Many of the professionals working in the criminal justice system today have degrees like those available through the top Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maine. While you might think of Maine as a small state, it’s home to some of the best colleges on the East Coast. Those colleges offer programs designed to help you succeed as a probation officer, a police officer or a legal advocate. The knowledge you learn will help you at the graduate level too. Many of the graduates of these programs even find success at the law schools in Maine and in other states.
Husson University
School of Legal Studies
Husson University is the largest university in Maine because it has three different campuses. You can take classes on its main campus in Bangor or on one of its smaller campuses in Presque Isle or Westbrook. It is a good option for students living in and around Bangor because it is the only university in the city. Husson offers two of the top Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maine. The university gives you the option of focusing your studies on criminal justice and criminology or enrolling in a combined program that features criminal justice courses as well as psychology classes.
Criminal Justice
Husson University has partnerships and agreements with a number of criminal justice organizations across the state that allow students to take advantage of more opportunities. You can enroll in a justice or law enforcement academy and go through the training required of police officers before you graduate, but you also have the option of doing an internship with an agency in Bangor or another city. The university offers a dual degree that awards students both a bachelor’s in criminal justice as well as a master’s in criminal justice administration. This program allows you to take graduate courses during your senior year.
Criminal Justice/Psychology Program
The criminal justice/psychology program offered by Husson University is another example of a dual degree program. It designed this program to help students meet the needs of major government organizations like the Federal Bureau of Investigations or the Central Intelligence Agency. You’ll learn how to evaluate others and determine how they think and feel, which can help you with criminal profiling. While the general program features around 120 credits, this program requires that you take 152 credits. Students can attend a law enforcement training program or academy while enrolled in the university. Husson allows these students to do internships too.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
1 College Circle
Bangor ME 04401-2929
(207) 941-7000
admit@husson.edu
Kaplan University
Degree Programs
Even if you never took a college class before, you probably know the name Kaplan. The corporation that owns this university system started out as a test prep company that offered courses designed to help students score higher on standardized tests. It later took over a small chain of college campuses and then opened new campuses in cities all across the country. Kaplan has campuses in both South Portland and Augusta. These campuses have convenient locations that you can easily reach by car. If you prefer working from home, you can enroll in one of the online programs offered by Kaplan.
Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice
One of the top options for students looking at Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maine is this Kaplan program, which can prepare them for working for a government agency like the Department of Homeland Security. Unlike other programs that are more general in nature, this program offers concentrations in crime scene investigation, forensic psychology, homeland security, juvenile justice and law enforcement that will narrow down your field of focus. Introduction to the criminal justice system, applied criminal justice ethics and criminal law for criminal justice are just some of the required criminal justice courses in this program.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
265 Western Avenue
South Portland, ME 04106
(800) 987-7734
Thomas College
Academics
Thomas College wants its incoming students to feel confident that they picked the right majors, which is why it offers so many opportunities for students to learn more. Before you enroll or even apply, you can fill out a simple online form to learn more. The college will contact you via email or over the phone, send you a course catalog and arrange for you to speak with current students. You can also attend an open house and talk with students studying criminal justice and meet with some of the professors in that department. Thomas College offers full campus tours too.
Criminal Justice (BS)
One of the two Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maine that Thomas College offers is this program, which awards graduates a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Thomas College worked out an agreement with the Maine Department of Public Safety that allows students in their senior years to attend the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. You can take an 18-week course on law enforcement that trains you to work for almost any department in the nation. The college offers a variety of classes as well, including the corrections system, policing in America and the rights and roles of citizens.
Criminal Justice Administration (BS)
Another program that the college offers is this BS program in criminal justice administration. The college has a deal with the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars to help students learn more about the field before they graduate. You’ll have the option to attend seminars that feature some of the top professionals working in the field and do one or more internships working for criminal justice organizations. The program focuses on teaching you how to effectively communicate as well as how to do research and writing. You’ll develop those skills in courses like multicultural issues in criminal justice and criminology.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
180 West River Road
Waterville, ME 04901
(207) 859-1111
University of Maine at Augusta
Academics
The University of Maine has several campuses in the state, including the University of Maine at Augusta. More commonly called UMA to distinguish it from the other campuses, it offers financial aid packages for incoming students that might include grants, loans and other awards. The university also takes part in a work study program created by the federal government that allows students to get a regular paycheck during the school year while working on the campus. Students working on a bachelor’s degree will need to complete a minimum of 121 credits of work before they can graduate.
Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies
Unlike other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maine, the UMA program awards graduates a justice studies degree. You can choose a concentration in criminal justice, but this will require that you take six extra courses. The basic justice studies program four required courses: foundations of criminal justice, criminal law, due process in criminal justice and comparative international justice issues. You’ll also need to take a seminar in your senior year. The criminal justice concentration features courses like introduction to forensic science, principles of investigation, community policing, issues of police civil liability, the law of criminal evidence and judicial processes.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
46 University Dr.
Augusta, ME 04330
(877) 862-1234
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Academics
As you look at Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maine, you might want to look for schools that offer associate’s programs too. The University of Maine at Presque Isle, also called UMPI, is a branch of the University of Maine that offers both bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in criminal justice. Its associate’s program takes just two years to finish and lets you transfer your credits to the bachelor’s program later. This lets you immediately enroll in the bachelor’s program or take some time off to gain work experience before going back to school. The bachelor’s program is open to most incoming students.
Criminal Justice
To get you criminal justice degree from UMPI, you’ll need to submit a portfolio in your final year that includes research papers and projects that you did in the past. Your adviser will work with you to put together that portfolio. You can also work with your adviser to find an internship that interests you. Though the university does not require that CJ students do an internship, it will count as one of the electives that you must take. This program features a number of criminal justice classes that include introduction to criminal justice and punishment and corrections.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
181 Main Street
Presque Isle, ME 04769
(207) 768-9400
University of Southern Maine
Department of Criminology
The University of Southern Maine, usually called USM, has its own Department of Criminology, which is responsible for all the criminology and criminal justice programs that it offers. This department offers resources for students like internship placements that allow students to see where others worked in the past. This can help you decide where you want to work before you talk with your adviser and submit your internship form. As USM is in Portland, which is one of the largest cities in the state, you’ll find that you have more internship opportunities when you study here than you might have at other schools.
BA in Criminology
Though you can minor in criminology at USM, it’s best to pick a major. As with other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maine, you’ll need to take some general education courses to ensure that you have the research, writing and communications skills necessary for your later classes. Students must also take 12 credits of criminology electives and 24 credits of required criminology courses. Your internship will count as three of those credits. These classes include classical theories of social order, gender and crime, race and punishment and white collar crime. You must score at least a C in each class.
Accreditation
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Contact
PO Box 9300
Portland, ME 04104
(800) 800-4876
As you begin looking at and thinking about colleges, make sure that you consider the top schools in Maine. These schools offer the best Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maine that will help you succeed once you begin working in the field or when you further your studies in graduate school.
Related reading: Top 50 Most Affordable Schools for an Online Master’s in Homeland Security
