Located a stone's throw from the FBI, CIA, and NSA—and the major metropolitan areas of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland—University of Maryland Global Campus is home to industry leaders who protect cities and the nation from some of our greatest threats. UMGC's Bachelor of Science in criminal justice can help provide you with an understanding of the nature of crime and the personnel, institutions, and processes that prevent and respond to crime.
These requirements are for students who enroll in the 2020–2021 academic year. Read this year's program catalog to see our recommended course sequence for this program. For prior year academic requirements, visit our catalog archive.
This program is also available as a minor.
About the Criminal Justice Bachelor's Degree
What You'll Learn
Through your coursework, you will learn how to
- Apply critical-thinking skills and logic to analyze and solve a variety of complex problems in the criminal justice environment
- Manage and evaluate organizational efforts to ensure effective cooperation with stakeholders to prevent, control, and manage crime to ensure public safety
- Use an ethical framework and an understanding of legal constraints to make decisions as a criminal justice professional
- Develop specialized technical knowledge and skills relevant to subspecialties in the field of criminal justice to ensure public safety
- Use interpersonal and leadership skills to work both independently and cooperatively as a member of a criminal justice team
Coursework Examples
In past projects, students have had the opportunity to
- Design a security plan for a public service in the community
- Compose a search and seizure application and supporting affidavit
- Critique an analytic report of criminal intelligence
Criminal Justice Bachelor's Degree Requirements
Our curriculum is designed with input from employers, industry experts, and scholars. You'll learn theories combined with real-world applications and practical skills you can apply on the job right away.
Courses in the Major
Total Credits Required: 120
- Required Major Courses: 33
- Minor and Elective Courses: 46
- General Education Courses: 41
Required Major Courses
- CCJS 100 or CCJS 105
- CCJS 340
- CCJS 497
- CCJS 345
- CCJS 350 or any upper-level CCJS course
- CCJS 230
- CCJS 360 or any upper-level CCJS course
- CCJS 380
- CCJS 341
- CCJS 352 or any upper-level CCJS course
- CCJS 495
Vertical Pathway
Through a vertical pathway, students who complete this program may be eligible to reduce their total coursework for a master’s degree in Management with a Criminal Justice Management specialization.
General Education Requirements
UMGC outlines the options available to fulfill the 41 credits of general education coursework for bachelor's degrees on the General Education Requirements webpage.
In addition to the major, elective, and general education courses and requirements outlined on this page, please review the overall bachelor's degree requirements.
Career Preparation
This program is designed to help prepare you to move into a command position in law enforcement or meet the degree requirement for federal law enforcement. The content of the degree program is applicable to positions in the public and private sectors. Graduates may find positions throughout the criminal justice system.

In this time where the Army is changing, getting an education will help you get promoted and increase your ability to be a critical and adaptive thinker and an exceptional leader.
Matthew Senna
Active-Duty Servicemember, Sergeant First Class, Army
Criminal Justice Bachelor's Degree

Public safety degrees work very well for people who have been working in the field and need that academic credential.
Susan Blankenship, DM
Program Chair, Investigative Forensics, Public Safety Administration, and Homeland Security, and Collegiate Professor
Student Clubs and Organizations
Type: Honor society
Available To: Undergraduate
Pi Gamma Mu is the international honor society that recognizes outstanding scholarship in the social sciences at UMGC. Students interested in anthropology, criminal justice, economics, gerontology, history, political science, social psychology, sociology, and women's studies may qualify for membership. The society recently named UMGC's Maryland Theta chapter to its Roll of Distinction, the highest honor that the society grants. Winner of the 2020 UMGC Student Organization Awards Best in Show Activities and Events Award!
Type: Student organization
Available To: Undergraduate and Graduate
The Public Safety Student Association encourages discussions on careers, current events, and topics within the public safety field. Previous activities have included webinars on related topics and careers.
About the Faculty
Our world-class faculty members combine academic credentials with a wealth of experience in the field.
Faculty members in this program hold or have recently held positions including
- County judge
- Deputy police chief
- Digital forensics technician
- State prosecutor
Our faculty work or have worked at organizations including
- Anne Arundel County Police
- Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office
- District Court of Maryland
- FBI
Featured Faculty

Susan Blankenship
Program Chair, Investigative Forensics, Public Safety Administration, and Homeland Security, and Collegiate Professor