Achieve Real-World Results with our Online Bachelor's in Criminal Justice
Gain knowledge of current topics in the field with courses that cover criminal law, corrections, policing, emergency management, homeland security, terrorism, hate crime, criminal profiling, victimology and violence with UMass Lowell's online Bachelor's in Criminal Justice.
Career Outlook
Occupations
- Bailiff
- Border Patrol Agent
- Correctional Officer
- Court Clerk
- Criminologist
- Detective and Criminal Investigator
- Emergency Management Director
- Federal Agent
- Paralegal
- Police Officer
- Private Security Officer
- Probation Officer
- Public Safety Telecommunicator
- Social Worker
- Transit and Railroad Police
- Victim's Advocate
"Employment of police and detectives is projected to grow 7% from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all occupations."
Key Takeaways
- Understand current issues in the criminal justice system
- Apply theory and research to real-world problems
- Develop an understanding of ethical decision making and diversity awareness
- Gain computer skills related to research methods, criminal justice statistics, crime mapping and data analysis
- Apply knowledge and critical thinking skills to positions in the criminal justice field and graduate education studies
Massachusetts Police Career Incentive Pay Program
Our bachelor's in Criminal Justice is Quinn Bill-certified by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. Providing educational incentives through salary increases for regular full-time police officers in participating cities and towns throughout the state, the Quinn Bill ensures that officers who graduate from eligible institutions and programs qualify for incentive pay.
Visit the Police Career Incentive Pay Program website to learn more.



One Success Leads to Another
Apply credits from lower credentials to higher ones. Our programs are designed to build upon themselves:
As a student in the Bachelor's program, you may increase your credentials upon graduation by completing a Criminal Justice certificate to fulfill elective credits. You may also choose to save money and advance your studies at an accelerated pace by taking advantage of our Bachelor's-to-Master's program
Curriculum Outline
- Minimum Credits: 120
- View Course Descriptions »
Note: A 2.2 cumulative average overall and a 2.5 average in the major are necessary for graduation. CJ Majors need a minimum of 36 CJ credits and cannot exceed 60 CJ credits.
University Core Curriculum Requirements (12 Courses / 36-38cr)
UMass Lowell's Breadth of Knowledge required courses are designed to provide students with a foundation that prepares them for continued work within their major and minor fields, as well as endowing them with intellectual habits that will enable them to become lifelong learners. For a list of approved Breadth of Knowledge courses, visit UMass Lowell's core curriculum website.- ENGL.1010 College Writing I (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- ENGL.1020 College Writing II (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- ----.---- Social Sciences Course (SS) - 3cr.
- ----.---- Social Sciences Course (SS) - 3cr.
- ----.---- Social Sciences Course (SS) - 3cr.
- ----.---- Arts & Humanities Course (AH) - 3cr.
- ----.---- Arts & Humanities Course (AH) - 3cr.
- ----.---- Arts & Humanities Course (AH) - 3cr.
- MATH.2830 Introduction to Statistics (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- ----.---- Science with Lab - 3cr. + 1cr.
- ----.---- Science with Lab - 3cr. + 1cr.
- ----.---- STEM Perspective Course
Required Criminal Justice Core (7 Courses / 21cr)
- CRIM.1010 The Criminal Justice System (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.1410 Introduction to Policing (3cr)
- CRIM.1510 Introduction to Corrections (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.2010 Systemic Issues in Criminal Justice (3cr)
- CRIM.2210 Criminology (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.2340 Criminal Law (3cr)
- CRIM.4890 Capstone Seminar in Criminology & Criminal Justice (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
General Criminal Justice Concentration Electives (5 Courses / 15cr)
Students must complete the Required Criminal Justice Courses listed previously, plus the following five Criminal Justice electives. Three of these Criminal Justice electives must be at the .3000 or .4000 course level. For a list of available Criminal Justice courses, search for courses by "CRIM."
- CRIM.---- Criminal Justice Elective - 3cr.
- CRIM.---- Criminal Justice Elective - 3cr.
- CRIM.3xxx/4xxx Criminal Justice Elective - 3cr.
