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  • Criminal Justice
The Sheriff's helicopter landing on campus for a demonstration for Criminal Justice

Bachelor's in Criminal Justice

Widely considered one of the best college programs of its kind in the state of New York, the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program at Hilbert College is designed to impart a deep understanding of key criminal, legal, scientific and social issues affecting society today, including hot-button issues surrounding race, ethnicity, and cultural and gender diversity.

You’ll build a solid foundation in criminology, research methods and ethics as you develop into a forward-thinking leader who prioritizes equity and justice. No matter your field of interest—from social services and juvenile justice to law enforcement and law making—our bachelor’s in criminal justice degree can help you make a difference for people and communities in an exciting and rewarding career.

Why Earn a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice?

Because a criminal justice degree is a social science degree, students develop skills beyond the core content area of criminal justice, including key skills in communication, critical thinking and analytical problem-solving. In addition, students develop a commitment to community service as well as ethical decision-making and behavior. Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree can choose from diverse career paths because they have learned theory, practical knowledge and professional workplace skills. With the skill set developed through our interdisciplinary program, students can look for employment in law enforcement, corrections, juvenile justice, social services, security or private police, courts, law or law making. Most of these areas offer employment opportunities in the private sector as well as with government agencies at the federal, state and local levels.

What Can You Do With a Criminal Justice Degree?

A student presents on crime at a Hilbert College criminal justice class

Hilbert’s bachelor’s degree in criminal justice can be the springboard you need to get started in a broad range of career paths related to protecting people and communities and ensuring the legal system is fair and effective. Whether you aspire to enter a professional field directly or use your bachelor’s degree as the foundation for advanced study leading to a graduate degree, our Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program can serve you well.

Criminal Justice Degree Options

Hilbert College offers aspiring criminal justice professionals a variety of ways to get started in the field.

Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice

Criminal justice majors may pursue the two-year Associate of Arts degree, allowing them to seek entry-level work in the criminal justice field.

Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Unlock additional career opportunities with our four-year Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree, offered as either an on-campus program or 100% online.

Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Criminal Justice

This innovative program combines Bachelor of Science and Master of Science coursework into a “4+1” plan that lets students earn a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in criminal justice administration in five years. Students can apply for admission to graduate school after completing all undergraduate degree requirements.

Learn More About Our 4+1 Program

Contact Us

Have a question for Criminal Justice? Contact us.

Carraugh Reilly Nowak, MFS 
Associate Professor FS/CJ
Chair, Criminal Justice
Bogel Hall 142D
Email Us

Criminal Justice Links

InternshipsCareers & ResourcesFacultyDegreesMinors & Concentrations Clubs
Institute of Law and Justice
Criminal Justice AgenciesProfessional Organizations

Top 10% of Criminal Justice programs in the nation graphic

Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Career Paths

A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice can be your gateway to a variety of career opportunities, including:

  • Police officer/detective
  • Criminal investigator
  • Private investigator
  • Federal agent
  • Fraud investigator
  • Air marshal
  • Probation officer
  • Corrections officer
  • Customs or border patrol officer
  • Immigration officer
  • Forensic accountant
  • Security officer

Additional studies at the graduate level can open up even more pathways to the senior positions—and higher salaries—this field has to offer.

What Is the Typical Salary for a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Graduate?

Here are some of the careers you may pursue with your criminal justice degree from Hilbert College, along with their median salaries:

 

Police Officer or Detective
Median annual salary: $66,020*

 

Criminal Investigator
Median annual salary: $83,640*

 

Probation Officer
Median annual salary: $60,250*

 

Border Patrol Agent
Median annual salary: $70,900**

 

Fraud Investigator
Median annual salary: $64,400**

 

Forensic Science Technician
Median annual salary: $61,930*

*Salary info based on data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
**Salary info based on data compiled by Payscale

Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Degree Job Outlook

Employment of protective service operations is projected to grow 2% from 2021 to 2031, resulting in about 72,600 new jobs over the decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. By far, the largest opportunity in this field will likely arise from the need to replace workers who retire or otherwise leave their jobs permanently. Taken together, growth and replacement needs will result in a sizable total of about 421,500 total job openings each year.

