Prepare for careers in international affairs, public administration, government, business, law, and nonprofit management.
DEGREE TYPE
Bachelor's Degree
PROGRAM TYPE
Undergraduate
LOCATION
Main Campus - Cape
Bachelor's of Criminal Justice Online
BS
Online
Online
DEGREE TYPE
Bachelor's Degree
PROGRAM TYPE
Undergraduate
LOCATION
COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT
Learn to Fearlessly Move Your Community and Your Career Forward.
Our bachelor's of criminal justice degree online is your direct path to making a real difference in Missouri and beyond. 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. We've designed a program that turns your professional goals into actionable career steps, giving you the skills to solve complex problems and protect communities!
Where Bold Ideas Take Shape
Your criminal justice classes will prepare you for careers that matter. Dig deep into how crime happens, why it happens, and how justice systems work. Our criminal justice programs give you real-world skills that employers want. Drive real change:
- 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 of Criminal Justice Online?
Your Criminal Justice Degree is more than a classroom experience – it's your pathway to meaningful work. Graduates enter careers that protect communities and solve important problems. This degree opens doors to exciting criminal justice jobs in Missouri, throughout the region, and beyond. In your criminal justice classes, learn to investigate complex situations, support people during difficult times, and contribute to justice in your community. After you graduate, Career Services will help you translate your degree into job opportunities, supporting you as you turn your education into a powerful career.
Internship, Employment, and Graduate School Opportunities of Recent Graduates
- Attorney
- State or Federal Agent
- Policy Development
- Victim Advocacy
- Probation and Parole Officer
- State Trooper
- Police Officer
- Sheriff Deputy
- Correctional Officer
Request Info
We'd love to help you learn more about Southeast! Tell us how we can get in touch.
Bachelor's of Criminal Justice Online by the Numbers
-
$58k
Correctional Officers and Bailiffs
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary for a correctional officer or bailiff is $62,180.
-
$77k
Police Officers and Detectives
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary for a police officer or detective is $98,770.
-
$64k
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary for a probation officer or correctional treatment specialist is $64,520.
Online Criminal Justice Curriculum
The online criminal justice degree requires a minimum of 120 credit hours to complete, including the general education requirements and at least 39 senior division hours. Minor required unless noted.
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)
may satisfy elective course requirements within the major without the need for taking additional hours.
- CJ471 Directed Research (3)*
- CJ480 Travel Study (1-6)
- CJ491 Internship (3)*
- 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 a 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)
- CJ250 (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.
Second 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
100% of our Social Work, Criminal Justice, and Sociology students graduate with real-world experience. They don’t just learn theories—they apply them, making a real impact before they even earn their degree.
Criminal Justice Master’s Degree
SEMO offers a Criminal Justice master’s degree and dual credit for current students. You can get both undergraduate and graduate credit for some 500+ level courses, meaning you can graduate your Master's program sooner.
Dr. Kristen N. Sobba, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of the Department of Criminal Justice, Social Work and Sociology
My teaching philosophy encourages mentorship and application of material through the use of real-life scenarios. I believe these two elements are essential for student growth.
View Department Faculty
Get Funding for Your Education
Missouri’s opened the door to a more educated workforce. We want to help you walk through it. If you’re an adult learner and a Missouri resident returning to college, learn about the Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant. It’s a statewide financial aid program that can be used to pursue a certificate, degree or industry-recognized credential in a high need area in Missouri. This major is eligible for the Fast Track grant.
Missouri National Guard Criminal Justice
Your path to a serious career starts here. MONG provides real support for students committed to criminal justice. We bridge academic training with hands-on experience, offering educational benefits that turn your goals into reality. Earn while you learn.
SEMO Blog
Check out our blogs and learn what makes SEMO's Criminal Justice programs stand out! Our expert teachers bring real-world experience to your classes. Read stories about our faculty and discover how they're helping students like you prepare for exciting careers in law enforcement and criminal justice!
Earn Your Degree on Your Schedule.
Do more than dream about the future. Take the first steps to make it all happen.
Getting the Job
Your education is just one piece to launching an extraordinary career. Once you’ve mastered the material, you still have to find the job you want, make the right connections, and sell your knowledge and experience—if all this is giving you anxiety, don’t panic. SEMO’s Career Services office is here to help you with the next step. Our boldly supportive faculty will provide the expertise and support you need, so you’re landing your dream job in no time.
Our alumni work and study at
96% of College of Humanities and Social Sciences graduates are employed or enrolled in grad school within a year.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences 
This degree is housed within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The College prepares students for lifelong careers. We boast programs that train students in problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, organization, and adaptability. Skills employers value, so we prepare you for basically any career field.
Jennifer Rubin
Law Enforcement Academy, 2017, B.A. in Communication Studies, 2018
I'm thrilled to finally be entering the line of work that I care so deeply about. I think the part that excites me most is getting to interact with different aspects of the community and educating people on what police officers do.
Read her Story
Online Learning at SEMO
When it comes to your success, we do whatever it takes. Online learning at SEMO takes the same reputable college courses taught by Southeast faculty and makes them available anytime, anywhere.
Additional Resources
Your Success, Our Priority
Got questions? Our faculty are here to help! Whether you're trying to pick the right major, need career advice, or want to understand more about our programs, we're just an email or call away. No question is too big or small – we're your personal roadmap to success.
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Office Location
Kent Library 305
Mailing Address
One University Plaza, MS 4610
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701