Professor Frankie Bailey meeting with students outside the Campus Center.

Bachelor of Arts in
Criminal Justice
Online or On Campus

Program of Study

Delve into the philosophy and structure of the American criminal justice system by examining the intersection between laws, enforcement agents, legal personnel, criminal offenders, victims, and average citizens. You will also study the individual and social causes of crime and the fundamentals of successful crime prevention programs.


Core Courses

  • Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • Introduction to Law and Criminal Justice
  • Criminology


Statistics

Choose one:

  • Introduction to Statistics in Criminal Justice
  • Statistics for Sociologists
  • Statistical Methods in Psychology
  • Elementary Statistics

Research Methods

Choose one:

  • Introduction to Research Design in Criminal Justice
  • Introduction to Social Research
  • Experimental Psychology

 

One 400 level, writing intensive senior Capstone Seminar


Electives

16 – 18 additional credits from any 300 or 400 level criminal justice courses

Apply to the School of Criminal Justice
Current UAlbany Students

Qualifications for Guaranteed Admission into the Criminal Justice Major

  • A cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher following completion of at least 56 credits (of which 30 credit hours must be taken at the University at Albany)
  • A grade of B or better in two of the following courses - RCRJ 201, 202 or 203 or equivalents
  • Completion of the statistics and research methods classes required of majors (RCRJ 281 and 282, or equivalents) with a grade of B or better

Application for Guaranteed Admission into the Criminal Justice Major


Application into the Criminal Justice Major

If you do not meet the conditions for guaranteed admission into the major, you can still apply for admission. Applications for admission to the criminal justice major are reviewed by the School's Undergraduate Admissions and Awards Committee. You must have completed at least 42 graduation credits prior to application and 56 credits at the time of admission, and you must have earned a B or higher in RCRJ 201, RCRJ 202, or RCRJ 203 (or ASOC 203).

Some of the factors considered during application review include:

  • Overall grade point average
  • Breadth and quality of liberal arts background. The committee prefers students who have strong records in history, mathematics, English, languages, and/or natural sciences.
  • Student's written statement of reason for seeking to undertake a criminal justice major

Application for Undergraduate Major in Criminal Justice

 

Application Deadlines for Current UAlbany Students

  • For fall admission, applications must be received by the last Friday in February
  • For spring admission, applications must be received by the last Friday in September
Transfer Students

If you are a transfer student, you have two avenues through which you can be admitted to the undergraduate criminal justice major.

 

Qualifications for Guaranteed Admission into the Criminal Justice Major

  • A cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher following completion of at least 56 credits (of which 30 credit hours must be taken at the University at Albany)
  • A grade of B or better in two of the following courses - RCRJ 201, 202 or 203 or equivalents
  • Completion of the statistics and research methods classes required of majors (RCRJ 281 and 282, or equivalents) with a grade of B or better

Application for Guaranteed Admission into the Criminal Justice Major

 

Application into the Criminal Justice Major

If you do not meet the conditions for guaranteed admission into the major, you can still apply for admission upon admittance to the University.

  • A grade of B or better in either RCRJ201, RCRJ202 or RCRJ203 (equivalent courses at your prior college will be recognized as meeting this requirement if you received a B or better in those courses) 
  • Evaluation of your overall GPA and the required essay

Application for Transfer Students

 

Note: This program is not intended for persons interested in police science, criminalistics, etc. If you have taken courses in such areas, credits may not to be transferable into the major. Articulation of such courses will be processed on a case-by-case basis.

 

Application Deadlines for Students Transferring into UAlbany

  • For fall admission, applications received by July 1 will receive full consideration
  • For spring admission, applications received by December 1 will receive full consideration
Applied Learning

Benefit from UAlbany's location in the capital of New York State by engaging in hands-on learning opportunities, including internships with local, state, and federal law enforcement and government agencies and non-profit organizations that intersect with criminal justice.

A student discusses his criminal justice research with community members
applied

Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Options


You can save time and money by beginning your graduate degree coursework while still enrolled as an undergraduate student. Up to 12 academic credits, billed at the undergraduate rate, will count towards both degrees – so you’ll complete your combined program in only 5 years and spend less than you would if you completed each program separately. Choose to combine your Criminal Justice undergraduate degree with the following graduate programs:

combined

MA in Criminal Justice
This top-ranked master’s program provides you with an advanced understanding of the criminal justice system and criminology for a successful career in areas like policing, law, crime analysis and research.

MPA in Public Administration and Policy
This top-ranked master’s program prepares you to help solve complex socioeconomic problems with concentration areas including non-profit management and leadership, public policy, healthcare management, information technology management, public economics and finance, and homeland security.

