Program at a Glance
- Program
- Bachelor
- College(s)
- College of Community Innovation and Education
- Department(s)
- Criminal Justice
Explore Hands-On Solutions That Help Address Your Community’s Needs
The BA in Criminal Justice program at UCF is uniquely designed to provide you with a broad understanding of crime and society’s control mechanisms, as well as to prepare you for a professional career in criminal justice and related professions. You’ll learn how to take a broad yet specialized degree and apply it to the operations of criminal justice professions, such as law enforcement, courts, corrections, advocacy (domestic violence, human trafficking, elderly abuse), juvenile justice and cybersecurity. Along the way, mix your academic experience with practical application through internships, study abroad and experiential learning.
Earn your criminal justice degree fully online or on campus. This provides you with the convenience and flexibility to learn when, where and how you want. Upon graduation, criminal justice majors can find employment as police, correctional or probation officers, justice system administrators, crime analysts, private security administrators, superintendents, county sheriffs/deputies, program directors or elected officials. You can also go on to graduate school and get involved with academic criminal justice; or professional school, like law school, and take positions in the legal aspects of the justice system as prosecutors or defense attorneys. With experience and additional education, you have additional opportunities in supervisory, administrative, or counseling positions.
Scholar’s Track
The Scholar’s Track is for students who maintain a GPA of 3.2 or better and have met the entrance requirement of having achieved a grade of B or better in both ENC1101 and ENC1102. This track introduces exceptional students to specialized topics and provides the opportunity for select students to work closely with criminal justice professors who will mentor them in nine hours of small, seminar-style classes.
Undergraduate Certificates
Highlights
Undergraduate Application Deadlines
- Fall
- May 1
- Spring
- November 1
- Summer
- March 1
- Fall
- July 1
- Spring
- November 1
- Summer
- March 1
- Fall
- March 1
- Spring
- September 1
- Summer
- January 1
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Course Overview
Criminal Profiling in Criminal Justice
Examine criminal profiling undertaken by law enforcement and prosecution authorities which consists of gathering, reviewing and analyzing evidence pertaining to violent crimes.
Serial Murder
Learn the extent, types and explanations of serial murder, and responses of the general public, law enforcement and prosecution.
Sex Offenders and the Criminal Justice System
Gain a better understanding of how the criminal justice system deals with sex offenders and their offenses.
Human Trafficking in the Criminal Justice System
Explore human trafficking from the global, national and local criminal justice perspectives.
Domestic Violence in the Criminal Justice System
Discover the nature and causes of forms of domestic violence, pertaining to laws, prevention strategies and justice system response.
Criminal Justice Skills You'll Learn
- Gain a fuller understanding of the connection between theoretical foundations and practical application of criminal justice concepts.
- Acquire hands-on skills, insight and a richer understanding of the operations in a criminal justice agency through the completion of an internship experience.
- Develop a deep appreciation for the importance of data and information to drive criminal justice policies and programs (intelligence-led and data-driven initiatives), such as identification of crime, prevention of crime, reduction of crime, and identification of criminal justice personnel (selection, training and promotion).
Career Opportunities
- Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent
- U.S. Office of Probation
- Crime/Intelligence Analyst
- Private and Corporate Security
- Domestic Violence Advocate
- Local and State Law Enforcement
