Let’s begin our listings of bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs in Kentucky with eight accredited colleges training brave undergrads to uphold the law of the “Bluegrass State.”
Located on the Midwest’s Pennyroyal Plateau, Kentucky has 4.437 million people to protect. Criminal justice grads find employment at 389 law enforcement agencies statewide, including the Kentucky State Conservation Office, Boone County Jail, Fayette County Constable, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Louisville Metro Police Department. According to the Disaster Center, criminal justice demand is rising as the annual crime index breaches 107,000. In 2016 alone, Kentuckians reported 97,158 property and 10,308 violent offenses. Among the most dangerous Kentucky towns needing law enforcement help are Georgetown, Newport, Shively, Hopkinsville, and Frankfort.
Position yourself for public safety administration by considering the first half (A-L) of undergraduate criminal justice schools in Kentucky.
Beckfield College-Florence
Criminal Justice Studies Division
Established by Dr. Harry L. Beck in 1984, Beckfield College is a private, career-oriented and adult-friendly institution with ACICS national accreditation to instruct 712 learners on its Florence, Cincinnati, Parma Heights, Columbus, and online campuses. Beckfield was ranked America’s 46th most focused school for legal professions by College Factual, graded “A+” for safety on Niche, and labeled “Military Friendly” in G.I. Jobs. Chaired by Ric Robinson, a Dr. Jack Collins Student Support Award recipient, the Criminal Justice Studies Division confers one of the Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Kentucky with 100 percent admission.
Bachelor of Applied Science: Criminal Justice
Celebrating its 30th year, Beckfield’s Bachelor of Applied Science: Criminal Justice five-star program in Florence utilizes a holistic approach that’s “ruff on crime” to generate skilled law enforcement professionals for the Tri-County area. Building real-world skills in the Firearms Training Simulator (FATS), the 120-credit program costs $67,280 total with courses from court procedure to homeland security. Other opportunities include practicing in the Crime Lab, adding the Paralegal Certificate, interning with Florence City Police, and earning the CAP Grant.
Accreditation
- Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS)
Contact
16 Spiral Drive
Florence, KY 41042
(859) 371-9393
Info@beckfield.edu
Bellarmine University
College of Arts and Sciences
Affiliated with alums like John Young Brown III and William J. Donahue, Bellarmine University is a private, close-knit Catholic ACCU member of the Archdiocese of Louisville. Bellarmine is declared America’s 193rd best student life college on Niche, 322nd best U.S. institution by Times Higher Education, and 434th top value in Money Magazine. Generating a median mid-career salary of $93,500 according to PayScale, the College of Arts and Sciences offers 25 sought-after majors, including one of the Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Kentucky, with 80 percent retention.
B.A. in Criminal Justice Studies
Headed by Pamela Cartor, PhD, Bellarmine’s B.A. in Criminal Justice Studies is a liberal arts-based, interdisciplinary major for undergrads to study interpretations of issues involving illegal behaviors for law enforcement leadership jobs. Accepting an average SAT score of 1160, the 126-credit curriculum spans topics from psychological profiling to forensics with two required internships at agencies like the Secret Service and ATF. Students could also study abroad in Denmark, get published by Scholars in Writing, enter the Honors Program, and join the Pre-Law Society.
Accreditation
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Contact
Pasteur Hall 110A
2001 Newburg Road
Louisville, KY 40205
(502) 272-8393
pcartor@bellarmine.edu
Campbellsville University
College of Arts & Sciences
Linked to 5,030 alumni on LinkedIn, Campbellsville University is a private, civic-minded Baptist baccalaureate institution of the Appalachian College Association that’s transforming 2,195 Tigers into Christian servant leaders across six academic divisions. Campbellsville is named America’s 362nd best social service school by College Factual, the South’s 106th top college in U.S. News and World Report, and Kentucky’s ninth most diverse university on Niche. The College of Arts & Sciences, the largest division, also ranked #4 for online criminal justice studies on TheBestSchools.org.
