Nearly any job in a law enforcement or criminology field will require a college degree, like those that students earn every year from Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland and other states.
Maryland is close to Washington DC, which is home to more federal agencies and organizations than any other region in the world. Not only can you use your degree to work for an agency like the CIA or the Department of Homeland Security, but you may have the option of doing an internship for one of those agencies while in school for credit towards your criminal justice degree.
Bowie State University
Behavioral Sciences & Human Services
Bowie State University has amenities that other colleges in the state do not have, especially in regards to criminal justice. One of those amenities is a full criminology lab that the university equipped with the newest forms of technology. This lab allows you to learn more about crime scene investigation and evidence processing, and you’ll even have the chance to run your own simulations in the lab. BSU also has its own Criminal Justice Club for CJ majors and minors as well as an honors society that inducts new students each year based on the grades they received in their CJ classes.
Criminal Justice Major
In addition to general education courses that are similar to the ones you’ll take in other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland, this program requires that you take some specific courses relating to your major. You must take 36 semester hours of criminal justice courses that make up the core of the program. Those classes include introduction to criminal justice, theories, advanced criminal procedure and evidence, elementary statistics in sociology and data analysis. You’ll also need to take a practicum course and do some lab work and take a seminar in your final year in the university.
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Contact
14000 Jericho Park Rd.
Bowie, MD 20715
(301) 860-3126
cadams@bowiestate.edu
Coppin State University
Academics
Coppin State University is a public university in Maryland that offers affordable tuition rates for residents of the state and low tuition rates for nonresidents too. Though the university only offered a small number of degree programs in its early years, it now offers a wide range of undergraduate programs, as well as options for both graduate and doctoral students. CSU has its own master’s program in criminal justice and accepts students who have a deep understanding of criminal justice subjects. You’ll develop that knowledge in the university’s undergrad program, which features dozens of electives in standard and unique subjects.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
The electives available in this program go beyond those you’ll find in other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland. Though you can take electives at three different levels, the highest level features courses like latent print development, biological evidence, advanced investigative techniques and women in the criminal justice system. CSU designed these courses for students who want to work as crime scene analysts. The program includes a core of classes that are worth 21 credits such as introduction to criminal justice, criminal justice and the constitution, fundamentals of criminal justice research and advanced legal and technical writing.
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Contact
2500 West North Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21216-3698
(410) 951-3000
Frostburg State University
Academics
Frostburg State University is a public university that gets its name from the city where it’s located. Also called FSU, it has a website that provides students with everything they need to know about applying to the university and taking classes. You can even see what the interior and exterior looks like on popular residence halls and find out how much it will cost to live in one of those dorms. The site also allows you to sign up for a campus tour, which lets you see if the campus, its courses and the clubs available are right for you.
Bachelor of Science in Law and Society
Unlike other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland that focus solely on criminal justice, FSU offers a program in law and society that looks at sociological issues relating to crime and what the law does to criminals. You can pick a concentration in criminal justice that can prepare you for working in law enforcement, but you can also select a concentration in legal studies that will help you get ready for law school. Each concentration will require that you take the same core courses though. You’ll take a course on public policy as well as classes on criminology and contemporary ethical problems.
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Contact
101 Braddock Rd.
Frostburg, MD 21532-2303
(301) 687-4201
Kaplan University – Hagerstown Campus
Criminal Justice
While looking at Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland, you might want to consider those available from Kaplan University. The parent company that owns the university is the same one that offers those test prep courses and materials you took or used before taking the ACT or a similar exam. Though the first campus Kaplan owns opened decades ago, it later added more campuses to its system before Kaplan took over the operation of those schools. Kaplan now operates dozens of campuses across the country, including one in the Hagerstown area of Maryland, and maintains a large online campus too.
Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice
One option for those who like criminal justice is the Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice that Kaplan offers. The university has a tuition cap in place that sets the maximum amount you will pay for your education. No matter how many classes you take towards your degree, you’ll never pay more than this maximum amount. This program requires that you take and pass 180 total credits, but 33 of those credits come from general education requirements. You’ll take 88 credits from the CJ major, including classes on research methods, criminal investigations and criminal procedures as well as a capstone.
