Students searching for an accredited criminal justice degree program in Louisiana should take a moment to look more closely at the state. With its cultural and linguistic diversity, Louisiana has become a Mecca for TV and movie productions. It is nicknamed “Hollywood South.” The state is average for population. It also ranks in the middle for gross state product. Personal income is lower than average. The state’s population was 4,670,724 in 2015, and Louisianans live in parishes, not in counties. As a matter of fact, Louisiana is the only state that calls its political divisions parishes. The Port of South Louisiana is the fourth largest shipping port in the world. More Louisiana residents than the national average graduated high school, and the rate of those who earned bachelor’s degrees is about four percent lower than the median in the US.
If you are interested in earning a criminal justice degree in Louisiana, you should know that finding an accredited degree program is important. Accreditation ensures that the course content is relevant and up-to-date. It also makes your degree more acceptable to employers. The degree programs in this article do not carry special accreditation, nor do they need to. These schools, except for one, are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools of the Higher Learning Commission. The one school without that accreditation is a completely online career training institution and carries accreditation appropriate for that type of school.
Dillard University
School of Social Sciences
DU began in 1869 as two other institutions: Straight University and Union Normal School. In 1930 it became known as Dillard University. It is a private, coeducational school affiliated jointly with the Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ. The U.S. News Ranking lists the school as #144 in High School Counselor programs and as #11 in Historically Black Universities and Colleges. With a total enrollment of 1,261, classes are small; most of them have less than twenty students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 13:1. Dillard University awards more than thirty-five degrees through four colleges.
Bachelor in Criminal Justice
This accredited criminal justice degree program includes 41 credit hours of general education classes required by the university. There is a minimum of 30 hours in the major coursework and students are required to take cognate coursework as well. The program requires several general electives and a community service participation. All students must take a writing proficiency exam and all students in this program must begin with Introduction to Criminal Justice. Learning outcomes include student familiarity with sociology, criminology and social work concepts related to criminal justice. Graduates will also be able to use statistics to interpret relevant data. The program concludes with a required oral presentation to students and faculty.
Accreditation
This school is accredited by the Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission.
Contact
School of Social Sciences
Dillard University
2601 Gentilly Boulevard
New Orleans, LA 70122
504-816-4599
aesmial@dillard.edu
Grambling State University
Department of Professional and Graduate Studies
GSU is a historically black, public, coeducational university. It houses the museum dedicated to acclaimed NCAA football coach Eddie G. Robinson. The school began in 1901 as the Colored Industrial and Agricultural School. In 1905, it was renamed the North Louisiana Agricultural and Industrial School. That was changed again in 1946 to Grambling College and, in 1974 the school became Grambling State University. The university houses four colleges plus the Earl Lester Cole Honors College. Ninety-one percent of the students at the school identify as black.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Graduation from this accredited criminal justice degree program requires completing a minimum of 33 hours in the criminal justice major plus university general education coursework required of all baccalaureate students. The program has a total of 120 semester hours. The curriculum is sequential with a required two-credit freshman seminar and a minimum of 21 hours of cognate courses. Classes included in the degree program are calculus, biology, history and cultural classes and others. There is a foreign language proficiency requisite. Students may choose to earn the degree with a paralegal concentration. Students on this path take 21 hours of criminal justice coursework and 21 hours in the concentration. Additional coursework includes classes in litigation and in other legal issues. The total number of hours required for the degree remains unchanged.
Accreditation
This university is accredited by the Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Department of Criminal Justice
Grambling State University
403 Main Street
Grambling, LA 71245
318-274-3310
singhm@gram.edu
Herzing University
Department of Public Safety
Herzing University began in 1965 under Henry and Suzanne Herzing. The New Orleans branch of the school offers small classes and needs-based programs. That means students don’t take a lot of classes in disciplines that are not closely related. The New Orleans school offers degree programs in nursing, healthcare, business, technology, legal studies and in public safety. The criminal justice degree is housed in the public safety department. The school has on-campus, online, hybrid, and continuing education. U.S. News has ranked the university as one of the Top Online Bachelor Degree Programs for five consecutive years.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Students who graduate from this accredited criminal justice program will understand the legal system and the judicial process. They will also be competent in the “unique aspects” of corrections and juvenile justice. They will have proficiencies in evidence forensics and in criminalistics. The bachelor’s program is offered online and contains 122 credits. It is completed in 36 months. Students can specialize in Homeland Security or in Supervision and Management. The degree program contains 48 credit hours in criminal justice, 31 in open electives and four in a capstone project or an internship. There are also 36 hours of general education courses and two in professional development.