Criminal Justice Administration Major
Priced at $12,450 per full-time semester, Campbellsville’s Criminal Justice Administration Major is one of the most accessible bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs in Kentucky where nontraditional students finish their B.S. in Louisville, Harrodsburg, Somerset, or online. Chaired by Dr. Dale Wilson, the 120-credit curriculum strives to improve undergrads’ grasp of domestic and international law enforcement procedures with courses like policing operations and terrorism studies. Majors may pursue the 4+1 M.S. in Justice Studies, declare Honors, and earn a Homeland Security Minor too.
Accreditation
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Contact
1 University Drive
UPO 861
Campbellsville, KY 42718
(270) 789-5483
bdwilson@campbellsville.edu
Daymar College
Criminal Justice Department
Acquired by Mark and Damian Gabis in 1995, Daymar College is a private, for-profit career training institution in Owensboro that’s approved by the ACICS to deliver 22 programs to nearly 3,500 nontraditional learners at five Midwest campuses and online via Canvas. Although it faced lawsuits by Attorney General Jack Conway in 2011, Daymar is ranked 19th for affordability in Kentucky by College Calc and named a Microsoft Authorized Academic Training Program. The Criminal Justice Department offers certificate, associate, and bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs in Kentucky for annual tuition of $17,433.
Online Criminal Justice Administration Bachelor of Science
Featuring a 7:1 student-professor ratio, Daymar’s Online Criminal Justice Administration Bachelor of Science takes 45 months full-time for adults to arm themselves with the legal knowledge, investigation skills, and confidence to assume leadership responsibility in law enforcement. Launched in 2014, the 180-unit program lets you access content on geographic criminology, crisis intervention, crime control, substance abuse, and more 24/7. Undergrads can also benefit from the Daymar App, $1,000 Advantage Scholarship, Yellow Ribbon Program, and Career Services Center.
Accreditation
- Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS)
Contact
608 Frederica Street
Owensboro, KY 42301
(615) 361-7555
williams3@daymarcollege.edu
Eastern Kentucky University
College of Justice & Safety
Noted for justice system alums like Tom Colbert and Steve Pence, Eastern Kentucky University is a public, student-centered teaching institution that’s engaging 14,293 undergrad Colonels in 230+ clubs upon its 675 acres in the Bluegrass Region and beyond. EKU is deemed America’s 287th top public college on Niche, 257th best university for ROI by PayScale, and 657th best school overall on Plexuss. Honored to employ the 2017 EMS Unsung Hero Award recipient, the College of Justice & Safety has seen enrollment spike by 350 percent over the last decade into “Military Friendly” programs that were ranked 19th nationally by Create a Career.
B.S. in Criminal Justice
Labeled a “Program of Distinction,” the B.S. in Criminal Justice at Eastern Kentucky provides an open exchange for undergrads to discuss problems facing our societal and court systems in preparation for protective services occupations. Available entirely at the Richmond, Corbin, and Hazard campuses, the 120-credit bachelor’s bridges topics from organized crime to violence against women. Students may also attend ICCJ Colloquium panels, obtain the Joseph Famularo Scholarship, intern with the US Marshals Service, live in the Justice & Safety LLC, and join Alpha Phi Sigma.
B.S. in Corrections & Juvenile Justice Studies
Currently charging $409 per credit, EKU’s B.S. in Corrections & Juvenile Justice Studies stands out among bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs in Kentucky for emphasizing the best rehabilitative practices for adults and youth offenders who’ve violated legal statutes. Ideal for transfers, the 120-credit curriculum creates customized graduation plans in eight-week, online terms without any visits to Richmond. Directed by Christopher Adkins, the Web program offers wide-ranging electives from prison administration to death penalty law and correctional mental health.
Accreditation
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Contact
Stratton Hall 354
521 Lancaster Avenue
Richmond, KY 40475
(859) 622-3565
jus.dean@eku.edu
Kentucky State University
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Opened in October 1887 by John H. Jackson, Kentucky State University is a public, four-year residential HBCU that’s “Growing Leaders” among its population of 2,159 Thorobreds on a 916-acre campus in the Commonwealth’s capital. KYSU is congratulated for America’s 263rd best faculty on Niche, 38th best historically Black education by HBCU Buzz, and 197th top liberal arts programs in Washington Monthly. Accepting applicants until April 1st yearly, the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences has six majors, including one of the bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs in Kentucky.
