Criminology and Criminal Justice Online Undergraduate Bachelors Degree

Program Description

Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCJ) is an interdisciplinary social science devoted to the study of crime causation and crime control (Criminology) along with the operations of the legal system (Criminal Justice). CCJ’s fully online bachelor’s degree program provides students with a broad base of knowledge about crime, offenders, victims, and the justice system. This includes coverage of criminological theories, research on crime prevention and crime control policy, and current practices in policing, courts, and corrections. Examination of these issues occurs at individual, community, and societal levels. The Criminology and Criminal Justice Online bachelor’s degree provides a comprehensive criminology and criminal justice education that can help you develop a strong foundation and give you the knowledge you’ll need to help create a successful career.

Degree Requirements

To major in Criminology and Criminal Justice, students complete a minimum of 69 CCJ credits. All classes used to satisfy Criminology and Criminal Justice major requirements, whether taken at PSU or elsewhere, must be passed with a grade of "C" (2.00 GPA) or above. Students can transfer up to 20 credits from a regionally accredited college or university toward the Criminology and Criminal Justice major requirements.

Required Courses (48 credit hours)

Students complete all of the following required courses.

• CCJ 300 Criminology and Criminal Justice
• CCJ 301 Policing in America
• CCJ 303 Punishment and Corrections
• CCJ 310 American Courts
• CCJ 317 Race, Crime and Criminal Justice
• CCJ 320U Theories of Crime and Justice
• CCJ 330U Crime Control Strategies
• CCJ 340 Crime Analysis
• CCJ 380 Criminal Justice Research
• CCJ 420 Criminal Law and Legal Reasoning
• CCJ 404 Internship (8 credit hours)*

*The CCJ Online, the CCJ 404 internship requirement is satisfied through completing an agency placement in each student’s home community. For CCJ Online students who are unable to complete an agency placement, a fully online course sequence on professional development topics is available as an alternative. 

Elective Courses (24 credit hours)

CCJ Online students choose from the following elective courses.

• CCJ 305 Juvenile Justice Reform
• CCJ 312 Criminal Behavior
• CCJ 335 Understanding Crime Hotspots
• CCJ 336 Applied Crime Mapping
• CCJ 365U Crime and Social Justice
• CCJ 370U Women, Crime and Justice
• CCJ 390U Crimes of the Powerful
• CCJ 399 Mass Shooting in America
• CCJ 399 Crime and the Media
• CCJ 399 American Jails
• CCJ 410 Defense, Prosecution and Justice
• CCJ 435 Crime, Grime, and Fear

University Bachelor’s Degree Requirements

A PSU bachelor’s degree requires a minimum total of 180 credit hours. Of those, 62 must be upper-division. Almost all universities have general education requirements. At PSU, these are known as University Studies and include a 12-credit Upper Division Cluster and a six-credit Senior Capstone. By special arrangement, courses satisfying these requirements are available fully online exclusively for CCJ Online students and are offered at CCJ Online’s special tuition rate.

Additional PSU general education requirements are completed at regular in-state/out-of-state tuition rates and differ depending on whether students choose to pursue a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. CCJ Online students are provided specialized, personal advising on how to complete any remaining general education requirements fully online.

Course Calendar & Descriptions

Criminology and Criminal Justice Online is a year-round program, meaning that students need to take some courses in the summer in order to complete their bachelor's degree. The schedule for all courses is released at least one year in advance to help students plan for upcoming terms. 

Criminology and Criminal Justice Online courses cannot be found in PSU’s Schedule of Classes. Registration for CCJ Online courses takes place through a separate, customized process. Schedules and registration information is provided directly to CCJ’s Online students each term, along with individual advising to assist with selecting courses. Criminology and Criminal Justice Online makes space for each of its students to register for any course offered by the program. This means that online program students don’t have to worry about losing the opportunity to register for a Criminology and Criminal Justice Online course because it’s already full.

Visit Criminology and Criminal Justice Online course page for course descriptions and upcoming course calendar.

Transfer Credits

For the Criminology and Criminal Justice bachelor’s degree, students may satisfy up to 20 credits with transfer course substitutions. All credits need to be college-level with a passing grade. 

CCJ has pre-approved a set of community college courses that automatically substitute for specific Criminology and Criminal Justice courses at PSU. Find the pre‐approved Oregon and Washington community college substitution courses.

CCJ Online Tuition & Admission Requirements

While Criminology and Criminal Justice Online offers the same bachelor's degree as the Criminology and Criminal Justice campus-based program, there are important differences in terms of program admission steps, course tuition, advising, and course pacing. Complete information is available on the Criminology and Criminal Justice Online Pathway page.  

Get Started & Getting Help

Incoming and new students are provided advising and support by CCJ Online's Enrollment Advisor Chelsey Huff. Chelsey works with prospective students exploring the CCJ Online program options, incoming CCJ Online students who have started the PSU application process, and new CCJ Online students getting ready for their first term.  Chelsey can answer a wide variety of questions about admissions requirements, transfer credits, financial aid, CCJ course content, career opportunities, PSU resources, and more.  Contact the CCJ Online Enrollment Advisor at CCJO@pdx.edu or complete our information request form.

For current CCJ Online students, CCJ Online Academic Advisor is Angela Barrett.  Angela is CCJ’s resident expert on successfully guiding students through PSU and CCJ’s fully online programs. Angela is a former PSU student herself and has been working with CCJ’s Online students for over a decade. Angela can be reached at abarrett@pdx.edu and (503) 725-5131.

Important advising and helpful university information are available at the Criminology and Criminal Justice Online Advising Center.