Criminal Justice Administration (Online)

For admission into Alvernia’s online Criminal Justice Administration degree, you must have a 2.0 GPA or higher. To apply:

• Speak to an enrollment counselor
• Complete an application
• Provide evidence of high school completion/graduation. Documentation may include high school transcript, diploma, GED scores, or equivalent.*
• Submit official transcripts of all previous college work (if applicable)
• Submit a copy of DD214 from military (if applicable)
• Submit police academy transcripts plus confirmation if currently a police officer

*This requirement may be waived if an official college transcript is provided to validate completion of 15 credits or more from an accredited school.

There are options to assist in financing your education and making the tuition affordable. Visit our Student Financial Services page for a detailed overview of the process, including a link to complete the FAFSA application, as well as more information about tuition, the tuition payment plan and the tuition deferment program we offer. Alvernia’s Title IV code for the FAFSA is 003233. The Office of Student Financial Services is available to help with any questions you may have. Call 610-796-8201 or email sfs@alvernia.edu.

With an interdisciplinary design, our online criminal justice degree will provide you with a strong foundation in the fundamentals of criminal justice.

• Interrelationships of various parts of the criminal justice system
• Classical and contemporary theories of crime
• Roles of gender and race in the criminal justice system
• Aspects of the correctional field, including incarceration, correctional counseling, practices, theories and specialized programs
• Due process of law and judicial procedure
• Juvenile delinquency and its history, philosophy and evaluation, as well as prevention and intervention programs and techniques
• Honesty, integrity and ethical behavior in criminal justice careers
• Contemporary issues in the criminal justice system
• Crisis management and how it affects law enforcement officials and the criminal justice system

Our program also requires completion of a practicum course, in which you will gain relevant, hands-on experience through an internship on the local, state or federal level at a criminal justice, private corporate security or service agency.

The online criminal justice degree is made up of a total of 123 credits. The Liberal Arts Core makes up 31 to 55 of the program’s credits, and the major requires 48 credits, including an elective course in criminal justice.

Liberal Arts Core (31-55 credits)

• All Alvernia University students are required to complete between 31-55 credits toward the Liberal Arts Core. Transfer work may be applicable for this area. As part of the application process, students receive specific information regarding remaining credits. Students entering the program with 70 or more transfer credits or an associate degree must complete 31-55 Liberal Arts Core credit hours.

General Elective Requirements (as needed)

• A total of 123 credits, including three credits in a human diversity course, are required to earn a bachelor’s degree. To adhere to Franciscan values, community service hours are also required.

Core Requirements (48 credits)

• CJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CJ 102 Criminology (3 credits)
• CJ 201 Criminal Law (3 credits)
• CJ 217 Gender, Race and Crime (3 credits)
• CJ 220 Writing for the Criminal Justice Professional (3 credits)
• CJ 221 Research Methods I for Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CJ 273 Corrections, Probation and Parole (3 credits)
• CJ 302 Judicial Process and Procedures (3 credits)
• CJ 350 Professional Seminar in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CJ 377 Juvenile Justice System (3 credits)
• CJ 379 Ethics in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CJ 403 Current Issues in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CJ 408 Agency Practicum  (6 credits)
• CJ 422 Crisis Management (3 credits)
• CJ Criminal Justice Elective

• Alvernia is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

After earning your Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration online, you can pursue a variety of careers, including:

• Police Officer
• Correctional Officer
• FBI Agent
• Private Investigator
• Crime Prevention Specialist
• Crime Scene Investigator
• State Trooper
• Prison warden
• Criminal Law
• Corrections
• Criminal Justice Professor
• Probation Officer

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the range of jobs available with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice is projected to grow up to 12 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than average for all occupations. The median annual wage in those professions in 2021 ranged from $48,000 to $80,000.