Criminal justice (BA)

Criminal justice BA program overview

The University of Nevada, Reno's online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice program delivers academic excellence with the flexibility modern students need. This comprehensive program mirrors our renowned on-campus curriculum while allowing you to complete your degree asynchronously from anywhere in the world. Rather than serving solely as professional training, our academically centered program provides a deep understanding of the criminal justice system, law, and justice through exploration of legal, ethical, administrative, and behavioral dimensions.

What sets UNR's program apart is its unwavering commitment to academic quality, offering the same rigorous coursework in criminal law, corrections, criminological theory, and research methods as our on-campus experience. Students can customize their degree with specialization options across multiple areas within law, policing, courts, and corrections based on their career goals. Designed with working professionals in mind, our program offers truly flexible scheduling to balance education with work and personal responsibilities.

Graduates develop the ability to analyze the myths of the criminal justice system, conduct meaningful research using quantitative and qualitative methods, formulate sophisticated thinking in critical venues, apply diverse ethical systems, and engage in continuous self-reflection amid America's diversity. Our curriculum includes foundational courses like Introduction to Administration of Justice, Criminal Law and Procedure, Research Methods, and Criminological Theory.

This degree opens doors to diverse career paths including law enforcement, corrections, court administration, legal services, reentry programs, private security, and policy analysis, with many graduates pursuing advanced education through master's or doctoral programs or continuing to law school.

Learning outcomes

Students will be able to:

• describe the myths of the criminal justice system and explain issues and dilemmas of problem-solving in a pluralistic society.
• conduct meaningful analysis and program assessment by applying quantitative and qualitative social science skills.
• formulate sophisticated thinking and writing in critical, programmatic, and evaluative venues and apply a variety of epistemological traditions.
• make use of a variety of ethical systems to conduct themselves as ethical persons in complex and demanding situations.
• conduct constant self-reflection as required to be an effective philosopher/practitioner amidst the American diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, and class.

^*Program tuition. Base tuition cost. Does not include student fees. Please note everyone's net tuition costs is specific to their own situation and will be different for each person. Learn more about tuition and fees >