Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice
Lacey, USA
BA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2026
TUITION FEES
USD 46,856 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
If you dream of pursuing a career in law enforcement, corrections, legal studies, or victim services, criminology and criminal justice may be the best major for you.
Program Highlights
- Personalized career advising
- Low 1:11 student-to-faculty ratio
- A dedicated faculty with strong ties to local law enforcement agencies
- Students study with professionals working in the field, as well as with our regular faculty
- Hands-on experience through internships within agencies that form part of the criminal justice system
- Capstone project allowing students to identify and pursue a contemporary issue of significant and substantial concern
- Students broaden their perspective through a wide range of specialty courses, including victimology, drugs and society, social justice, and deviant behavior
Enhanced Study
Students who pursue a minor in criminal justice can use this concentration to enhance a major field of study, such as:
- Business
- History
- Political science
- Psychology
- Social work
Research and Internships
Research and internships are championed by the criminal justice faculty.
Opportunities include:
- Senior thesis publication
- Washington State Department of Corrections
- Washington State Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
- Lacey Police Department
Minor Program Options
Gender and Identity Studies
The gender and identity studies minor is interdisciplinary and widely covers work from a variety of academic disciplines. Elective coursework is offered in the departments of communication studies, criminal justice, English, history, political science, psychology, social justice, social work, and sociology. To emphasize the significance of an interdisciplinary understanding of gender and identity, students are required to take elective courses in at least two academic departments outside of gender and identity studies.
Global Studies
The global studies program is designed for students who are interested in studying international problems from an interdisciplinary perspective. The program emphasizes the study of political science, foreign language, history, and related fields to provide students with an understanding of contemporary issues.
Legal Studies
The Legal Studies Program is an interdisciplinary field of study composed of law courses from the departments of criminal justice, political science, history, and sociology, and the schools of business, education, and engineering.
Native Voices
The Native voices minor explores local and global Indigenous perspectives, with the goal of studying media and creating stories with a multidisciplinary lens and a focus on social justice.
Social Justice
The Social Justice Program at Saint Martin’s University explores the complex nature of social justice and alternative venues that foster justice.
Corrections Concentration
This pathway is designed to prepare students for future careers in correctional settings. Graduates may choose to pursue a career as a correctional officer or jailer in institutional corrections settings, such as prisons, jails, and detention facilities. Alternatively, students may choose a career as a probation or parole officer, case manager, or correctional counselor within a variety of community supervision settings.
Law Enforcement and Investigation Concentration
This pathway is designed to prepare students for future careers in law enforcement and investigation settings. Graduates may choose to pursue a career as a sworn agent, police officer, or public safety officer for local, state, or federal agencies. Many law enforcement careers are available in these categories, including: sheriff, bailiff, state trooper, FBI agent, park ranger, border patrol agent, US marshal, DEA agent, Secret Service agent, fish and wildlife police, and US park police. Alternatively, students may choose a career working in the private sector as investigators, loss prevention agents, or security personnel.
Legal Studies Concentration
This pathway is designed to prepare students for future careers in legal settings. Graduates may choose to pursue graduate education in law school as the next step toward a career as a lawyer. Alternatively, students may choose a career as a court clerk, legal researcher, court services officer, or paralegal.
Victim Services Concentration
This pathway is designed to prepare students for future careers in serving victims of crime, violence, or trauma. Graduates may choose to pursue a career as a victim advocate, victim coordinator, or victim specialist, witness coordinator, or specialist.
Popular Criminology and Criminal Justice Courses
- Drugs, the family, and society
- Forensic science
- Gender, crime, and law
- Philosophy of law
- White collar crime
- Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of core criminal justice concepts and principles, including the structure and functioning of the primary systems included in the criminal justice apparatus in the United States: policing, courts, and corrections
- Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the nature of crime and delinquency, and primary criminological theories, philosophies, and schools of thought that enable or suppress crime.
- Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the justice system, processing, and related ethical issues related to the complexity of the core components of law.
- Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of scientific research methods by conducting independent research linking theory to policy and/or practice and communicating research results.
- Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to engage in applied workforce and advanced studies preparation within criminology & criminal justice disciplines through the completion of an internship and the development of a professional portfolio.
- Law enforcement
- Legal research or representation
- Outreach
- Counseling
- Administration
- Security
- Teaching