Criminology Degree Online BS in Criminal Justice Concentration

You can, and there are plenty of reasons you should. Flexibility might be the biggest if you’re working in the criminal justice field full time – especially if you’re doing shift work.

Even if you’re not working full time, online education offers many benefits. That’s one of the reasons so many people opt to become online students. Our online criminology and crime analysis courses follow our undergraduate schedule of six 8-week terms per year. You'll take 1 or 2 courses per term. At SNHU, the majority of your classmates will be working students.

The online criminology and crime analysis degree, like all of our online degrees, gives you the flexibility to create your own schedule. That’s because there’s no set time you need to be in front of your computer to participate in class. Each week, you log in when you can and complete your assignments on your schedule. Then, you simply turn them in by your weekly deadlines – typically Thursday and Sunday nights.

Shelly Villa ’19, a military spouse and mother of four, chose SNHU’s online criminology degree to finish what she’d started after high school. She knew that by attending school online, she could still be there for her daughters.

She also liked the program’s diverse array of classes.

“I had never really thought about the juvenile court system before,” Villa said. “Then I took the class for the juvenile system, and I said, ‘Hey, this is something I’m actually really interested in.’”

What’s motivating you? Whether you want to get into law enforcement, corrections, social services or go on to teach criminal justice, SNHU’s criminology degree is worth a closer look.

Whether your goal is to break into the criminal justice field or you’re looking to advance in your current role, you have lots of options.

Earning your criminology and crime analysis degree online at SNHU can help you grow specialized skills that can make you stand out to employers. By combining a foundation in criminal justice with the data-savvy skills of crime analysis, you'll be positioned for success in a diverse array of career paths, including:

• Police and detectives: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) cites 5 main areas of responsibility for detectives and criminal investigators. They interview people to gather information, search records to uncover clues, conduct surveillance, collect evidence for clients, and check for civil judgments and criminal history. The BLS projects 3% growth for this area of law enforcement through 2032.¹
• Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists: Probation officers oversee people on probation. Correctional treatment specialists create rehabilitation plans for those on probation or parole. The BLS estimates about 7,400 openings each year, on average, for these roles through 2032.¹
• Social and community service managers: Whether serving children, the homeless, older adults, veterans or people with substance abuse or mental health needs, these roles focus on public well-being. The BLS projects 9% growth in this category through 2032.¹

Kelcey Kennedy '19 '21G went on to earn a master's in psychology after finishing her criminology program to position herself for her dream career.

"I want to be able to work with inmates to rehabilitate them back into society," she said. "Upon completing my degrees, I now have that opportunity."

Many schools offer criminology programs, but only you can decide which one is best for you. You’ll need to consider whether the program fits your budget, schedule and career plans, among other things.

SNHU’s criminology and crime analysis degree is one of the most affordable in the nation. It also offers the flexibility of an online degree. Combined enrollment in our criminal justice college degrees – including associate, bachelor's and master's programs – tops 7,000 students. Our faculty members bring real-world experience from all aspects of law enforcement to the classroom.

The program is also notable for its curriculum, which marries the latest criminology theory with practical crime analysis skills. This prepares graduates with an education that can set them apart in a competitive market.

Southern New Hampshire University also gives you access to online student groups like the Law and Disorder Club. The club hosts networking and educational events like Serial Killer Month, featuring trivia about serial killers, and a Cold Case Mystery Party.

Kristine Ducote, one of the founders of the club, said the networking between members and criminal justice professionals is one of the main advantages of joining the club.

“We meet different professionals in the field,” Ducote said. “You start networking (and) it can help you land a job you want or get your career going in the direction you want to go.”

Ducote started the club to help students get more from their programs and, ultimately, land a job in criminal justice.

“I want these students to go out and succeed, and I want them to go out and have what they need before they graduate,” she said. “It’s very important to me because we address issues that really need addressing.”

That depends partly on your career plans and partly on your ultimate educational goals.

Want to use your bachelor’s in criminology to pursue a traditional path in law enforcement as a detective? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), police and detectives made median annual wages of $74,910 in 2023.¹

If you want your criminology degree to lead to work in the prison system as a probation officer or correctional treatment specialist, know that the BLS reported median annual wages of $61,800 in 2023.¹

Is working for the public well-being what you aspire to? Social and community service managers made a median annual wage of $77,030 in 2023.¹

Is victim advocacy where your passion lies? The BLS reported a median annual wage of $58,380 for social workers who help victims of crimes in 2023.¹

Of course, an advanced law enforcement degree can increase your earning potential. SNHU offers the MS in Criminal Justice with 2 concentrations – counterterrorism and homeland security and public administration.

If you're not ready to take on a full graduate program, you can also strengthen your resume – and collect credits you can later apply to your master's degree – with a graduate certificate in counterterrorism or public administration certificate.

The criminology degree is versatile and meaningful. You can take it in several directions, from traditional law enforcement roles to working in the prison system or social services.

As you complete your criminology and crime analysis courses, you’ll develop the skills and knowledge to succeed in law enforcement, social services and related fields. And you’ll gain something just as vital – a better understanding of people.

Ian Moffett, retired chief of the Miami-Dade school system and an adjunct instructor at SNHU, spoke about the importance of empathy in criminal justice after the death of George Floyd in May 2020. Lending his expertise on a panel hosted at SNHU, Moffett said, “Studies show that people with higher education, people who have degrees, have better problem-solving skills. They’re more empathetic.”

Regardless of your career goals, the empathy and communication skills at the core of this program will help you achieve them.

Criminology is a great career choice, especially if you’re passionate about protecting the nation’s citizens from crime or serving the public good.

Laurie Nuzzo, SNHU criminal justice faculty and FBI investigative specialist, said a degree in criminology can help lead to a more fulfilling career. She has many students who believe they’ve learned how to communicate better with people through their studies.

Want to earn your degree, but can't currently commit to requirements of a bachelor's? Most full-time students can complete our associate degree in criminal justice program in two years. Part-time students, many of whom work full time, are encouraged to work at their own pace. Once you've earned your associate degree, you can seamlessly start work on the remaining 60 credits for your bachelor's degree.

SNHU's online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Criminology and Crime Analysis is uniquely designed to help prepare you for success as a crime analyst.

Developed by industry experts who understand the demands of today's workforce, this specialized degree offers a perfect path for a crime analyst – whether you're just starting your career or ready to make a change.

Becoming a crime analyst requires the right balance of criminal justice, research and data analytics skills. To this end, a bachelor's degree – while not always required – may be a powerful way to break into the field.

SNHU's online criminology and crime analysis degree is uniquely designed to help grow this very specific skill set. On one hand, you'll get the foundation you need to succeed in a protective service occupation. On the other, you'll gain competence with data analytics – which is itself a high-demand skill in just about every imaginable industry.

Real-world experience and on-the-job training are also helpful. Those with a background in law enforcement, for example, can gain practical knowledge that may position them for successful crime analysis careers.

Plus, those with law enforcement training could transfer their experience for up to 12 college credits at SNHU – saving you time and tuition.

Put simply, crime analysis is designed to predict and prevent criminal behavior. It achieves this goal through the analysis of a wide variety of data, which then informs strategic solutions to help reduce crime and protect communities.

"Crime analysts need to learn quantitative and qualitative techniques, to analyze data and develop crime prevention and intervention models," said Mahmut Cengiz, an SNHU adjunct professor and senior data analyst.

"Crime has a pattern. Crime analysis, instead of relying on law enforcement approximations, uses statistical prediction to identify the most probable areas for urgent police intervention," he said.