Online Criminal Justice Master’s Degree

Prepare to Protect and Serve Your Community

High-quality online education to give you an industry edge

Law enforcement professionals play an essential role in every community as leaders and change agents. Anna Maria College offers a flexible, affordable online Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree program designed to prepare students looking to advance their career in this industry for long-term professional success.

Anna Maria’s online master’s in criminal justice is perfect for professionals in law enforcement and corrections who want to advance into leadership roles. Our graduate program allows you to customize your studies with a specialization to suit your goals and interests, or pursue the general track to broaden your scope of study with more varied electives. Entrants who have graduated from a qualified police academy are eligible for the Mid-Career Track, which waives up to two courses.

Making the decision to continue your education with an online degree from Anna Maria College is one of the best career moves you’ll ever make. In addition to career advancement and higher pay, you’ll enhance your critical thinking and research abilities, two vital skills that will help you succeed throughout your career.

Quinn Bill-certified

Experience for Credit

Specialization Options

Download a FREE Program Brochure

To get this detailed info and speak with a program manager, complete the form below.

Note: All fields required.

Industry-Informed Courses to Enhance Your Skills

Our 100% online courses deliver a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skill development you can apply in your criminal justice career. By integrating liberal education and professional preparation, we ensure you’re ready to excel in the workplace. Depending on your chosen specialization, you may take courses such as:

HLS 703: International Threat and Policy Analysis

This course examines, through a risk and vulnerability assessment of the global terrorism phenomenon, various international groups’ culture, history, ideology and motivation, capabilities, methods and activities within contexts of political, ethical, social and legal issues. Included in this examination is the emergence and growth of extremist and terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and other terrorist networks. Particular attention will be focused on U.S. foreign policy, media impact, intelligence cycles, acts and procedures at governmental, state, and community levels.

CRJ 806 Ethics in Criminal Justice

Examines ethical principles as they apply to the many practical problems that confront criminal justice professionals in the performance of their duties and responsibilities. Uses case studies to illustrate ethical reasoning and examine issues of social justice.

CRJ 816 Criminological Thought

Study major theories of crime and criminality. Conduct analysis through common sense, logic, evidence, policy utility and compatibility. Examine leading theory through a discussion of measures, correlates and popular beliefs regarding the prevalence, causes and continuance of criminal offending.

CRJ 822 Criminal Justice and Public Policy

Facilitates critical thinking about the approaches to the delivery of public safety services through an examination of the processes of developing and implementing law and policies. Includes the study of the complexities of the political process and of behaviors and attitudes of individuals in various agencies in an attempt to understand and assess planning decisions.

Online Flexibility to Suit Your Schedule

With the flexibility and convenience of an online program, you’ll be able to better balance your studies with your work and family commitments. Each course is offered in an asynchronous, eight-week format, allowing you to complete your schoolwork on the schedule that’s right for you.

Open Doors to New Professional Opportunities

The online criminal justice degrees from Anna Maria College provide in-demand credentials for a rewarding career path. Through 20301:

  • 51,700 new police and detective jobs are projected to be added to the market
  • The median salary for detectives and criminal investigators is $86,940
  • Overall employment of police and detectives is projected to grow 7%
  • Police chief
  • Prison warden
  • Emergency management director
  • Fraud investigator
  • Security manager
  • Special agent

A Mission of Excellence

The mission of Anna Maria College is to foster our students’ intellectual involvement, career preparation, social awareness, dedication to justice and peace, religious and moral sensitivity, and to facilitate a lifestyle capable of sustaining these within balance.

Download a FREE Program Brochure

Request Info

Sources and Disclaimer

  1. Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Police and Detectives. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/.

Anna Maria College was approved by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to participate in SARA, and became a SARA institution in 2021. At this time, only California is not a member state. If you reside in California and are interested in taking an online class at Anna Maria College, please fill out the request form to get in contact with a program manager.