Degree Types
BA vs. BS in Criminal Justice: What Changes
The BA vs BS in criminal justice choice comes down to general requirements more than to the major: where a school says what separates the two, it names language, math, science, social science or humanities requirements. Of the 305 bachelor’s programs profiled on this site, 199 award a BS, 135 a BA and 37 both. At all 13 schools offering both whose pages spell out the difference, the BA carries a foreign language requirement, and five tie the BS to math, science or social science.
How Many Programs Award a BA vs BS in Criminal Justice
Every program profile on this site is written from the school’s own pages, and each records the name the school gives its degree. Sorted by those names, the BS is the more common letter: 162 programs award only a BS and 98 only a BA. Another 37 offer the major under both letters, and 8 name the degree without either letter, such as the Bachelor of Criminal Justice.
Bachelor’s programs profiled School pages
305
Award a BS School pages
199
Award a BA School pages
135
Award both School pages
37
The table compares the degree names themselves, so a school with three BS tracks counts three times. A name that covers both letters, such as “Criminal Justice, BA/BS”, is left out of both columns, and the applied degrees get a column of their own.
| Measure | BA names | BS names | Applied names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree names counted | 128 | 214 | 13 |
| Stating a total of 120 credits of the names that state a total in credits or credit hours | 62 of 70 | 111 of 118 | 8 of 8 |
| Can be finished online of the names whose page states a format | 69% | 88% | 82% |
| Offered only online of the same names | 16% | 36% | 45% |
| Open only to students with prior college credit of the names whose page states who can start | 4 of 94 | 15 of 161 | 5 of 7 |
| Naming a concentration | 31% | 37% | 8% |
Length does not separate the two: 89% of the BA names and 94% of the BS names that state a credit total state 120. Format does: a BS name is about twice as likely as a BA name to be offered only online, which the section on online programs takes up. Whichever letter a school uses, the national bachelor’s ranking scores the program on the same six factors.
What Stays the Same Under Either Letter
A few schools that offer both say outright, or show on their catalog pages, that the major does not change with the letter. Southern Oregon University in Ashland, OR puts it in one sentence:
“CCJ majors receive a BA or BS by successfully completing the 71 credits required for the CCJ major Core Curriculum.”
Southern Oregon University
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville catalog gives the BA and the BS a page each, and the two list the same required courses, MATH 1830 Elementary Statistics among them; only the degree requirements they point to differ. The University of the Cumberlands describes its BA as its BS plus language:
“A Bachelor of Arts requires all the same courses as a Bachelor of Science with the addition of four classes (12 hours) in a foreign language.”
University of the Cumberlands
The federal records draw no line between them either. IPEDS, the Department of Education’s college data behind this site’s rankings, counts a BA and a BS in criminal justice as the same bachelor’s award under the same program codes. The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, which reviews programs against its own standards, endorses both kinds: its list includes 3 BA and 6 BS programs. For what the bachelor’s degree itself covers and costs, see the guide to the bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
What Changes in a BA vs BS in Criminal Justice
13 of the 37 schools offering both say on their own pages what separates the two degrees, and the answer starts the same way at every one of them: the BA asks for a foreign language. How much varies, from a set number of hours to a range to a proficiency level, as the table shows. The BS side is less uniform. Five of the 13 tie the BS to math, science or social science: Portland State University, Pennsylvania State University, East Tennessee State University, Sam Houston State University and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Two say the BS simply goes without the language courses.
| School | Degree | What the page says sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| George Mason University Fairfax, VA | BA | Intermediate-level proficiency in one foreign language |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL | BA | One year of foreign language; four more courses in fine and performing arts or humanities |
| Fort Hays State University Hays, KS | BA | 10 credit hours of language, such as Spanish I and II |
| Fort Hays State University Hays, KS | BS | No language requirement |
| University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY | BA | Four classes (12 hours) in a foreign language |
| University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY | BS | The same courses, without the language |
| Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI | BA | Third-semester proficiency in a foreign language |
| Eastern New Mexico University Portales, NM | BA | A language requirement of 6 to 14 hours |
| Portland State University Portland, OR | BA | Six terms of a second language, 101 through 203 |
| Portland State University Portland, OR | BS | A math or statistics course (the BA map lists one math or science course); science courses, two of them with a lab |
| Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA | BA | Proficiency in one world language to the 12th credit level |
| Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA | BS | The degree the page points to for strong quantitative skills |
| East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN | BA | A foreign language |
| East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN | BS | More focus on science and technology in criminal justice |
| Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX | BA | Additional hours of a foreign language |
| Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX | BS | Additional hours of a social science |
| Utah Tech University Saint George, UT | BA | A foreign language requirement of 3 to 16 credits |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI | BA | Second language competency |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI | BS | A higher level of mathematics competency |
| University of Wisconsin-Platteville Platteville, WI | BA | World languages, 0 to 8 credits |
Where a school names the BS side, it names a different subject. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire pairs language with mathematics:
“The degrees are distinguished by second language competency for the B.A. and a higher level of mathematics competency for the B.S.”