Why Choose Hilbert for Your Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice Degree?

At Hilbert, we embrace our students as family and do everything we can to propel them to success academically and socially. As a student in our Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program, you will enjoy:

  • Expert faculty with years of experience in their fields
  • A 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, guaranteeing face time with your professors Internship opportunities to gain practical experience in real-world settings such as the U.S. Secret Service, the New York State Attorney General’s Office, local police departments and many others
  • The opportunity to add a concentration to your criminal justice degree—choose from Corrections, Criminology, Family Violence, Investigations, Juvenile Justice, Police Management, Security and Generalist
  • Academic skills workshops, one-on-one tutoring, learning strategies instruction and academic counseling to help you perform your best
  • A dedicated Office of Career Development providing resources, knowledge and strategies to help you achieve your career potential
  • More than 30 student organizations, clubs and honor societies, plus intramural and club sports Ample service learning opportunities to give back to the community

Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Curriculum

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program at Hilbert College is carefully designed to provide students with a challenging and relevant curriculum through a balance of liberal arts, career preparation and the integration of multiple disciplines. In addition to discipline-specific knowledge, the criminal justice program cultivates students by developing critical thinking, oral and written communication, research, analysis, technological and problem-solving skills. Our program develops student commitment in the areas of community service, personal accountability, global responsibility and cultural diversity. It stresses ethical decision-making, principled behavior and the importance of life-long learning, while facilitating professional and career development in specialized fields.

Criminal Justice AA Curriculum

Criminal Justice AA Curriculum

Freshmen Year: Semester One
EN 101 College Writing
CJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SO 101 Introduction to Sociology
GS 101 Foundations Seminar
GEN ED General Education Module
Freshmen Year: Semester Two
EN 102 Writing in the Humanities
CJ 202 Introduction to Law & Justice
CJ 204 Crime & Society
RS Elective Religion Course Elective 
COM 151 Public Speaking
Sophomore Year: Semester Three
GS 201 Service Learning & Civic Engagement
CJ Elective Criminal Justice Elective
GEN ED General Education Module
GEN ED General Education Module
GEN ED General Education Module
Sophomore Year: Semester Four
CJ Elective Criminal Justice Elective
MA 200 Topics in Statistics
GEN ED General Education Module
GEN ED General Education Module
All College All College Elective

Criminal Justice BS Curriculum

Criminal Justice BS Curriculum

Freshmen Year: Semester One
EN 101 College Writing
CJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SO 101 Introduction to Sociology
GS 101 Foundations Seminar
GEN ED General Education Module
Freshmen Year: Semester Two
EN 102 Writing in the Humanities
CJ 202 Introduction to Law & Justice
GEN ED General Education Module
GEN ED General Education Module
COM 151 Public Speaking
Sophomore Year: Semester Three
SO 201 Social Problems
CJ 200 Introduction to Corrections
CJ 204 Crime and Society
GEN ED General Education Module
GEN ED General Education Module
Sophomore Year: Semester Four

CJ Elective

Criminal Justice Elective
GS 201 Service Learning & Civic Engagement
RS Elective Religion Course Elective
All College All College Elective
Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Elective
Junior Year: Semester Five
MA 200 Topics in Statistics
CJ 335 or SO 306 Diversity Issues in Criminal Justice or Cultural Diversity: Ethnic & Racial Relations
PS 402 Junior Symposium
All College All College Elective
All College All College Elective
Junior Year: Semester Six
CJ 305 Research Methods in Social Sciences
CJ 404 Criminal Investigations/ Criminalistics
Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Elective
CJ Elective Criminal Justice Elective
CJ Elective Criminal Justice Elective
Senior Year: Semester Seven
CJ 330 Ethics in the Criminal System
CJ 405 Seminar in Criminal Justice
FS 320 Interview and Interrogation Techniques
All College All College Elective
Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Elective
Senior Year: Semester Eight
CJ 402 Advanced in Criminal Theory
Elective Upper-Level Elective
Elective Upper-Level Elective
All College All College Elective
Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Elective


This eight-semester plan is intended as a supplemental resource to the major curriculum for a four-year degree, and it is a recommended schedule for timely graduation and should not be interpreted as a guarantee of if/when specific courses are offered.