MIA in International Affairs
This master’s program studies foreign relations and global cooperation with concentrations in Global Public Management, Diplomacy and Global Governance, Global Economic Policy and Global and Homeland Security. You can also create your own custom concentration.

MS in Information Science
This ALA-accredited master's program covers a broad range of interdisciplinary topics related to library science, information processing, information management and data analysis.

 

UAlbany graduate at Commencement
Career Paths

Criminal Justice degree alumni have gone on to pursue successful careers in positions including:

  • City or state police officer
  • Federal agent
  • Crime analyst
  • Policy analyst
  • Community organizer
  • Crime victim specialist
  • Legislative aide
  • Asset protection manager

 

Police officers participating in a community event
career
Student Learning Objectives

Learning objectives that UAlbany students are expected to attain through their course of study within their academic program.

Bachelor of Arts
  • Demonstrate basic knowledge of causes of crime and society’s response to crime.
  • Demonstrate familiarity with research design.
  • Demonstrate familiarity with descriptive statistics and the logic of inferential statistics.
  • Ability to think critically about crime and crime policy.
  • Demonstrated writing skills.
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What Makes The University at Albany Great

Student move-in day.

Living-Learning Communities

Live and take classes with other incoming freshmen who share your personal interests, passions or intended academic major.

A student abroad visiting a monument.

Study Abroad

Become a global citizen: international experience is crucial to success in business, education, research, and public policy.

A student conducting undergraduate research.

Undergraduate Research

Research, scholarship, and creative activities at the University at Albany is an option for all students, across all academic disciplines. You will be able to learn more about a specific academic field or career path all while building a long-lasting mentoring relationship with a faculty member or principal investigator.

Explore Minors

Build competency in a passion or strengthen your resume.

A minor consists of 18–24 graduation credits which must include a minimum of 9 graduation credits of advanced coursework at or above the 300 level. Most undergraduate degrees require completing a minor and it has to have a different title from your major.

Full List of Minors
  • Acting
  • Africana Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Art
  • Art History
  • Atmospheric Science
  • Bioethics
  • Biology
  • Broadcast Meteorology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Chinese Studies
  • Cognitive Science
  • Communication (Fully Online Option)
  • Computer Science
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminal Justice Studies (Fully Online Option)
  • Cybersecurity (Fully Online Option)
  • Documentary Studies
  • East Asian Studies
  • Economics
  • Educational Studies
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Electronics
  • Film Studies
  • Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (Fully Online Option)
  • English
  • Forensic Science
  • French
  • Game Design and Development
  • Geographic Information Science
  • Geography
  • Globalization Studies
  • Hebrew
  • History (Fully Online Option)
  • Informatics (Fully Online Option)
  • Instrumental Performance
  • International Studies
  • Italian
  • Japanese Studies
  • Journalism (Fully Online Option)
  • Judaic Studies
  • Korean Studies
  • Latin American and Caribbean Studies
  • Law and Philosophy
  • Leadership
  • Legal Studies
  • LGBTQ Studies
  • Library and Information Science
  • Linguistics
  • Machine Learning
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Anthropology
  • Music
  • Musical Performance
  • Musical Theatre
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Political Science
  • Portuguese
  • Pre-Education
  • Psychology (Fully Online Option)
  • Public Health
  • Public Policy
  • Religious Studies
  • Russian
  • Russian and Eastern European Studies
  • Social Welfare Studies
  • Sociology (Fully Online Option)
  • Spanish
  • Statistics
  • Sustainability
  • Theatre
  • Theatrical Design/Technology
  • Urban Studies and Planning
  • U.S. Latino Studies
  • Vocal Performance
  • Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies

On-Campus or Online Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice FAQs
 

What can you do with a BA in Criminal Justice degree?

By earning a bachelor’s in criminal justice online or on campus at the University at Albany, you’ll be qualified to pursue any of a wide range of career paths within the criminal justice system at the local, state or federal level. You may consider roles that are directly involved in the system, such as in law enforcement, or those that indirectly influence the system, such as in policy creation.

Is the BA in Criminal Justice program accredited?

UAlbany is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State, which has registered all its degrees and programs and fully approved its professional programs through the State Education Department. Additionally, UAlbany is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools in the U.S. and is fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

How long is the on-campus bachelor’s in criminal justice program? How long is the online bachelor’s in criminal justice program?

Both the online and on-campus bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs can be completed in four years by students who are studying full time.

How do the accelerated undergraduate/graduate programs work?

UAlbany’s combined BA/MA criminal justice program requires a minimum of 144 credits. At least 33 of these credits must be graduate-level credits. Students may be admitted to the combined program at the beginning of their junior year or after the successful completion of 56 credits.

Start Earning Your Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Online or On Campus