Accreditation
The university is accredited by the Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Department of Public Safety
Herzing University
2500 Williams Boulevard
Kenner, LA 70062
504-733-0074
Nur-info@herzing.edu
Louisiana College
School of Human Behavior
This private school is affiliated with the Louisiana Conference of the Baptist Church. It began in 1906 with four professors and nineteen students and held classes in tents. There are more than 70 majors, minors and pre-professional programs at the school offered through eleven divisions. One of the hallmarks of Louisiana College is involvement with the community through several events sponsored on campus.
Bachelor in Criminal Justice
This degree program contains 127 credit hours. It includes a one-credit orientation course and coursework in Biblical studies. General education classes are required in math, natural and social sciences, English and literature. There is also a foreign language requirement. Courses are taken in prescribed order and include computer applications, public speaking, criminology seminar, field placements and others.
Accreditation
The university is accredited by the Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission
Contact
School of Human Relations
Louisiana College
1140 College Drive,
Pineville, LA 71359
318-473-6650
lampertawe@bellsouth.net
Louisiana State University
Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences
This public, coeducational school was founded in 1960 and is located on the site of an old plantation. With a student population of 3,378, most classes have fewer than twenty students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 18:1. Louisiana State University at Alexandria has a lower-than-average four-year graduation rate. The U.S. News ranking for the university is not reported, but the High School Counselor program is listed as #168. The school awards only undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of General Studies with a concentration. There are ten departments awarding 38 degrees.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
The learning outcomes for graduates of this program include a knowledge and understanding of “law enforcement, courts, corrections and juvenile delinquency.” Students also will gain proficiency in problem-solving and cooperation and acquire a competency in communications. The 120 credit-hour degree program consists of 45 credit- hours in 3000-level courses or above, and 15 or more credit-hours of 4000 level courses. There are 39 hours of general education coursework as well as many electives.
Accreditation
The university is accredited by the Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission.
Contact
Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Louisiana State University, Alexandria
8100 Hwy. 71 South
Alexandria, LA 71302
318-427-4448
relder@lsua.edu
Louisiana State University, Shreveport
Department of History and Social Sciences
This public university began in 1967 as a two-year school. Within five years, however, it became a four-year institution. IT awards twenty-five undergraduate degrees, 12 master’s degrees and one doctoral-level degree. The university caters to its non-traditional students, and many of its classes are held in the evening. The student-to-faculty ratio is 21:1, but most classes have fewer than twenty students. It is ranked in the second tier of Regional Universities-South by the U.S. News Report.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
This program leads to a generalist degree in criminal justice. There are 39 hours of general education courses including English composition, social and behavioral sciences, math, natural sciences, humanities and fine arts. There is a foreign language requisite and additional requirements listed in the catalog that amount to 24 credit-hours. There are also 24 hours in core classes and another 24 in the concentration. Students with the generalist major may specialize in forensic science or in political science.
Accreditation
The school is accredited by the Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission
Contact
College of History and Social Sciences
Louisiana State University, Shreveport
One University Plaza,
Shreveport, LA 71115
318-797-5295
Christopher.hele@lsus.edu
Loyola University, New Orleans
College of Arts and Sciences
Loyola is a private, coeducational Jesuit school. It was founded in 1904 as Loyola College and chartered as a university in 1912. Of the university’s 5,000 students, 3,000 are undergraduates. The U.S. News ranks this school as #10 of Regional Universities-South. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1. The school awards undergraduate and graduate degrees through five colleges. One of the unique features about this university is the Thelonious Monk School of Jazz Performance.
Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Justice
This accredited criminal justice degree program in Louisiana studies the structure of the justice system, ethical issues surrounding incarceration and rehabilitation, the operation of the Supreme Court and Homeland Security. The program contains 120 credit-hours including 39 in Loyola general education, 41 in the major, six credit hours in the foreign language requisite and seven hours of electives. Courses offered include Organized Crime, Forensic Psychology, Deviant Behavior and others. The department also offers a Bachelor of Criminology and Justice which also contains 120 hours. That degree program has 30 hours of Loyola core, 41 in the major and 49 in electives to structure the degree. The latter degree is for professional and continuing education adult students and is offered in a part-time format.