Criminal Justice 4+1 Curriculum

Criminal Justice 4+1 Curriculum

Freshmen Year: Semester One
EN 101 College Writing
CJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SO 101 Introduction to Sociology
GS 101 Foundations Seminar
GEN ED General Education Module
Freshmen Year: Semester Two
EN 102 Writing in the Humanities
CJ 202 Introduction to Law & Justice
GEN ED General Education Module
GEN ED General Education Module
COM 151 Public Speaking
Sophomore Year: Semester Three
SO 201 Social Problems
CJ 200 Introduction to Corrections
CJ 204 Crime and Society
GEN ED General Education Module
RS Elective Religion Course Elective
Sophomore Year: Semester Four
CJ Elective Criminal Justice Elective
GS 201 Service Learning & Civic Engagement
GEN ED General Education Module
All College All College Elective
All College All College Elective
Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Elective
Junior Year: Semester Five
MA 200 Topics in Statistics
CJ 335 or SO 306 Diversity Issues in Criminal Justice or Cultural Diversity: Ethnic & Racial Relations
All College All College Elective
CJ 330 Ethics in Criminal System
CJ 402 Crime & Deviance: Advanced Criminological Theory
Junior Year: Semester Six
CJ 305 Research Methods in Social Sciences
CJ 404 Criminal Investigations/ Criminalistics
Liberal Arts Liberal Arts Elective
FS 320 Interview and Interrogation Techniques
 PS 402   Junior Symposium
All College All College Elective
Senior Year: Semester Seven
CJ 499 Internship
CC 500 Organizational Theory and Management 
FS 320 Interview and Interrogation Techniques
CJA 601 Pro-seminar in Criminal Justice Administration
CJA 640 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
Senior Year: Semester Eight
CJ 405  Seminar in Criminal Justice
CC 505 Introduction to Graduate Statistics 
CC 510 Program Planning and Evaluation 
CJA 679 Research Project - Independent Study
 
Fifth Year Courses Are Post-Baccalaureate

Fifth Year: Semester Nine (Summer)             
CC 515              Finance and Budgeting
CJA 645 Nature and Causes of Crime  
CJA 660 Policing in Contemporary Society
Fifth Year: Semester Ten             
CJA 650      Criminal Law and the Court System
CJA 670 Penology
CJA 680 Capstone Seminar in Criminal Justice


This eight-semester plan is intended as a supplemental resource to the major curriculum for the 4+1 Program, and it is a recommended schedule for timely graduation and should not be interpreted as a guarantee of if/when specific courses are offered.

  Printable Major Maps

Grab printable versions of our courses, concentrations, and curriculums through our academic advising page.

Get My PDFs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the job options for those with a bachelor's in criminal justice degree?

Graduates of Hilbert’s Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program may pursue a wide variety of careers that offer competitive salaries and personal satisfaction. Careers available to graduates include police officer, detective, criminal investigator, probation or correctional officer, immigration officer, fraud investigator, security officer and more.

What is the typical salary for criminal justice majors?

The median annual salary for professionals holding a bachelor’s in criminal justice from a U.S. higher education institution was about $60,000 as of October 2022, according to Payscale.com.

How long does it take to earn your Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice?

Criminal justice majors may pursue the two-year Associate of Arts degree, allowing them to seek entry-level work in the criminal justice field, or the four-year Bachelor of Science degree either on campus or online. Most students complete our Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program in four years or less. Full-time students with eligible transfer credits may be able to complete the program sooner. In addition, Hilbert offers the innovative combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science program, a “4+1” plan that lets students earn a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in criminal justice administration in five years.

What are the ways you can specialize your bachelor's degree in criminal justice?

Students in the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program at Hilbert have the opportunity to gain a more in-depth understanding of areas of interest by choosing one of the following concentrations: Corrections, Criminology, Family Violence, Investigations, Juvenile Justice, Police Management, Security and Generalist. Find out more about your criminal justice concentration options.

Apply to the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Program at Hilbert College

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