- CRIM.3xxx/4xxx Criminal Justice Elective - 3cr.
- CRIM.3xxx/4xxx Criminal Justice Elective - 3cr.
Research Skills Required Courses (4 Courses / 12cr)
- CRIM.3900 Criminal Justice Research Methods (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.3950 Statistics in Criminal Justice (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.3980 Criminal Justice Data Analysis (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.3970 Crime Mapping (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
Criminal Justice / Social Science Electives or Minor Area of Study - (6 Courses / 18cr)
Students may either select six additional courses in Criminal Justice (CRIM.----) & Social Sciences (courses with prefixes LGST.----, POLI.----, PSYC.----, SOCI.---- and ECON.----) OR students may choose to pursue a minor in Business, Economics, English, History, Political Science and Psychology. Please speak with your program advisor for additional information.
Please note: there are special requirements for minors.
- ----.---- CJ/SS Elective Course or Minor Course (3cr)
- ----.---- CJ/SS Elective Course or Minor Course (3cr)
- ----.---- CJ Elective .3/4000 Course or Minor Course (3cr)
- ----.---- CJ Elective .3/4000 Course or Minor Course (3cr)
- ----.3/4--- SS Elective .3/4000 Course or Minor .3/4000 Course (3cr)
- ----.3/4--- SS Elective .3/4000 Course or Minor .3/4000 Course (3cr)
Free Electives - (6 Courses / 18cr)
Students must select six free elective courses for their remaining credits to achieve the total 120 credits required by the University for a bachelor's degree.- ----.---- Free Elective (3cr)
- ----.---- Free Elective (3cr)
- ----.---- Free Elective (3cr)
- ----.---- Free Elective (3cr)
- ----.---- Free Elective (3cr)
- ----.---- Free Elective (3cr)
A Sampling of Criminal Justice Elective Courses for Reference
- CRIM.1150 Introduction to Homeland Security (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.2030 Technology and the Criminal Justice System (3cr)
- CRIM.2130 Emergency Management (3cr)
- CRIM.2430 Criminalistics I (3cr)
- CRIM.2440 Criminalistics II (3cr)
- CRIM.2480 Terrorism (international and domestic) (3cr)
- CRIM.2610 Juvenile Delinquency (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.3120 Security Management (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.3480 Advanced Seminar on Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism (3cr)
- CRIM.3270 Violence in America (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.3410 International Perspectives on Crime and Crime Control (3cr)
- CRIM.3420 Criminal Profiling (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.3470 Police Innovations (3cr)
- CRIM.3260 Hate Crime (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.3510 Community -Based Corrections (3cr)
- CRIM.3600 Gender, Race, and Crime (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.3700 Criminal Justice Management (3cr)
- CRIM.3730 Issues in Police Administration (3cr)
- CRIM.3800 Selected Topics in Criminal Justice (3cr)
- CRIM.3870 Criminal Mind and Behavior (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.3950 Statistics in Criminal Justice (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.3980 Criminal Justice Data Analysis (3cr) - Available Summer 2023!
- CRIM.4010 Substance Abuse and Crime (3cr)
- CRIM.4220 Victimology (3cr)
- CRIM.4770 Intimate Partner Violence (3cr)
- CRIM.4780 Child Maltreatment (3cr)
- CRIM.4900 Criminal Justice Honors Seminar (3cr)
A more comprehensive list of Criminal Justice electives is available on our website (look for courses with the CRIM. course prefix).
Course Descriptions
Prerequisites:
CRIM 1010 or CRIM 2210 Pre-req
Prerequisites:
44.101 pre-req
Prerequisites:
CRIM majors only
Prerequisites:
44.141 pre-req
Prerequisites:
44.151 pre-req, CJ majors only
Prerequisites:
CRIM.1010.