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
Directed by Dr. Arthur Christopher Hayden, KYSU’s Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice capitalizes on its 11:1 student-professor ratio to stimulate active, in-depth discussions on the function of legal orders in protecting communities from harmful offenses. Since the 1970s, the 120-credit degree has opened career paths in customs, victim services, probation, corrections, policing, and more. Undergrads could also minor in African American Studies, get involved in BSS Club, pursue the Whitney Young School Honors, join the Army ROTC, and travel to Mexico.
Accreditation
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Contact
Hathaway Hall 210
400 E. Main Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 597-6890
arthur.hayden@kysu.edu
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Social Sciences Division
Approved by the Methodist General Board of Higher Education, Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private, nonprofit liberal arts institution committed to “Science, Literature, Morality, Religion” since 1858 that’s now led by president Barton D. Darrell with 716 Panthers on 55 acres in Owensboro. KWC is crowned America’s 332nd safest college campus on Niche, the South’s 106th best buck in Washington Monthly, and Kentucky’s 14th top school by College Choice. Headed by Dr. Ken Ayers with a 12:1 student-faculty ratio, the Social Sciences Division has created two bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs in Kentucky that were placed 133rd nationally on College Factual.
BS in Criminal Justice and Criminology
Devoted to “Succeeding with Honor,” the BS in Criminal Justice and Criminology at Kentucky Wesleyan is presently priced at $12,630 per semester for undergrads to examine the complex relationships between the cultural, psychological, and political influences on crime. Offering a Criminal Justice or Criminology emphasis, the 122-credit, eight-term curriculum covers courses from religion to forensic science and judicial process. Students can also meet weekly with the CJA, take online courses on Blackboard, intern with Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, and become senior teaching assistants.
3+3 BS/Accelerated Law Program in Criminal Justice
Partnered with the ABA-accredited Brandeis School of Law, ranked 92nd nationally by the U.S. News, KWC’s 3+3 BS/Accelerated Law Program in Criminal Justice introduces undergrads to the fundamentals of constitutional decrees before transferring to the University of Louisville as seniors. Mandating a minimum 3.5 GPA, the program shaves off one year for Juris Doctor students interested in everything from family law to corporate law. Other opportunities include completing the Ackerson Law Clinic, externing at the Public Defender’s Office, and earning the Thacker Scholarship.
Accreditation
- American Bar Association (ABA)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Contact
Administration Building 208
3000 Frederica Street
Owensboro, KY 42301
(270) 852-3169
kenay@kwc.edu
Lindsey Wilson College
Division of Social Science & Interdisciplinary Studies
Sitting atop 200 wooded acres off Jamestown Road in Adair County, Lindsey Wilson College is a private, residential Anabaptist teaching institution with a $56 million endowment under president William T. Luckey, Jr., and serves 2,677 Blue Raiders in the Mid-South Conference. LWC is declared America’s 230th most conservative college on Niche, 110th top master’s university in Washington Monthly, and 70th most affordable school east of the Mississippi by Great Value Colleges. The Division of Social Science & Interdisciplinary Studies houses five majors from history to political science with selective 73 percent acceptance rates.
Criminal Justice Program, B.A.
Chartering an Alpha Phi Sigma chapter since Spring 2011, Lindsey Wilson’s Criminal Justice Program B.A. is directed by Professor Allen Copenhaver to support undergrads seeking the problem-solving, qualitative reasoning, and communication skills for legal-related careers. Unlike some bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs in Kentucky, this 120-credit option has three specializations: Law Enforcement, Court System, and Corrections. Students may also intern with Kentucky State Police, train in the Holloway Center, attend the R.V. Bennett Honors Program, and study abroad in Belize.
Accreditation
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Contact
Durham House 103
210 Lindsey Wilson Street
Columbia, KY 42728
(270) 384-8231
copenhavera@lindsey.edu
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Kentucky’s $195 billion economy has 37,620 individuals working in protective service occupations. Studying criminal justice could make you marketable for some of CNN Money’s best jobs of 2017, including IT security manager, government affairs director, corporate paralegal, and legal administrative manager. Train to address population safety needs, especially in rural Appalachia towns, by attending one of these Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Kentucky.
Continue here: Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice Programs in Kentucky (M-Z)