Bachelor of Science in Corrections
Kaplan also offers a Bachelor of Science in Corrections that it designed for students who want to work inside correctional institutions like jails and prisons. They will learn how rehabilitation works, the procedures that these institutions use and ways in which they can stay safe while at work. Though some required courses are the same as those you would take in the last program, you’ll also take classes relating to corrections like probation and parole, corrections alternatives, correctional administration and the history of corrections. Kaplan also requires that you take a class on research methods before taking a final capstone class.
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Contact
18618 Crestwood Dr.
Hagerstown, MD 21742
(301) 766-3600
Mount St. Mary’s University
Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice
Though many colleges in Maryland offer criminal justice degree programs, Mount Saint Mary’s University is one of the only campuses with its own criminal justice department. Its Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice is part of its College of Liberal Arts. All students enrolling in one of the programs offered by this department will work with an adviser to select classes for each semester. Your adviser can also help you learn about new internship opportunities, apply for one of those programs and decide whether to do an independent study project or a research paper to gain more experience.
Criminal Justice Major
The criminal justice major program that Mount St. Mary’s University offers is one that requires students take and pass 39 credits of criminology and related courses. All other credits that you need will come from your electives and the general education courses that you must take. You have the option of taking sociology, psychology and criminal justice courses or courses from other departments as electives. The main program features courses such as introduction to intelligence analysis, oral communication, media relations and courtroom testimony, cyber forensics, drugs and crime, juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice and special topics in criminal justice.
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Contact
16300 Old Emmitsburg Rd.
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
(301) 447-6122
admissions@msmary.edu
Notre Dame University of Maryland
Programs
Notre Dame University of Maryland is one of the more unique colleges in the state because it is the only college for women in Maryland. Founded in the late 19th century as a preparatory school, it later added college classes and then dropped its high school courses in favor of a college curriculum. After becoming a full university, it added some graduate programs and then doctoral programs. While some of those programs are now open to male students, its undergraduate program still only admits females. Men can apply for its continuing education program designed for adult learners though.
Criminology Major
Women who want to study criminology without dealing with men in their classes will prefer the Notre Dame University of Maryland program over other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland. This program features more than 20 courses that include criminal justice classes as well as those relating to sociology, statistics and psychology. The practicum that you take in your senior year lets you do an internship and gain field experience, which you can also gain in your lab courses. This program includes classes like violence against women, research methods and crime analysis, juvenile delinquency and criminology at the movies.
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Contact
4701 North Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210
(410) 435-0100
Stevenson University
Undergraduate Programs
Stevenson University offers one of the only Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland with an option available for those who want to go directly to graduate school. Its BS to MS option allows you to earn your bachelor’s and master’s degree in less than the four years that it would usually take. You’ll start taking graduate level classes while working on your undergrad criminal justice degree. There is also a minor available for those who want to major in pre-law or a social science. All criminal justice students must do an internship at a law enforcement or similar agency.
Criminal Justice
All Stevenson University students must take a first year seminar that goes over some of the things the university expects of its students. This course will also help you learn more effective study habits too. As a CJ major, you must take introduction to psychology, introduction to sociology, introduction to statistics and state and local government in addition to required criminology courses. Those criminology classes include comparative criminal justice systems, law enforcement, corrections, the juvenile justice system, research methods in criminal justice and American courts and the criminal justice system. Stevenson offers a study abroad program for these majors too.
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Contact
100 Campus Circle
Owings Mills, MD, 21117-7804
(877) 468-6852
admissions@stevenson.edu
Strayer University
Online Degrees
Strayer University is a chain of for-profit colleges that operates in the United States and in some international territories. One of the unique features of this university is that it chooses locations for its campuses in major cities and in convenient locations within those cities. Most of its campuses are in business parks and cover just a few floors inside one building. You’ll have full access to an on-site library as well as online resources. Strayer offers all its courses online too for online students and those who want to combine traditional and online learning in a single program.
Online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
The online degree program in criminal justice that Strayer offers is an all encompassing program that looks at factors like how criminal actions affect the world at large and how certain risk factors make individuals more susceptible to criminal activities. Strayer lets you customize your degree in various ways and offers more concentration options than other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland do. Those concentrations include Computer Forensics, Crime & Criminal Behavior, Criminal Justice Administration, Homeland Security & Emergency Management, and Probation & Parole.
