Program Overview

Introduction to the Criminal Justice Program

The Criminal Justice program at Washington State University (WSU) is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the causes and patterns of criminal behavior, the institutions and individuals that work within the criminal justice system, and the role law plays in prevention and responses to crime. This interdisciplinary pursuit incorporates elements of sociology, psychology, history, and political science.

Program Overview

The WSU Criminal Justice program is available completely online and combines problem-driven research and real-world expertise to prepare students to be leaders in local, state, federal, and private law enforcement. Graduates can use the practical knowledge and advanced critical-thinking skills gained from their criminal justice education in a wide variety of diverse career opportunities, including crime analysis, community corrections, victim advocacy, child protective services, border security, cyber-crime prevention, security/loss prevention, and court administration.

Program Strengths

• WSU’s criminal justice program was founded in 1943 and is the second oldest continuous criminal justice program in the nation.
• In 2014, WSU’s online criminal justice degree was rated number one in the nation by the group “Criminal Justice Degree Online.”
• A degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology is a social science degree that has been used to obtain all kinds of federal, state, and local jobs in the public and private sectors.
• The program is a policy-based curriculum drawing from the social sciences, specifically from the areas of sociology, psychology, and political science.
• Online criminal justice degree faculty members from WSU’s College of Arts and Sciences routinely lend their expertise to a broad range of agencies.
• Many graduates hold top positions in law enforcement organizations and have become top administrators in Corrections and Courts in Washington and across the United States.

Program of Study

University Requirements

All WSU undergraduates must complete a minimum of 120 semester credits, of which 40 credits must be at the 300 – 400 level. Students must also complete the University Common Requirements (UCORE). These can generally be satisfied with a direct transfer degree.

College of Arts and Sciences Graduation Requirements

All students, including community college transfer students with an approved transferable AA degree from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Arizona, or Hawaii, or students pursuing a second major in the College of Arts and Sciences, will be held to the following additional requirements:

• Foreign Language: Complete 2 years of high school or 1 year of college in a single foreign language
• Completion of an Equity and Justice [EQJS] designated course.
• Additional 1 lab credit of [BSCI], [PSCI] for a total of 8 semester credits and 2 labs.

Criminal Justice Core

18 semester credits

• CRM_J 101 [SSCI] – Introduction to the Administration of Criminal Justice
• CRM_J 201 – Introduction to Criminological Theory
• CRM_J 311 – Research Methods for Criminal Justice
• CRM_J 320 – Criminal Law
• CRM_J 321 – Quantitative Methods for Criminal Justice
• CRM_J 480 [CAPS] [M] – Criminal Justice Capstone

Criminal Justice Electives

Choose four courses (12 semester credits)

• CRM_J 205 [EQJS] – Advancing Justice: Addressing Power and Inequity in the Justice System.
• CRM_J 330 – Crime Control Policies
• CRM_J 365 – Juvenile Justice and Corrections
• CRM_J 370 – Policing and Society
• CRM_J 380 – Criminal Courts in America
• CRM_J 385 – Institutional Corrections
• CRM_J 403 [CAPS] – Violence Toward Women
• CRM_J 405 [M] – Comparative Criminal Justice Systems
• CRM_J 420 [M] – Criminal Procedure
• CRM_J 450 [M] – Senior Seminar: Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice
• CRM_J 490 – Criminal Justice Internship

University Writing Requirement

Students must complete the University Writing Portfolio, and two Writing in the Major courses. For online students, the Writing in the Major requirement will be filled with CRM_J 480 and then a second course selected from CRM_J 405, 420, or 450.

Degree Awarded

Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Criminology

Application Deadlines

• Spring: December 5
• Summer: April 20
• Fall: July 24

Class Begins

• Spring: January 12, 2026
• Summer: May 11, 2026
• Fall: August 24, 2026

WSU College

College of Arts and Sciences

Why Major in Criminal Justice?

Criminal justice examines the causes and patterns of criminal behavior, the institutions and individuals that work within the criminal justice system, and the role law plays in prevention and responses to crime. The study of criminal justice is a highly interdisciplinary pursuit, often incorporating elements of sociology, psychology, history, and political science.

What You’ll Learn

The WSU criminal justice program prepares students to be leaders in local, state, federal, and private law enforcement. Graduates can use the practical knowledge and advanced critical-thinking skills gained from their criminal justice education in a wide variety of diverse career opportunities.

More Information

For additional information about specific degree requirements, please review the online WSU Catalog.