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
Criminal Justice 90-Hour Degree Online
BS
Online
Online
DEGREE TYPE
Bachelor's Degree
PROGRAM TYPE
Undergraduate
LOCATION
COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT
Earn your criminal justice degree faster, smarter, and more affordably with Missouri’s first 90-hour bachelor’s program at SEMO.
SEMO’s online Criminal Justice bachelor's degree gives you the freedom to earn your degree at a pace that works for you. As Missouri’s first 90-hour bachelor’s degree in the field, this flexible program helps you advance your career faster while keeping costs lower. You’ll learn from experienced faculty who bring real-world law enforcement and criminal justice expertise to every course. Designed for busy students and working professionals, this program combines online flexibility with the high-quality instruction and experiential learning that defines SEMO.
What You'll Do
- Complete your Criminal Justice bachelor's degree online in just 90 credit-hours at SEMO.
- Take online courses in criminal law, policing, corrections, and justice systems.
- Learn from faculty who've worked in law enforcement, corrections, and the courts.
- Build the leadership, ethics, and critical thinking skills that agencies and employers actually look for.
- Apply your knowledge through case studies, virtual simulations, and applied projects.
- Customize your experience and stack credentials, such as the SEMO Law Enforcement Academy certificate.
What can you do with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice?
With a 90-hour degree that fits your schedule, you’ll be prepared to move forward in law enforcement, corrections, or public safety, or take your next step into graduate study. Graduates find careers as police officers, detectives, probation and parole officers, correctional specialists, crime analysts, and more. The program also supports advancement into federal, private security, or administrative roles. And if you’re ready to go further, SEMO’s top-ranked online master’s in Criminal Justice offers a seamless path toward leadership and specialized positions in the field.
Internship, Employment, and Graduate School Opportunities
- 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
- Detective
- Criminal Investigator
- Correctional Officer
- Fraud Investigator
- Wildlife Officer
- Community Corrections Agencies
- Victim Assistance Projects
- Substance Abuse Counseling
- Private Security Firms
Request Info
We'd love to help you learn more about SEMO! Tell us how we can get in touch.
Bachelor's of Criminal Justice Online by the Numbers
-
$62k
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.
What You'll Study
With the 90-hour criminal justice degree, you'll get your diploma in less time. A minimum of 90 hours, completion of the General Education program, and completion of 39 senior division hours (300-599) is required for this degree.
48 Hour Major
Required Courses:
- 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 (Select 21 hours from the following):
- 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 & Criminal Justice Policy (3)
- CJ540 Professional Standards (3)
- CJ541 The Death Penalty in America (3)
- SO444 Deviant Social Behavior (3)
- UI300 Drugs & Behavior (3)
- UI309 Crime & Human Behavior (3)
Experiential Learning (A minimum of 3 hours in any of the following):
Experiential Learning hours may also satisfy elective course requirements within the major without the need for taking additional hours
- 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 the degree.
**Students who demonstrate successful completion of a state-certified law enforcement 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
- 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 (15 hours)
- UI100 (1)
- EN100 (3)
- CJ100 (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (2)
Spring Semester (15 hours)
- CJ250 (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
Second Year
Fall Semester (15 hours)
- CJ240 (3)
- SO305 (3)
- CJ321 (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
Spring Semester (15 hours)
- CJ370 (3)
- SO360 (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
Third Year
Fall Semester (15 hours)
- General Education (3)
- CJ425 (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
Spring Semester (15 hours)
- CJ499 (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
- CJ Elective (3)
Milestone for each year is a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average. A minimum 2.0 GPA in the major and overall is required to graduate with a B.S. degree.
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's Criminal Justice master's degree is a natural next step, and you can start building toward it as an undergrad. Some 500-level courses earn both undergraduate and graduate credit, so you enter the master's program ahead of schedule.
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.
NFOPU Consortium
FOP members get a 10% tuition discount at SEMO through our NFOPU Consortium partnership. This credit is applied to programs built specifically for law enforcement and public service careers.
Missouri National Guard Criminal Justice
Missouri National Guard members can stack military service with a criminal justice degree, and SEMO makes that path straightforward. Educational benefits apply, and your service experience counts. Show up to class and to duty. Graduate ready for both.
SEMO Blog
Our faculty don't just teach criminal justice, they've lived it. Read how SEMO is addressing the skills gap in law enforcement and what that means for your career.
Partnerships
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.
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
Questions about the program, your career path, or next steps? Our faculty are an email or call away. Reach out, and we'll give you a straight answer.
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DEGREE TYPE
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LOCATION
Main Campus - Cape
COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT
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DEGREE TYPE
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Office Location
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Mailing Address
One University Plaza, MS 4610
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701