Accreditations
Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Criminology and Justice
College of Arts and Sciences
Loyola University, New Orleans
6363 Saint Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70118
504-865-3124
cbolden@loyno.edu
McNeese State University
Department of Social Sciences
McNeese State University was founded as Lake Charles Junior College in 1939 and it assumed its current form in 1970. The U.S. News Report ranks the school as # 104 of Tier One Regional Universities-South. It also ranks as #45 of Top Public Schools. The Carnegie Foundation lists McNeese State as a Masters University which means it awards a significant number of master’s degrees. There are eight colleges offering 83 degree programs at the university. Most classes at the school have between 20 and 49 students and the student-to-faculty ratio is 1:1.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
This 120 credit-hour Louisiana criminal justice degree program is offered online, in an accelerated format or in the classroom. It is a multi-disciplinary program with a strong liberal arts foundation and a focus on experiential learning. Courses include Criminology, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Elementary Probability and Statistical Inference, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice and Administration among others. The program allows concentrations in Terrorism or in Preparation and Security.
Accreditation
Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Criminal Justice
College of Liberal Arts
McNeese State University
4205 Ryan Street
Lake Charles, LA 70609
337-475-5301
darmstrong@mcneese.edu
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Department of Criminal Justice, History and Social Sciences
NSUL school was founded in 1884 as the Louisiana State Normal School and became a university in 1970. It offers more than fifty degree programs. The accredited criminal justice degree programs are housed in the Department of Criminal Justice, History and Social Sciences. They offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees, minors and certificates.
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
This degree features coursework in criminal justice but also pulls in classes from sociology, psychology and political science. Each year the department sponsors a job fair that is attended by many different branches of law enforcement. The 120 credit-hour criminal justice degree contains 46 hours in university core classes plus classes in social science and behavioral science. There are 44 required credits in the major and 30 in support and elective courses. Students may declare a concentration in pre-law and paralegal studies. That concentration consists of seven courses that contain 21 credit-hours.
Accreditation
The Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Department of Criminal Justice, History and Social Sciences
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
175 Sam Sibley Drive
Natchitoches, LA 71497
318-357-5982
greens@nsula.edu
Remington College, Shreveport
Criminal Justice
Remington College is a large private technical school consisting of sixteen campuses in several states. The programs offered include medical assisting, pharmacy technician, criminal justice and others. The vocational school offers more than 100 continuing education courses in an online format. It awards diplomas, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees. The student-to-faculty ratio at the Shreveport campus is 12:1.
Bachelor in Criminal Justice
This accredited 120 credit-hour criminal justice degree program in LA covers topics such as Criminal Justice Research Methods; Data Resources; Forensic Psychology; Restorative Justice and Vice, Narcotics and Crime Intelligence. There are 12 courses in the upper core division of the program. The program is intended for students who already have an associate degree in criminal justice, and it may be completed in 18 months.
Bachelor in Criminal Justice, online
This degree program is intended for working adults. It is entirely online. Topics in this program include Contemporary Corrections Practices; Investigative Methods; Vice, Narcotics and Crime Intelligence and Criminal Justice Research Methodology and Data Resources. Students take 120 credit-hours of coursework. There are sixty hours at the associate degree level and sixty at the bachelor’s degree level. The program is delivered in six thirteen-week semesters.
Accreditation
Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC)
Contact
Criminal Justice
Remington College, Shreveport
2106 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop
Shreveport, LA 71101
318-671-4000
Contact through website
Southeastern Louisiana University
Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
SLU school began in a wing of the Hammond High School as Hammond Junior College in 1925. Subsequently, it was relocated and was granted membership as a four-year school in 1946 with the authorization to grant degrees. It has programs at associate, baccalaureate and graduate levels. There are more than sixty degree offerings housed in five colleges. The university has a total enrollment of more than 14,000 students, and the university student-to-faculty ratio is 20:1. The Criminal Justice program notes that its class size is much smaller and that there is a strong relationship between faculty and students.
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
This accredited criminal justice degree program contains 120 credit-hours. Of those, 45 are in university general education core classes. There is also a required orientation course and 18 hours in the adjunct disciplines of psychology, sociology and political science. The degree requires 42 credit hours in the major as well as elective coursework. Students in the program gain knowledge about law enforcement and corrections and learn about the “psychological and sociological roots of criminal behavior.” They also become familiar with the research and methodology utilized in criminal justice.
