Bachelor of Criminology and Justice Loyola University

Making the world a better place with your online criminal justice degree.

These are complex goals and begin with addressing the roots of crime and working toward equality. Criminal justice professionals make these lofty ambitions their personal mission by developing effective crime prevention and intervention strategies, understanding the consequences of crime for victims and society, and working toward justice policies that rehabilitate offenders and improve our society as a whole.

Loyola University New Orleans now offers a 100% online bachelor of criminology & justice degree that features a strong social science research component allowing students to take a deep dive into the field. Learn how to conduct original research and critique agency-generated research in order to see the bigger picture. Students in the online criminal justice program are encouraged to ask questions about our social structures as a whole, not only to understand the implications that these constructs have on crime but also to learn how we can make the world a better place.

Degree overview

Loyola's online criminology degree consists of 120 credit hours, which includes:

• 35 credits of major-specific courses
• 39 credits of Loyola core courses
• 46 credits of general elective courses

Major courses

Criminology and Justice Major Courses (35 credits):

• CRIM A105: Introduction to Criminal Justice Systems (3 credits)
• CRIM A110: Criminology: Fundamentals (3 credits)
• CRIM A260: Statistics in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CRIM A262: Statistics in Criminal Justice Lab (1 credit)
• CRIM A300: Research Methods– Criminology (3 credits)
• CRIM A302: Research Methods in Criminology Lab (1 credit)

For the remainder of major course credits, students choose courses from the following areas:

• Criminological Analysis (3 credits)
• Law (3 credits)
• Victimology/Victim Services (3 credits)
• Administration of Justice (3 credits)
• Corrections (3 credits)
• *Criminology Electives (6 credits)

*Electives can be either Criminology and Justice electives, Forensic Science electives, a capstone project, or an internship approved by your advisor.

Loyola core

Loyola Core Courses (39 credits):

The goal of the Loyola Core is to foster students’ competency in five key areas:

• Critical Thinking
• Effective Communication
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Information Literacy
• Ethical Reasoning

To help students in the online criminal justice program develop these competencies, the Loyola Core embraces an interdisciplinary approach to learning with an emphasis on the spiritual and intellectual, the moral and ethical, the natural and social scientific, the humanistic, and the artistic.

Foundation Courses

Foundation courses should be taken in your first three online sessions at Loyola and include:

• First-Year Seminar
• English – Critical Reading & Writing
• Math Models or Finite Math
• Science Process – Investigating Nature

Knowledge & Values Courses

Students complete courses in the following 9 categories:

• Creative Arts & Cultures
• History Sequence (2 courses for 6 total credit hours)
• Natural Science in Context
• Philosophy I: Introduction to the Philosophy of Reasoning
• Philosophy II: Philosophy of Knowledge & Morality
• Religious Studies I: Christian Traditions
• Religious Studies II: World Religions
• Writing About Literature
• *Major Substitution

One of the courses in the Loyola Core will be satisfied in each undergraduate major. This is usually the introductory course for each major. The result is the total hours needed to complete the Loyola Core are reduced to between 39 and 41 credit hours (depending on lab requirements associated with Math and Science courses).

General electives

General Elective Courses (46 credits)

The online criminology bachelor’s degree requires 46 credits of general electives. There is a wide range of online elective courses to choose from in other departments.

What can you do with an online criminal justice degree?

Open the door to new opportunities.

Loyola’s 100% online criminal justice degree will prepare you for advanced studies (such as in the master of criminology & justice program) or to enter the workforce in a wide range of careers that contribute to a safer world, including:

• Corrections Officer
• Criminal Detective
• Customs Officer
• Educator
• FBI Agent
• Forensic Specialist
• Fraud Investigator
• Private Investigator
• Police Officer
• Policy Analyst
• U.S. Marshal
• Victim Services