semester credit hours from an accredited junior or community college. Students transferring more than 72 hours must consult with their academic advisor to determine how degree requirements will be satisfied.


0
90
Transfer Credits: 0
Your Estimated Tuition: $Your Estimated Tuition:
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Transcripts sent from other colleges and universities will be evaluated, and accepted credits will be added to the student's Texas State record. The Tuition Estimator is not a guarantee or predictor of the number of credit hours that will be accepted.

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Calendar

Mark your calendar with these key program dates

The Texas State B.S. in Criminal Justice program is delivered in a convenient online learning format that offers maximum flexibility for working adults like you. Choose the start date that fits your goals.

View Full Calendar +

TermStart DateApp DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlineTuition DeadlineClass End DateTerm Length
Fall 1 20268/19/268/5/268/12/268/19/268/13/2610/7/268 weeks
Fall 2 202610/8/269/24/2610/1/2610/8/2610/1/2612/10/268 weeks

Now Enrolling

Apply by 8/5/26
Start Class 8/19/26

Admissions

Complete these steps to begin the online criminal justice degree program

Apply to the B.S. in Criminal Justice online program quickly and easily with our streamlined admission process. Review the admission requirements below and take the next step toward your professional goals.

View all admission requirements

To be eligible to earn your B.S. in Criminal Justice online from Texas State University, you must:

  • Submit a completed application and all supporting documents—including official transcripts from your high school and any postsecondary institutions attended—to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by the stated document deadline
  • Pay the nonrefundable application fee of $75 ($90 for international students*)
  • Be eligible to re-enter all colleges and/or universities previously attended

High school graduates who plan to attend Texas State the semester after high school graduation (not including summer sessions), regardless of how many dual credit or transferable college credits earned, are considered an entering freshman.

Freshmen must do the following to qualify for admission to Texas State University:

  • Receive a diploma from an accredited high school
    • We recommend students complete the following curriculum:
      • 4 credits of English, 4 credits of mathematics, 4 credits of science, 3 credits of social studies and 2 credits of a language other than English
  • ACT and SAT test scores are not required for applicants ranked in the top 75% of their graduating class
  • Applicants who do not meet assured admission, or do not submit test scores, will be reviewed holistically. All students ranked in the fourth quartile of their class must submit scores that meet assured admission standards for admission
  • Submit your high school transcripts by mail or via Parchment, Naviance, National Student Clearinghouse

Transfer students must meet these requirements:

  • 14 or fewer credit hours: minimum 2.0 GPA in all transferable course work plus meet freshman admission standards
  • 15-29 credit hours: minimum 2.5 GPA in all transferable course work
  • 30 or more credit hours: minimum 2.25 GPA in all transferable course work
  • Be at least one full semester out of high school and eligible to return to all postsecondary institutions previously attended

For applicants without a U.S. bachelor’s degree or high school diploma (or equivalent)**:
You must submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum program requirements.

  • Official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 78 overall and minimum individual module scores of
    • 19 listening
    • 19 reading
    • 19 speaking
    • 18 writing
  • Official PTE scores required with a 52 overall
  • Official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and minimum individual module scores of 6.0
  • Official Duolingo scores required with a 110 overall
  • Official TOEFL Essentials scores required with an 8.5 overall

**Exemption: Applicants who have earned a high school diploma, bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a country on our exempt countries list are not required to submit an English proficiency exam score.

Transcripts may be sent electronically to [email protected] or mailed to:

TXST One Stop
Texas State University – Undergraduate Admissions
601 University Dr.
San Marcos, TX 78666

*Texas State defines an on-campus international student as anyone with a nonimmigrant visa status, including H-1B visa holders, or those seeking a visa to enroll. If you are not a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, you will be classified as an international applicant.

An online international student is someone who holds citizenship in another country, is not a U.S. permanent resident, and resides outside the U.S. while enrolling in an online program.

Students who are not on a visa but are graduating from a Texas high school after three years in residence are considered domestic applicants.

If you are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, you are considered a domestic applicant.

Admission Requirements

  • High school diploma
  • Online application
  • Official transcripts from all institutions

Courses

Take a closer look at the course work for the criminal justice degree program online

To graduate from the B.S. in Criminal Justice from Texas State, you must complete a total of 120 credit hours, including 42 credit hours of general education courses, 27 credit hours of core courses, six credit hours of directed elective courses, and 27 credit hours as electives.

Expand All

Students must take 42 credit hours of general education courses to meet the degree plan requirements.

Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
History and philosophy of criminal justice: ethical considerations, crime defined, overview of criminal justice system, law enforcement, court system, prosecution and defense, trial process, and corrections.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Police profession: organization of law enforcement systems, the police role, police discretion, ethics, police-community interaction, and current and future issues. Prerequisite: CJ 1310 with a grade of "D" or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Judiciary in the criminal justice system: structure of American court system, prosecution, right to counsel, pre-trial release, grand juries, adjudication process, types and rules of evidence, and sentencing. Prerequisite: CJ 1310 with a grade of "D" or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Corrections in the criminal justice system: organization of correctional systems, correctional role, institutional operations, alternatives to institutionalization, treatment and rehabilitation, and current and future issues. Prerequisite: CJ 1310 with a grade of "D" or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A study of the nature of criminal law: philosophy and historical developments, major definitions and concepts, classification of crime, elements of crimes and penalties using Texas Statutes as illustrations, and justifications of and defenses to criminal responsibility.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course covers the analysis of criminal justice research, survey methods, and the utilization of research in criminal justice. (WI) Prerequisite: CJ 1310 and [CJ 3347 or PSY 2301 or SOCI 3307] all with grades of "D" or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on the theory and application of statistical inferential techniques and correlation and regression for behavioral science data and its applications in Criminal Justice. Emphasis is placed on the collection, analysis, and interpretation of statistical data in criminal justice settings. Prerequisites: CJ 1310 with a grade of "D" or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is a study of contemporary problems in the administration, management, organization and operation of criminal justice agencies. (Capstone Course). (WI) Prerequisite: CJ 2310 and CJ 2350 and CJ 2355 and CJ 2360 all with grades of "D" or better. Corequisite: CJ 3346 with a grade of "D" or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines the causes of crime, crime victimization and competing explanations for crime and the impact of crime on crime victims. The course draws on perspectives advanced by a number of diverse fields of inquiry, for example, biology, psychology, sociology, and the political and economic sciences. (WI) Prerequisite: CJ 1310 with a grade of "D" or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A survey of the major principles derived from research on human and animal behavior. Topics studied include learning, thinking, motivation, emotion, personality, the senses, perception, and the form and functions of the nervous system. PSY 1300 with a grade of "C" or better is required for most other Psychology courses.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A survey of the basic concepts in sociology including social organization, culture, socialization, groups, and human population leading to the development of a sociological perspective of human behavior. SOCI 1310 and SOCI 3300 may not both be counted for credit. (MULT).
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A study of the juvenile justice process to include both the specialized juvenile law and the role of the courts, police and corrections in juvenile justice. Prerequisite: CJ 1310 with a grade of "D" or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Investigator’s role in collecting, preparing and presenting evidence in criminal trials. Special attention will be given to electronic evidence in addition to traditional physical evidence. Prerequisites: CJ 2350 and CJ 2360 both with grades of "D" or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course offers an introduction to street gangs and crime in the United States. Topics covered include the definition of gangs, gang members and gang activity, the history and development of gangs, the structure of gangs and gang members, the nature of gang activity, theoretical explanations of gangs, and the criminal justice system's response to gangs.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course explores the nature of public knowledge of social problems and their solutions related to crime and justice, and the media's role in facilitating those outcomes. Using an interdisciplinary scholarship drawn from a wide range of empirical and theoretical perspectives, the course addresses the relationship between crime, media, and public opinion in an ever evolving media landscape. The course challenges students to think critically and to consider innovative ways to improve the intersection between crime, the media and criminal justice policy.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course explores women’s involvement in three primary areas of criminal justice - as victims, criminals and practitioners employed in criminal justice agencies. Topics covered include the impact of sex and gender on criminological theory, sentencing, prison subcultures, victimization and career choices. (MULT) (WI) Prerequisite: CJ 1310 with a grade of "D" or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course covers the phenomenon of serial murder and the police investigative response. Theories, concepts, and law enforcement analytic methods are covered in detail. Emphasis is placed on understanding the reality versus the myth of serial murder, serial killers, and criminal profiling.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines the contemporary controversies that surround the death penalty, including its administration, modes of execution, disparities in application, deterrent effect, related social/economic costs, impact on international relations, and the potential for miscarriages of justice. The history of the death penalty, including Supreme Court developments, are also reviewed. Prerequisite: CJ 2350 and CJ 2360 both with grade of “D” or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
An in-depth study of recent developments in criminal law and procedure. Their effects upon the criminal justice agency official in society will be given special attention. Includes specific case studies with emphasis on analyzing factual situations and legal issues. (WI) Prerequisite: CJ 2310 with a grade of "D" or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A survey of the organizational, administrative and philosophical principles of criminal justice systems around the world. (WI) Prerequisite: CJ 2310 or CJ 2355 either with a grade of "D" or better.

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