Criminal Justice Program Overview
Ashland University’s Criminal Justice program is designed by experts in law enforcement, forensic science, law, sociology and more. We communicate regularly with local law enforcement to discover areas that need more focus in the field of criminal justice to make sure you’ll be equipped with the most relevant skills, tools and information to help you succeed.
One of the primary advantages of this program is that it can be completed online or in-person in as few as 60 credits.
Our online Criminal Justice Associate Degree program is ranked in the top 10 online programs by OnlineSchoolsCenter.com.
Learning Experiences
- Our professors have both academic and professional experience in criminal justice, with many connections in the field.
- You will hear from expert speakers, such as judges, coroners, investigators and FBI agents.
- You may attend professional meetings in criminal justice and present your research.
- The Alpha Phi Sigma National criminal justice honor society can connect you with other criminal justice students.
- Our Criminal Justice Club hosts guest speakers in the criminal justice field.
- You can take advantage of a field experience to work in the criminal justice field while earning up to 12 academic credit hours.
- Our program includes the option to attend a police academy, so you can enter the workforce with your degree and police certification.
Already working in a related field?
Ashland University offers several perks you may qualify for:
- Up to 30 credit hours of credit can be awarded for life and work experience through a Prior Learning Assessment Portfolio.
- You may receive transfer credit for previous college courses.
- Veterans who served in the armed forces for at least 36 months after Sept. 10, 2001, have the Federal Yellow Ribbon program available. AU matches funding provided by the Veterans Administration up to a total of $11,000.
- There is a 15 percent tuition discount for members of the Fraternal Order of Police, First Responders and their immediate families.
Curriculum
Learn more about the Associate of Arts with a concentration in Criminal Justice curriculum by viewing the Two-Year Curriculum Guide, Academic Catalog and Course Rotation.
| Course | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| CJ 130 Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 227 Introduction to Corrections | 3 |
| CJ 242 Criminology | 3 |
| CJ 270 Policing in the United States | 3 |
| Electives in Criminal Justice | 12 |
| Concentration Total | 24 |
Credit for Prior Learning
Credit for prior learning allows students to receive up to 30 credit hours for life and work experience through a Prior Learning Assessment Portfolio. You may also receive transfer credit for previous college courses.
Can You Give Me a Glimpse of My Future?
An associate degree in criminal justice provides foundational knowledge of the criminal legal system.
What our students say
“The criminal justice program at AU is such an amazing program. All of the professors I have been taught by and encountered were always extremely helpful and knowledgeable of the field. It helps having professors who have been in the field and have experienced the same things all of us joining the program want to do. Not only are the professors great, but the courses themselves are accurate and descriptive to what happens in the ‘real world’. The courses I took gave me a real understanding of what to expect in my career.”
Rachel Kleman
Correctional Lieutenant for the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, Mansfield, Ohio