Prerequisites:
CRIM 1010, CRIM 1410 pre-req
Prerequisites:
44.221 and CJ majors pre-req
Prerequisites:
CRIM 1010 or CRIM 2210 Pre-req
Prerequisites:
CJ Junior/Seniors Only
Prerequisites:
CRIM 3900 or PSYC 2690 pre-req
Prerequisites:
CRIM.3950 Pre-req
Prerequisites:
CRIM 1010 or CRIM 2210 Pre-req
Prerequisites:
CRIM 1010 or CRIM 2210 Pre-req
Prerequisites:
Junior or Senior Standing Only
Prerequisites:
CRIM.1010 Criminal Justice System, CRIM.2210 Criminology l, CRIM.3900 CJ Research Methods and Senior-level standing.
Prerequisites:
Junior or Senior Status
Undergraduate Degree Requirements
All bachelor's degree candidates are required to earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA), to present a minimum of 120 semester hours, to fulfill the residency requirements, to conform to the general regulations and requirements of the University, to satisfy the regulations and academic standards of the colleges which exercise jurisdiction over the degrees for which they are matriculating, to satisfy the curriculum requirements established by the departments or programs in their major, and to complete the University's Core Curriculum requirements, which are listed within the program's curriculum outline. For additional information regarding the University's general policies and procedures, transfer credit information and residency requirements; please refer to our Academic Policies & Procedures.
Tuition & Fees
Tuition at UMass Lowell is typically half the cost of private colleges, and our online tuition is among the lowest in the nation. Tuition for online programs offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same whether you live in-state, out-of-state or outside of the U.S.
Summer 2023 Tuition |
Cost Per Credit | Cost Per 3-Credit Course* |
---|---|---|
Undergraduate |
||
Online | $380 | $1,140 |
Online Business** | $385 | $1,155 |
On Campus Lowell | $340 | $1,020 |
On Campus Haverhill | $300 | $900 |
Additional Costs |
|
---|---|
Term Registration Fee | $30 |
Late Fee | $50 |
Undergraduate Degree Application | $60 |
Please note: Tuition and fees are subject to change.
Estimate the cost of this program with our online tuition calculator
Looking for Financial Assistance?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice right for me?
If you enjoy helping others and your community, a B.S. in Criminal Justice may be for you. Additionally, a Criminal Justice degree may be ideal if you work within a law enforcement agency and seek a promotion.
What is the difference between a degree in Criminal Justice and a degree in Criminology?
Criminal Justice is the study of the justice system, which includes laws and agencies such as the police, lawyers, courts, and prisons. By contrast, Criminology is the study of crime and criminals. A degree in Criminal Justice will prepare you to work on the front lines, whereas a degree in Criminology is concerned with profiling and researching illegal activity.
Can I work for the FBI with a degree in Criminal Justice?
If your goal is to work for the FBI, a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice is one of several applicable majors to choose from. FBI agents must earn a minimum of a bachelor's degree, and an educational background in Criminal Justice will improve your critical thinking and communication skills, as well as help you better appreciate the complex role law enforcement plays in our democracy.
Can I complete a Criminal Justice certificate within an online bachelor's degree curriculum?
Graduate, Online & Professional Studies students may simultaneously complete a Criminal Justice undergraduate certificate to fulfill elective credits within the online degree curriculum and increase credentials upon graduation.
Apply
Applying into an Undergraduate Degree Program
Complete the Online Undergraduate Degree Application Form (preferred), or print, complete and submit the Undergraduate Degree Application .pdf form. Please note: Your application will be processed once we have received your $60 application fee. Return your completed application along with your application fee to:
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies
GPS Admissions
839 Merrimack Street
Lowell, MA 01854
Questions? See our helpful Step-by-Step Guide to the Application Process.
Admission Requirements
To be considered for acceptance into a bachelor's degree program offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies, students must hold a high school diploma or have passed either the GED® or HiSET®. Graduate, Online & Professional Studies operates on a rolling admissions basis and each application is reviewed when the student's file is complete. Students must be admitted to a degree or certificate program in order to be eligible for most financial aid.
Questions Regarding Your Undergraduate Application?
Email OCE_Admissions@uml.edu or call 978-934-2474.
For General Assistance:
Call the Advising Center at 978-934-2474 or 800-480-3190. Our academic advisors are here to help!