Skip to Main Content Skip to bottom Skip to Chat, Email, Text

online aacjs degree

Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice

Start your online criminal justice degree

Learn how the criminal justice and corrections systems operate — and prepare for a career that allows you to support the agencies, systems and procedures involved in criminal justice. Our customizable Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice is transfer-friendly when you optimize your work experience, transfer credits and certifications.

Courses in this program are just 5 weeks long, so they won’t get in the way of your busy life. Plus, There’s no application fee, no SAT test requirements, and we’ll even request your prior college transcripts for you.

Program Purpose Statement

The University’s Criminal Justice programs are educational degree programs. These programs do not prepare students to become certified peace officers. For those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement, corrections or as a peace officer with any particular local, state, federal, tribal or international agency, there are numerous additional qualifications (and often disqualifications), depending on the position. Before enrolling in a Criminal Justice program, potential students are highly encouraged to check with the relevant agency for a complete list of position requirements and disqualifications.

Transfer credits

Your prior eligible credits could help you graduate faster and for less.

Ways to save

Your work, life, and school experiences may give you a head start on your degree.

Apply free

No application fee
No SAT/ACT
No essay required

Ignite Your Passion

Start when you're ready

Courses

Browse courses for your online criminal justice degree

Education should hold practical value. That’s why our courses meet rigorous academic standards and provide you with skills and knowledge immediately applicable to your career.

Skills-aligned program icon

Look for this icon to see which skills you’ll learn in a course.

Requirements: 60 credits

You’ll need 60 credits to complete this associate in criminal justice. Your course schedule may vary based on transferable credits or credits earned through the University’s Prior Learning Assessment.

6 Core Courses

Here’s where you’ll pick up the bulk of your program-specific knowledge. By the time you finish these courses, you should have the confidence and skills needed in a criminal justice environment.

6 Core Courses

12 Gen Ed Courses

These courses lay the foundation for all our degree programs. Because communication, math and writing skills aren’t just universally applicable in this field — they’re useful in daily life.

12 Gen Ed Courses

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help you schedule your courses for an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice.

Skills-aligned program icon

Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years.

Learning shouldn’t take years to put into practice. That’s why we’re empowering you to build career-relevant skills with every five- to six-week course.

We’ve worked with the labor market researcher Lightcast to identify in-demand skills for occupations and mapped those to our related associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

Tuition

Paying for school

Tuition is based on number of credit hours per course. Courses are typically 3 credits, but can range from 1-6 credits. Costs do not include savings opportunities like transfer credits and scholarships.

Undergrad cost per course

$1,364 / course

Cost per credit 

Credits per course

Resource fee

$398

x3

+ $170

Estimated cost per course

$1,364

An illustration showing a couple pushing a stroller with a dollar sign and clock in the background

What affects the overall cost of my program?

Your full program cost can vary by: 

  • Savings opportunities. Your cost could be reduced with eligible transfer credits, scholarships, employer discounts and more. Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11K and 1 year off their undergraduate degree at University of Phoenix.

With our Tuition Guarantee, you pay one flat, affordable rate from the moment you enroll to the day you graduate from your program.

Discover ways to save time and money on your degree with our Savings Explorer® tool:

Transfer credits

Get credit for what you already know. Earn your degree without starting from scratch. Have previous relevant work and life experience evaluated for potential credit. If you have military or law enforcement training, such as Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), Basic Corrections Academy training or Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy training, you can apply to have that experience evaluated for up to 30 credits.

Save time and money when you transfer in eligible credits toward your degree.

The Savings Explorer tool can help you find ways to save on your education

Try our Savings Explorer® tool

Eligible students saved:

$11,000 & 1 year

Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11k and 1 year off their undergraduate degree with University of Phoenix.

Try our Savings Explorer™ tool

Eligible students saved:

$11,000 & 1 year

Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11k and 1 year off their undergraduate degree with University of Phoenix.

Financial aid

You may have options when it comes to paying for college tuition and expenses, such as federal grants and loans. Our finance advisors can answer your questions about financial aid and can help guide you through the process.

Federal Student Loan Basics

Careers & Outcomes

What can you do with an Associate in Criminal Justice?

Discover where your degree might take you and make informed choices about your future.

An AACJS can prepare you to be a:

  • Correctional Sergeant
  • Corrections Specialist
  • Corrections Officer (CO)
  • Correctional Officer
  • Juvenile Corrections Officer
  • Detention Officer
  • Security Officer
  • Jail Officer
  • Deputy Jailer
  • Corrections Corporal
  • Community Corrections Officer

Top skills learned in this program:

  • Enforcement

  • Sociology

  • Communication

Ready to get started?

Start your application for free or request additional information.

What you’ll learn

When you earn your online associate in criminal justice, you’ll be equipped with a concrete set of skills you can apply on the job. You’ll learn how to:

  • Explain the foundational components of the criminal justice system.
  • Apply interpersonal and collaborative communication skills.
  • Explain societal issues in the criminal justice system.

-6% Growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for correctional officers and bailiffs is projected to decline between 2023 and 2033.

The BLS Projected Growth for 2023-2033 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

Admissions

Apply for free – no application fee, no obligation.

Starting your degree is a big decision — and we want you to feel great about it. That’s why we remove obstacles from your application.

  • No SAT/ACT required 
  • No essay required 
  • No cost, risk-free trial for eligible students
  • We’ll request transcripts at no cost to you, when possible, and we accept eligible credits from over 5,000 accredited institutions.
G. Galindo - Enrollment Representative

Gabriel G., Enrollment Rep

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 85% of our surveyed students.[1]

[1] Transactional Survey, September 2022-August 2023 (23,739 respondents)

Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

Call us at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.[1] Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

[1] Transactional Survey, August 2021-22 (18,645 respondents)

Gabriel G., Enrollment Representative

Call or chat with us 7 days a week.

Student Experience

An education that fits your busy life

Balancing family, work and school

Work toward your degree without giving up what matters most. Start your degree year-round and take one class at a time.

Online learning

Enroll in online classes and attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night.

Around-the-clock support and resources

You have a support team available up to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week. 

Computer requirements for courses

Many course assignments will require you to use a computer to complete and submit your assignment. 

Student completing homework at night while child plays on floor.

Faculty Spotlight

Professionals dedicated to you

Your success is a top priority for our deans and faculty members. They bring an average of 28+ years of experience and hands-on perspective to the classroom, and help bridge the gap between academics and industry knowledge.

Doris Savron

As a faculty member, I'm on your team. I'm your coach and your cheerleader.

Doris Savron
Vice Provost of Colleges, University of Phoenix

As a faculty member, I'm on your team. I'm your coach and your cheerleader.

Accreditation

Accredited for 45+ years

Since 1978, University of Phoenix has maintained institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org. Learn more about the value of University of Phoenix accreditation and how it benefits our students.

While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.