Accreditation
The Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice
Southeastern Louisiana University
548 Western Ave.
Hammond, LA 70402
985-549-5964
kbolton@southeastern.edu
Southern University and A&M College
Criminal Justice Online Programs
This historically black university was founded in 1880 as Southern College and was first located in New Orleans. It became Southern University in 1981. The ranking among regional universities in the U.S. News listings is not published, but it ranks #38 among Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The university awards degrees through six colleges and a law school. The student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1. The goal of the criminal justice program at the school is to “provide opportunities to a diverse student population.”
Bachelor in Criminal Justice
The accredited criminal justice degree program at this school is online so that more people can access it. It is also available in an online accelerated program that can be completed in two-and-a-half years. One of the main outcomes of this program is that students will develop critical thinking about the causes and consequences of criminal behavior. Students must log on a minimum of three times each week. There are 120 credit-hours in the degree program. It is taught in eight-week terms in 2/3 courses. The program includes national and international issues in law enforcement, courts and corrections. There are 57 credits in university core general education classes, 42 credit-hours of coursework in the department, fifteen hours in free electives and 15 in required electives.
Accreditation
The Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Criminal Justice Online Programs
Southern University and A&M College
801 Harding Boulevard,
Baton Rouge, LA 70807
225-771-0032
Allison_anadi@subr.edu
Southern University at New Orleans
Social Sciences Department
SUNO is a public, coeducational historically black university. It began in 1956 with a faculty of 15 and a freshman class of 158. Today there are nearly 2,500 students enrolled at the school. SUNO ranks #55 among Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the U.S. News listing. Most classes have between twenty and forty-nine students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 18:1. SUNO awards degrees through five colleges and their encapsulated departments.
Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice
This criminal justice degree, accredited in Louisiana, includes coursework in Criminal Justice and Juvenile Justice Processes; Administration of Justice; Criminology (“the causes of crime, typologies, offenders and victims); Law Enforcement; Law Adjudication and Corrections. Additionally, there are specialized electives. The degree includes university core education plus 37 credits in the major and nine criminal justice electives.
Accreditation
The Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Criminal Justice
Department of Social Sciences
Southern University at New Orleans
6400 Press Drive
New Orleans, LA 70126
504-284-5478
jpenney@suno.edu
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Department of Criminal Justice
University of Louisiana at Lafayette is designated by The Carnegie Foundation as a doctoral, higher research university. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette began in 1898 as an industrial school. It assumed its present form and name in 1999. It is listed in the U.S. News rankings in the second tier of Best Colleges, but The Washington Monthly listed it as #189 of National Universities. The school awards more than 80 undergraduate degrees, 20 master’s degrees and nine Ph.D. degrees. The Criminal Justice department has nearly three hundred undergraduate students and twelve graduate students.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
This 120 credit-hour accredited criminal justice degree does not offer any concentration tracks. Instead, it provides “breadth” of knowledge through its liberal arts core education, its pre-professional criminal coursework and flexible electives. The program includes lectures as well as field experiences. The degree program is generalist, but students are encouraged to build their degree programs around their interests through the electives.
Accreditation
The Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission
Contact
The Department of Criminal Justice
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
104 East University Circle
Lafayette, LA 70503
337-482-1249
dkhey@louisiana.edu
University of Louisiana at Monroe
College of Business and Social Sciences
The University of Louisiana at Monroe was founded in 1931 as the Ouachita Parish Junior College. The school took on its current name in 1999. There are five colleges in the university as well as several centers. There are about 9,038 students registered at the university, and the average class has twenty to forty-nine students with a student-to-faculty ratio of 20:1. The school’s criminal justice program is the oldest of its kind in Louisiana.
Bachelor of Arts, Criminal Justice
This accredited degree contains 120 hours including 45 credit-hours in the major plus university core curriculum. There are also adjunct courses in sociology, psychology and political science. The degree is available in traditional format as well as online. Additionally, all courses are offered online so that students may take them when it is convenient.
Accreditation
The Southern Association of the Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Criminal Justice Department
University of Louisiana at Monroe
700 University Avenue,
Monroe, LA 71209
318-342-1440
hanser@iulm.edu
Any of these accredited criminal justice degree programs will help you get a job in law enforcement or in other criminal justice positions, and a visit to their websites in addition to a physical campus visit may help you decide which is the best fit for you.
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