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX trades the language for more social science:
“The Bachelor of Science (BS) requires additional hours of a social science (e.g., psychology, sociology, political science, communication studies, etc.) whereas the Bachelor of Arts (BA) requires additional hours of a foreign language (e.g., Spanish, French, American Sign, etc.).”
Sam Houston State University
East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN describes the BS by its focus rather than a course count:
“The major difference between the BA and BS degree is the BA degree requires a foreign language and the BS is more focused on science and technology in the field of criminal justice.”
East Tennessee State University
Read together, the pages make the BA the degree with a language, and at five of these 13 schools the BS is the degree tied to math, science or social science.
Online Students Find More BS Programs
Of the BS names whose page states a format, 88% can be finished online and 36% are offered only online. For BA names the shares are 69% and 16%. Degree-completion tracks, open only to students who arrive with college credit or an associate degree, are 15 of 161 BS names and 4 of 94 BA names whose pages state who can start.
For a student who wants the BA online, one school’s catalog makes an exception to its language requirement:
“The world languages degree requirement may be waived for online degree students, though exclusions may apply.”
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
The online criminal justice degree rankings list the bachelor’s programs a student can finish online, with the cost of a credit taken at the rate an online student from another state pays.
Applied Degrees and Two Schools Moving to the BS
Beyond the two letters, 12 profiled programs award an applied bachelor’s, such as a Bachelor of Applied Science or a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences. In the table above, 5 of 7 applied names whose page states who can start are open only to students with prior college credit. Portland State University, which offers a BA, a BS and an applied degree, explains what the applied option leaves out:
“Students choosing to pursue the Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) pathway have distinct general education requirements, as this option does not require the additional 23 distribution credits in arts, sciences, and letters expected for a B.A. or B.S. degree.”
Portland State University
Two schools in the profiles are moving their criminal justice students from the BA to the BS. Bowie State University in Bowie, MD drew the line between its degrees at language:
“We offer two degrees in the program: the Bachelor of Science, which requires no foreign language classes, and the Bachelor of Arts, which requires the completion of 12 hours of a foreign language.”
Bowie State University
Its BA has since closed to new students:
“Beginning Fall 2026, the B.A. in Criminal Justice is currently not admitting new students at this time.”
Bowie State University
Stockton University in Galloway, NJ announced the same move:
“Effective for incoming students in fall 2025, Stockton will offer a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Current students will earn a Bachelor of Arts in the major.”
Stockton University
Common Questions
BA vs BS in Criminal Justice: Is the Major Itself Different?
Which Is More Common, a BA or a BS in Criminal Justice?
Does a BS Take Longer to Finish Than a BA?
Can You Earn a BA in Criminal Justice Fully Online?
Sources for the Figures in This Post
- Awards, charges, completion and online enrollment: the Department of Education's IPEDS data: IPEDS completions and distance education, 2023-24; IPEDS tuition and fees and per-credit charges, 2023-24; IPEDS graduation rates; and IPEDS Outcome Measures and fall 2024 enrollment, from the 2024 provisional release. Programs are counted under the criminal justice codes in the federal CIP 43.01 series.
- Program names, credit counts, formats, entry requirements and published prices: each school's own program pages, read between October 7, 2026 and October 14, 2026.
- Program endorsement: the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences' list of endorsed programs, read on October 7, 2026.
- The schools’ own pages quoted in this post, read on October 8, 2026: Bowie State University program page 1, Bowie State University program page 2; East Tennessee State University program page; Eastern New Mexico University catalog; Fort Hays State University catalog; George Mason University catalog; Grand Valley State University catalog; Pennsylvania State University catalog 1, Pennsylvania State University catalog 2; Portland State University degree map 1, Portland State University degree map 2, Portland State University program page 3; Sam Houston State University program page; Southern Illinois University Edwardsville program page; Southern Oregon University program page; Stockton University announcement; University of the Cumberlands program page; University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire catalog; University of Wisconsin-Platteville catalog 1, University of Wisconsin-Platteville catalog 2, University of Wisconsin-Platteville catalog 3; Utah Tech University catalog.