Criminal Justice, AS

Criminal Justice, AS

Level:

Associates's Degree

Credits required:

60 credits

Cost per credit:

$382

Next start date:

January 5, 2026

Uphold Justice, Security, and the Rule of Law

Help ensure society maintains peace and order by understanding the criminal justice system. You will learn the realities and concerns of society through the lens of political science, psychology, history, and sociology. Criminal justice is a rapidly expanding field with an extensive list of career paths. By understanding the law and how it plays out among people, you will be able to choose a career that keeps the peace.

The First Step is a Conversation. Talk to Bailey.

Bailey Longhurst

Bailey Longhurst

Academic Advisor
(435) 797-3883
bailey.longhurst@usu.edu

College: College of Arts & Social Sciences

Department: School of Social Sciences

Catalog Details
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Find Your Fit

Take a few minutes to determine how a USU Online program can help you meet your education and career goals.

Career Outlook

Criminal justice graduates have a wide variety of career paths in areas like law enforcement, courts, criminalistics (crime labs and investigations), law, juvenile law, and corrections. The field is growing rapidly and there a lot of careers available, such as becoming a police officer, correctional officer, law clerk, paralegal, juvenile detention, and more.

Skills You'll Learn

Students work on learning the skills they need to pass industry standards

  • Project Management
  • Auditing
  • Marketing
  • Finance
  • Process Improvement

Potential Employers

State of Utah
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University of Utah
Oracle

Why Earn a Criminal Justice Degree from USU Online

The faculty are working professionals or retired from various criminal justice fields. They are able to teach from real-world experience, helping students connect the dots between course material and application. The course covers current methods and technologies in the criminal justice field.

Some of the courses include criminal law, policing, crime scene processing, forensic science, child abuse and neglect, and more. Through USU Online, the majority of students are able to complete the degree in two years.

Sample Courses for Criminal Justice, AS

This course covers the nature of criminal liability in the United States criminal justice system. The elements of crimes and defenses are covered, as well as the general elements of criminality and the purposes of those elements.
Elective. This course introduces students to legal, scientific, and administrative aspects of the criminal investigation process. Students learn to deal with potential obstacles encountered in the investigation process. The course objective is to acquaint students with the fundamentals of criminal investigations.
Elective. This course covers the origin, philosophy, and development of the juvenile justice system. Emphasis is placed on the nature and origins of juvenile law and the guiding principles that drive the system.
Elective. This course covers the rules governing the admissibility of evidence in the United States criminal justice system. It also covers the structure of criminal courts in the U.S. and the steps a criminal case passes through in the criminal justice system.

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* Actual program costs may vary due to differential tuition or course fees.