B.A. in Criminology
Forensic Psychology Specialization
- Online
- Full-Time
- Four years, full time
The B.A. in Criminology, Forensic Psychology Specialization prepares graduates for a wide range of careers in criminal justice in the private sector, as well as with federal, state, and local government agencies. The majority of graduates use their online criminology degree to begin a career in law enforcement, criminal law, victim services, corrections, or social work. Many academic programs offered in this field emphasize policing rather than preparing students to address public policy issues such as crime reduction, offender re-entry, and behavioral health. The Chicago School’s B.A. in Criminology, Forensic Psychology Specialization prepares students to work with offenders, victims, and public and non-profit entities to address public safety and the underlying causes of crime. It also prepares students for graduate programs in psychology.
The online criminology program offers a psychology-oriented, multidisciplinary approach to understanding crime and criminal behavior, specifically familiarizing students with the primary ways professionals explain, predict, and prevent crime and victimization. Following completion of the undergraduate program, students may choose to continue their studies as early entry participants into the M.A. in Forensic Psychology program offered at our Chicago, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Online Campuses. This uniquely allows students to complete the first year of the M.A. in Forensic Psychology in the last year of their undergraduate studies, thus accelerating their pathway to a master’s degree while reducing cost.
The curriculum of the B.A. in Criminology, Forensic Psychology Specialization program is based on the content areas outlined by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). The ACJS content areas are as follows:
- Administration of Justice
- Corrections
- Criminological Theory
- Law Adjudication
- Law Enforcement
- Research and Analytic Methods
- Diversity in Criminal Justice
This program will develop skills needed for the following potential criminology degree jobs:
- Police or sheriff’s officer
- Detective
- Probation or parole officer
- Corporate security specialist
- Corrections officer
- Victim advocate
- Crime scene investigator (CSI)
- Crime analyst
- Federal law enforcement officer (i.e., DEA, FBI, ATF, DHS)
- CIA agent
- Re-entry case manager
- Pre-trial or diversion case manager
- Legal administrative specialist
- Substance abuse counselor
- Community corrections case manager
B.A. in Criminology, Forensic Psychology Specialization: Online Student Experience
Through the convenience of The Chicago School’s online programs, your life remains intact. Our online Global Student Dashboard is where you will find all of the components to complete your program successfully. There you’ll find your coursework and assignments, interact with fellow students, and ask your instructor questions.
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Juvenile Delinquency
This course will critically examine how society defines juvenile delinquency and what leads to youth to engage in criminal behavior. This course will focus on the legal, social, demographic, and psychological characteristics of delinquency. Students will learn the theories associated with delinquent behavior and their relation to the efforts to prevent and control delinquency. (3 credit hours)
Corrections
This course is an introduction to penology and corrections. Students will critically examine different perspectives of punishment as it pertains to criminological theory, the selection process that offenders endure before entering a correctional program, alternative programs to incarceration, and empirical psychological assessments of short and long-term consequences of involvement in correctional programs. (3 credit hours)
Admission to the criminology online degree program is open to any person who meets entrance requirements as outlined below. Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to successfully complete an undergraduate degree program. Generally, a high school cumulative GPA of a 2.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale is required for admission.
- Completed application and $50 application fee
- Applicants must provide proof of the qualifying conferral—high school graduation (or the equivalent) or proof of an earned associate degree. Proof of qualifying conferral must be provided in one of the following ways:
- Official high school transcript showing an earned high school diploma and date of graduation. A copy of a high school diploma or unofficial transcriptions, if official transcripts are not immediately available, can be submitted with a contingency that original transcripts will be on file prior to day nine of the term or semester of entry. Financial aid will not be disbursed until the compliant documentation is received.
- Official associate degree transcript from a regionally accredited institution showing degree earned and date conferred
- Official college transcript from a regionally accredited institution that contains the high school name and date of graduation
- Official NACES or AICE evaluation of an international diploma that contains the high school name and date of graduation
- High school equivalency completed through homeschooling as defined by state law
- Official General Educational Development (GED) document. A copy of the student’s GED certificate, or unofficial GED score issued by the state, can be submitted with a contingency that the official GED document will be on file prior to the close of the census. Financial aid will not be disbursed until the compliant documentation is received.
- Official Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) document
- Official High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) document
- Official documentation showing a passing score on a state-authorized exam that the state recognizes as equivalent to high school graduation
- Letter showing the date of graduation written on high school letterhead and signed by a high school administrator with an academic title
- Form DD214 showing the high school name and date of graduation, if listed
Applicants with a cumulative high school or undergraduate GPA below 2.3 and applicants seeking admission with high school equivalency documentation that does not show a GPA (such as GED, homeschool, or testing) are required to submit additional documentation.
- Curriculum vitae or resume
- One letter of recommendation (optional)
- An essay of intent that answers the following questions. Your essay should be typed, double spaced, and three pages (approximately 500-750 words) while clearly addressing the program for which you are applying.
- Why are you interested in this particular program to earn your undergraduate degree? Cite specific experiences and examples.
- What are your professional career goals as they relate to this degree? Why do you believe this program will assist you in reaching these goals?
- Why is it important to you to study this discipline at a school that emphasizes cultural awareness, competence, and understanding of diversity (see our Commitment to Diversity Statement)?
- If you are a first-generation undergraduate student, please integrate this into your essay.
SAT and ACT scores are not required for admission. However, applicants who have taken the SAT or ACT may submit their scores to enhance their application.
The Chicago School is dedicated to keeping our professional degree programs accessible to anyone regardless of financial status. In addition to the scholarships that may be available, our Financial Aid Department will help provide you with information to determine what financial arrangements are right for you.
A: Yes! The Chicago School of Professional Psychology offers the degree in criminology 100% online.
A: The criminology degree can only be earned online through The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
A: The B.A. in Criminology online program takes four years to complete full time.
A: The online B.A. in Criminology prepares students for a career in law enforcement. Following completion of the bachelor’s degree in criminology, students may choose to continue their criminology education as early entry applicants to the M.A. in Forensic Psychology program at The Chicago School.Â