Criminal Justice Program
DEGREE TYPE
Bachelor's Degree
PROGRAM TYPE
Undergraduate
COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT
Learn to move your community and your career forward here.
SEMO's criminal justice program in Missouri prepares you to contribute towards pressing social issues in crime prevention, protection, and rehabilitation. You can even earn your Law Enforcement Certificate to graduate with both your Bachelor's Degree and Class A Missouri Peace Officer License to become a full-time sworn law enforcement officer. With this degree, fearlessly advance your career and make a real difference in your community!
Learn by Leading in the Criminal Justice Program
As a criminal justice major at SEMO, your classes prepare you for real-world careers protecting communities and solving complex problems. Whether you're aiming for jobs in criminal justice or considering advanced studies, dig deep into how crime happens, why it happens, and how justice systems work. Potential career paths include criminal justice jobs across Missouri and beyond. Learn to:
- Sharpen your communication to explain tough situations clearly
- Develop critical thinking that helps you solve real-world challenges
- Gain hands-on experience through internships that connect classroom learning to actual work
- Understand the ins and outs of criminal justice systems from people who've lived and breathed this work
This isn't just about getting a degree. It's about becoming someone who makes a real difference in keeping communities safe and solving problems that matter.
What Can You Do with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice?
Your criminal justice degree is more than a classroom experience – it's your pathway to meaningful work. Criminal Justice Program graduates enter careers that protect communities and solve important problems. From local law enforcement to federal opportunities like FBI careers, this degree gives you real skills for real-world challenges.
As a criminal justice major you'll learn through your classes how to investigate complex situations, support people during difficult times, and contribute to justice in your community. Our program connects classroom learning with professional opportunities, preparing you to start a career that matters. Career Services will help you translate your degree into job opportunities, supporting you as you turn your education into a powerful career in criminal justice degree.
Internship, Employment, and Graduate School Opportunities for Criminal Justice Program Graduates
- US Marshals Service
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- US Secret Service
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
- Graduate schools at prestigious universities
- Law School at Southern Illinois University
- Graduate schools at local universities
- State Trooper/Missouri Highway Patrol
- State & Federal Probation and Parole
- Sheriff Deputy
- Cape Girardeau Police Department Police Officer
- Dectective
- Criminal Investigator
- Correction Officer
- Fraud Investigator
- Wildlife Officer
- Community Corrections Agencies
- Victim Assistance Projects
- Substance Abuse Counseling
- Private Security Firms
Request Info
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Criminal Justice Program Careers & Outcomes
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$79k
Police and Detective
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for police and detectives is $79,320.
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$71k
Probation Officer
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists is $71,530.
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$86k
Court Reporter
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for a court reporter is $86,220.
Criminal Justice Program Curriculum
The criminal justice major curriculum includes core coursework to prepare you for a career in criminal justice. Complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to complete this degree, including the general education requirements and at least 39 senior division hours.
48 hour major – No minor required
Required Courses – 27 hours:
- CJ100 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3)
- CJ240 Principles of Law Enforcement (3)
- CJ250 Corrections (3)
- CJ321 Criminal Law (3)
- CJ370 Juvenile Justice (3)
- CJ425 Planning and Research in Criminal Justice (3)
- CJ499 Senior Seminar (3)
- SO305 Convergences of Crime (3)
- SO360 Criminology (3)
Electives - 21 hours, to include 3 hours of experiential learning:
- CJ303 Correctional Institutions (3)
- CJ330 Criminal Investigations (3)
- CJ350 Criminalistics (3)
- CJ365 Community-Based Corrections (3)
- CJ375 Victimology (3)
- CJ400 Crisis Management (3)
- CJ410 Police Administration (3)
- CJ422 Criminal Procedures (3)
- CJ435 Special Topics (3)
- CJ440 Offender Rehabilitation (3)
- CJ471 Directed Research (3)*
- CJ480 Travel Study (1-6)
- CJ491 Internship in Criminal Justice (3)*
- CJ495 Law Enforcement Professional Practice (18)**
- CJ505 Social Inequalities (3)
- CJ510 Comparative Criminal Justice Systems (3)
- CJ519 Restorative Justice (3)
- CJ520 Law and Social Control (3)
- CJ522 Critical Analysis of Gangs in America (3)
- CJ525 Crime and Criminal Justice Policy (3)
- CJ540 Professional Standards (3)
- CJ541 The Death Penalty in America (3)
- SO444 Deviant Social Behavior (3)
- UI300 Drugs and Behavior (3)
- UI309 Crime and Human Behavior (3)
- CJ471 Directed Research (3)*
- CJ491 Internship (3)*
- CJ480 Travel Study (1-6)
- CJ495 Law Enforcement Professional Practice (18)**
- Any university course earned through CPL (Credit for Prior Learning)
*No more than 3 credits of Directed Research (CJ471) and no more than 6 credits of Internship (CJ491) may be counted toward degree.**Students who demonstrate successful completion of a state-certified Police Academy at a Missouri Basic Law Enforcement Training Center and pass the Missouri Peace Officer License Exam (MPOLE); an out of state, federal, or military Basic Police School and Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) exam; or, equivalent will earn 18 credits in CJ 495 toward their Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
Some requirements may be fulfilled by coursework in major program.
- Social and Behavioral Sciences – 6 hours
- Constitution Requirement – 3 hours
- Written Communication – 6 hours
- Oral Communication – 3 hours
- Natural Sciences – 7 hours (from two disciplines, one to include a lab)
- Mathematics – 3 hours
- Humanities & Fine Arts – 9 hours (from at least two disciplines)
- Additional requirements – 5 hours (to include UI100 for native students)
- Civics examination
First Year
Fall Semester (16 Hours)
- UI100 (1)
- EN100 (3)
- CJ100 (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
Spring Semester (15 Hours)
- CJ240 (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
Milestone: 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
Second Year
Fall Semester (15 Hours)
- CJ115 (3)
- CJ321(3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
Spring Semester (15 Hours)
- SO305 (3)
- SO360 (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
Milestone: 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
Third Year
Fall Semester (15 Hours)
- CJ370 (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
- Elective (3)
- Elective (3)
Spring Semester (15 Hours)
- CJ425 (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
- Elective (3)
- Elective (3)
Milestone: 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
Fourth Year
Fall Semester (14 Hours)
- CJ Elective (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
- Elective (3)
- Elective (3)
- Elective (2)
Spring Semester (15 Hours)
- CJ499 (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
- Elective (3)
- Elective (3)
- Elective (3)
Milestone: 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
Our course descriptions can be found on the Courses Page. This page lists all courses including criminal justice courses with their details to help you plan your studies.
The Criminal Justice Department offers courses on a two-year rotating schedule. To see when each course is available (spring, fall, first 8 weeks, second 8 weeks, or online), please check the Criminal Justice Course Rotation. This will help you plan when to take your classes.
What will it cost?
Experiential Learning
Criminal Justice Master’s Degree
Get Funding for Your Education
NFOPU Consortium
Missouri National Guard Criminal Justice
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Mailing Location
Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701