Criminal Justice Major: What It Includes, Classes and Careers

A Criminal Justice major studies crime, law enforcement, courts and corrections. Criminal justice majors learn criminology, criminal law, policing, corrections, juvenile justice and ethics.

A Criminal Justice major includes coursework in introduction to criminal justice, criminology, criminal law and procedure, policing, and corrections and more. You build skills such as report writing, knowledge of the law, conflict resolution, and observation. Typical degrees: associate, bachelor's and master's degrees.

Typical courses include introduction to criminal justice, criminology, criminal law and procedure, policing, corrections, and juvenile justice. Exact course names and requirements vary by college, and most degrees also include general education courses.

It depends on the level. Criminal Justice is offered as certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards at U.S. colleges; certificates take from a few months to about two years, an associate degree usually takes about two years of full-time study, a bachelor’s degree usually takes about four years of full-time study, a master’s degree usually takes one to two years after a bachelor’s, and a doctoral or professional degree takes several more years beyond that. Part-time study takes longer.

Associate, bachelor's and master's degrees. In the latest federal data, 574 colleges reported certificate awards, 938 colleges reported associate awards, 1,028 colleges reported bachelor’s awards, 348 colleges reported master’s awards, and 46 colleges reported doctoral awards.

Career paths connected to criminal justice include police officer, detective, correctional officer, probation officer, private investigator, bailiff, and security supervisor. Some roles need additional training, experience, certification or a license.

Examples include police officer (typical training: 6–12 months (academy + field training)), detective (typical training: 3–5 years as a police officer), correctional officer (typical training: 2–4 months (academy)), probation officer (typical training: 4 years plus agency training), private investigator (typical training: 1–3 years of experience), and bailiff (typical training: 1–6 months).

Criminal Justice majors build skills such as report writing, knowledge of the law, conflict resolution, observation, and ethics.

Good pairings include Psychology (helps you understand behavior, crisis and mental health), Spanish (helps you communicate with more of the community), Sociology (explains the social roots of crime), and Cybersecurity (fits cybercrime investigation).

It can be a good fit if you are interested in the work it leads to, such as police officer, detective, and correctional officer, and enjoy subjects like introduction to criminal justice and criminology. No major guarantees a job, so compare the coursework, the careers and the education each career requires before deciding.

How hard it feels depends on your strengths. Core coursework includes introduction to criminal justice, criminology, and criminal law and procedure; if those subjects interest you, the major is likely to feel more manageable. Reviewing a college’s course list and talking to current students helps you judge.

1,860 U.S. colleges reported awarding degrees or certificates in this field in the latest federal (IPEDS) data. Programs can have different names at different schools.

California (159), Texas (111), Pennsylvania (99), North Carolina (97), and New York (96), based on the colleges that reported awards in this field.

1,655 of the colleges that offer criminal justice also report offering at least one program entirely online, though not necessarily this one. Use the college search with this major and “Offers fully online programs”, then confirm with the school.

Criminal Justice studies crime, law enforcement, courts and corrections. Fire Science studies fire behavior, prevention, firefighting and emergency response. Criminal Justice leads to careers such as police officer and detective, while Fire Science leads to careers such as firefighter and fire inspector.

Criminal Justice studies crime, law enforcement, courts and corrections. Emergency Management and Homeland Security prepares you to plan for, respond to and recover from disasters and emergencies. Criminal Justice leads to careers such as police officer and detective, while Emergency Management and Homeland Security leads to careers such as emergency management director and 911 dispatcher.

Yes. Short online career training can help you understand a specific job and build practical knowledge alongside your classes. It does not replace your degree or any required license.

No. Career Education Institute is not a college and does not award degrees. It offers short, non-credit online trainings about jobs connected to criminal justice, such as Police Officer Training.