Strayer offers financial help for military students, traditional learners and adult students.
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Contact
5110 Auth Way
Suitland, MD 20746
(301) 505-3300
princegeorges@strayer.edu
University of Baltimore
Majors
The University of Baltimore is the largest school in the city and one of the largest public colleges in the whole state. Criminal justice majors will find that the university has a number of partnerships in place with government and law enforcement organizations within the city that make it easier for those students to find and complete internships. The university also allows students to customize their degrees and treat this program like an interdisciplinary program. All the courses you take from other disciplines help compliment the CJ program and allow you to look at subjects from different angles.
Criminal Justice
One of the top options for Baltimore students looking at Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland is the CJ program that the University of Baltimore offers. Those accepted into the university’s accelerated program can take up to nine credits of graduate work while an undergrad and then transfer to the university’s graduate CJ program. The courses available change with each semester, but your adviser will help you stay on track and pick the right ones needed for your degree. You’ll take courses like the contemporary criminal justice system, criminal justice research methods, criminal procedures and corrective perspectives.
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Contact
10 W. Preston St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 837-5359
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Department of Criminal Justice
The Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore has two goals in mind. It wants to provide students with a stronger background that will prepare them for finding a job and working in a variety of careers, but the department also wants to ensure that students take the classes necessary to work with the public. This department is responsible for overseeing both the undergrad program and the graduate program offered by the university. UMES has its own criminal justice journal that students can submit papers to and work on as well as clubs designed for these majors.
Criminal Justice
Earning your criminal justice degree through UMES will require that you take general education courses like those found in other Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland. You’ll also take 30 credits of core courses that include law enforcement, introduction to criminal justice, introduction to corrections, the courts, criminal law and juvenile justice. Some of these courses are available as honors classes too. You will need to take a senior capstone course too. UMES requires that students take some classes designed to supplement the major also, including psychology of criminal behavior, social problems and abnormal psychology.
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Contact
30665 Student Services Center
Princess Anne, MD 21853
(410) 651-7747
University of Maryland College Park
Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice
The University of Maryland is the main university system in the state, and as its flagship campus is in College Park, this campus goes by the name of the University of Maryland College Park. Others refer to it as the University of Maryland or UMD. The Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice on this campus maintains its own calendar of events because it puts on so many special events throughout the year. You have the chance to attend lectures and listen as professionals in the field speak, but you can also sign up to work on one of the publications that the university puts out too.
CCJS Major
UMD offers one of the top Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland as well as one of the top graduate programs. The undergrad program features core courses on statistics, criminal law and research methods as well as courses that serve as an introduction to both criminology and criminal justice. You’ll then take two courses on corrections, policing and similar topics and a class on criminology theory. This program features different electives that might help you in graduate school or when you go to work in the field. Those electives include introduction to criminalistics, criminal investigations, contemporary legal policy issues and courts and sentencing.
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Contact
2220 Samuel J. LeFrak Hall
7251 Preinkert Dr.
College Park, MD 20742
(301) 405-469
ccjs-admin@umd.edu
University of Maryland University College
Academic Programs
University of Maryland University College is a large school in Maryland that has a main campus in Largo. The university also offers opportunities for students who want to study abroad because it has campuses in both Asia and Europe. Also called UMUC, it established a number of smaller campuses that it calls regional campuses across the country. These campuses offer educational opportunities for students currently enlisted in the military as well as those who work full-time jobs. UMUC has a criminal justice and investigative forensics club as well as an honors society for its criminal justice students.
Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree
As many colleges have the same general education requirements in place, it’s important that you look at the specialty courses available in all Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland to find the right one for you. This UMUC program 11 courses that all CJ students must take, including law enforcement administration, introduction to criminal justice, victimology, issues in criminal justice and drug and crime. You’ll also need to take a course on ethics in criminal justice. Students will also need to take 46 credits of electives. UMUC will count criminology courses as well as courses from other departments towards your electives.
Accreditation
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Contact
1616 McCormick Drive,
Largo, MD 20774
(855) 655-8682
With a criminal justice degree, you will have the skills necessary to work in corrections or as a police officer, but you can also go to law school or get an advanced degree and work in administration. Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Maryland are great for students who want to work for the government, too.
See also: Top 50 Most Affordable Schools for an Online Master’s in Homeland Security
