Best Criminal Justice Schools in Arizona (2027)

The Criminology and Criminal Justice BS is 120 credit hours, at least 45 of them upper division, in the Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions. Core courses include Introduction to Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice Crime Control Policies and Practices, Courts and Sentencing, Introduction to Policing, Introduction to Corrections, Research Methods and Statistical Analysis. ASU lists the program at its Downtown Phoenix, Arizona and West Valley locations, online and through ASU Local, with scheduling offered in person, online and across multiple campuses.

Students apply under ASU's general first-year or transfer admission requirements, and the MyPath2ASU pathway lets Arizona transfer students pair a community college AA with the major's lower-division requirements. Changing into the major takes a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00. An accelerated bachelor's plus master's option leads to the Crime Analysis MS, and ASU says the degree is a foundation for students interested in a prelaw track.

The 120-credit degree is made up of 14 core courses, 12 general education courses and 14 electives. Core courses include Survey of Criminal Justice, Ethics in Criminal Justice, Theories of Criminology and Victimology, Interagency Communication, Grant Writing and Funding, Mental Health Services and Crisis Intervention, Criminal Justice Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation and an Administration Capstone. Online students take one course every five weeks; students in Phoenix, Arizona have a blended option that starts general education courses on campus there and moves the core courses online.

Admission to University of Phoenix bachelor's programs requires completion of high school or an accepted equivalent, with no SAT, ACT or essay. Students with three years of professional experience in criminal justice or security may be eligible for an accelerated version, and police academy (POST), Basic Corrections Academy or FBI National Academy training can be evaluated for credit. The university says its criminal justice programs do not prepare students to become certified peace officers. Students can also complete up to three required courses for its Master of Science in Administration of Justice and Security or Master of Public Administration while finishing the bachelor's.

The university says the degree takes an in-depth look at mental health law, juvenile justice systems, and police, court and corrections management, along with public administration courses in leadership, ethics, public and nonprofit management, and the formation of public policy. Its introductory courses for the major include Basic Economic Policy, Criminal Justice Administration, American National Government, Public Policy and Administration, and Intro to Statistics for Social Sciences. The major core covers Criminal Justice Ethics, Introduction to Public and Nonprofit Financial Management and Public Organizational Management, students choose 5 criminal justice elective courses (15 units), and a 3-unit internship of 135 hours with a nonprofit or government agency is required. The degree is offered online, and the internship may be completed virtually or in person.

The degree requires at least 120 units and a minor or double major. Admission runs through the university's undergraduate admissions office, and the department notes that its online programs do not currently offer concentrations.

The Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies looks at corrections, courts and law enforcement, civil and criminal law, criminal procedure and how public policy guides the administration of justice, the use of research and data in justice administration, and threat assessment, and ends with a capstone course. It takes 120 credits, with 15-week courses on campus and 8-week courses online. The Bachelor of Science in Law Enforcement Advancement is taught online in 7-week courses on law enforcement administration, public engagement, communication and servant leadership, takes up criminal procedure, strategic planning and policing competencies, and ends with a capstone in which students build a community policing strategic plan.

Both degrees list GCU's bachelor's admission requirements, including graduation from high school and a minimum unweighted GPA, and accept up to 90 transfer credits. Law Enforcement Advancement is written for law enforcement professionals moving toward leadership while keeping a full-time job, and Justice Studies suits students who want a broad look at how the law works across the criminal and civil systems.

The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Administration of Justice Studies (61-65 credits) prepares students for work or further study in law enforcement, the courts, corrections, security and investigations; its suggested sequence includes Introduction to Criminal Justice, Ethics and the Administration of Justice, Substantive Criminal Law, The Correction Function, The Police Function, Criminology, Juvenile Justice Procedures and Procedural Criminal Law, plus 12-13 credits of restricted electives. The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Criminal Justice (60-64 credits) covers the first two years of a four-year curriculum and is intended to align with the degree requirements of transfer partners including the Criminology and Criminal Justice BS programs at ASU and NAU and Rio Salado's own Public Safety Administration BAS. Students must earn a grade of C or better in every course in these programs.

Rio Salado has an open admissions policy: high school graduates, high school equivalency diploma holders, transfer students in good standing and applicants at least 18 years old who show evidence of potential success can attend. The AAS in Corrections and Detention (61-68 credits) and the AAS in Law Enforcement Training (63-71 credits) are offered through educational partnerships, and employment by the partnership organization is required for admission; the law enforcement degree also requires meeting AZPOST minimum requirements for a law enforcement officer and any physical requirements set by the Academy Director.

The Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice requires 60 credits: 6 core courses (Introduction to Criminal Justice, Survey of Culture and Criminal Justice, Introduction to Police Theory and Practices, Introduction to Criminal Court Systems, Introduction to Corrections, and Juvenile Justice Systems and Processes), 12 general education courses and electives. Phoenix offers all of its courses 100% online in an asynchronous format, students take one course at a time over five weeks, and the program has 12 start dates a year.

Admission to Phoenix's associate programs requires completion of high school or an acceptable equivalent, and the program has no application fee and no SAT requirement; Phoenix requests applicants' prior college transcripts for them. Military or law enforcement training such as Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST), corrections academy or FBI National Academy training can be evaluated for up to 30 credits. Phoenix states that its criminal justice programs do not prepare students to become certified peace officers.

The degree is 62 credits: 18 credits of required major courses (Introduction to Administration of Justice, Substantive Criminal Law, Court Function, Criminology, Police Function and Correction Function), 12 credits in one emphasis (administration of justice studies, homeland security or corrections) and the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC), with some courses allowed to count toward both the AGEC and the major. AWC's recommended program map, updated for students starting in Fall 2025 or later to reflect the new AGEC requirements, sets out the courses semester by semester.

AWC's regular admission criteria include graduating from an accredited high school or holding a high school certificate of equivalency. Individuals who have completed the Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol Academy, a law enforcement police academy or the Correctional Officer Training Academy are eligible for 18 credit hours toward the degree in the matching emphasis. AWC says the degree is designed for students planning to transfer to a university and can lead to a locally obtained bachelor's degree, and it lists transfer options in criminology and criminal justice or justice studies at Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University and in criminal justice studies or administration of justice at the University of Arizona.