Best Criminal Justice Schools in Missouri (2027)

The 120-credit degree covers the structure and functions of the U.S. criminal justice system, the principles of criminal law (criminal responsibility, legal defenses and the rules of evidence) and research and analysis in criminal justice and criminology, in which students build original data-gathering tools and present their conclusions in a formal research proposal, and it includes a capstone project. Students select a concentration: Law Enforcement explores the history of policing and investigative techniques, and Corrections focuses on correctional systems, probation and parole. Practical experience comes through an internship with a criminal justice agency in the public or private sector or, for students already employed in the field, a writing project course, which needs department chair approval as a substitute.

Park welcomes applicants with a high school diploma or equivalent who meet its undergraduate admission standards. The degree typically takes about four years of full-time study, and graduates need a 2.0 GPA in the major and at least 30 credit hours at Park, 15 of them in the major core. Park lists the program online and on campus with online courses.

All majors, in person or online, take core classes such as Introduction to Criminal Justice; Policing a Democratic Society; Criminal Law and Procedure; and Crime, Justice and Social Diversity, then round out the degree with electives they can concentrate in areas such as juvenile justice, law enforcement and policing, or legal studies. Elective choices include Evidence and Courtroom Procedure, Federal Law Enforcement, Homicide Investigation, Miscarriages of Justice and Terrorism. UCM offers a fully online version alongside the on-campus program in Warrensburg, Missouri, and students can choose 8- or 16-week classes.

UCM says the delivery options suit both working adults and students right out of high school, and first-year majors can live with other criminal justice students in a learning community in the Ellis complex. Through the Accelerated Dual Degree program, students work toward both the bachelor's and master's degrees in Criminal Justice and Criminology in five years. Air Force members who hold a CCAF in Criminal Justice can apply their Air University credits toward the degree online through the AU-ABC partnership.

Students in the Criminal Justice Studies (BS) choose a concentration in Law and Society, Criminological Theory and Research, Criminal Justice Administration or Forensic Investigation. Coursework covers the legal system, criminology, juvenile delinquency, the enforcement system and the rehabilitation system, and the program integrates social science, legal analysis and ethical reasoning. The Law and Society sample plan includes a Criminal Justice Studies Capstone.

Truman says the degree can be applied to careers related to criminal justice such as law enforcement, courts and corrections, and that students are also prepared for graduate, professional and law schools; Truman has 3+3 law school pathway agreements with select institutions that let qualified students start law school after 90 undergraduate credit hours. Internships give students a sense of specific career settings, and summer internships can be completed virtually anywhere. Students can also research topics of interest and present at Truman's Research Conference.

The generalist BA requires 51 credit hours in the major: 27 hours of core courses (Criminal Justice Systems; Criminology; Policing in America; Criminal Law and Procedure; Corrections; Race, Crime, and Punishment; Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice; Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice; and Basic Statistics) and 24 hours of electives such as The Juvenile Justice System, Victimology, Criminal Investigation, Cyber Crime and Criminal Minds. Lindenwood offers it on campus or blended (the on-campus format may require some online classes) and as a 100% asynchronous online degree of 120 credit hours, and students can intern in police departments, probation and parole facilities, law offices, cybercrime units, juvenile facilities and victim assistance programs.

The online program asks applicants with fewer than 24 college credits for a high school transcript, so students can start without prior college work, and Lindenwood accepts up to 90 transfer credits, which lets a transfer student finish in as few as 30 credits. The Law Enforcement Academy Emphasis is a track within the BA that includes the 15-credit St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy, which Lindenwood says covers all Missouri POST requirements; the college says the emphasis requires on-campus attendance, and students must meet the academy's physical fitness standards, pass background checks, hold a valid driver's license and be at least 18 years old when academy training starts.

Required courses are Introduction to Criminal Justice, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Constitutional Aspects of Criminal Justice, Research Design and Data Analysis in the Social Sciences and a Senior Thesis, plus Social Deviance or Criminology and guided electives such as Serial Crime and Profiling, Juvenile Justice and Policing in a Democracy; electives complete a minimum of 120 hours. Central Methodist lists both degrees as available online and at its statewide centers, and its online classes run either 8 or 16 weeks.

First-year students can start the degree: Central Methodist grants unconditional admission with a high school GPA of 2.0, and applicants without a diploma may qualify through a high school equivalency exam. The program is built for careers in law enforcement, criminal justice administration and corrections management, and also prepares students for graduate school or law school. Minors in Criminal Justice and Applied Law Enforcement are also available online and statewide.

The associate degree examines how law enforcement, courts and corrections work together in the U.S. criminal justice system, with comparisons to international justice systems, then covers the foundations of criminal law (criminal responsibility, legal defenses and the role of evidence), crime causation theories and the juvenile justice system, along with courses on law enforcement, corrections, security and criminal investigation. Park lists it as an online program of 60 total credits, and it also introduces cybercrime and digital evidence handling.

Admission requires a high school diploma or equivalent and Park's general undergraduate admission standards. Graduates need a minimum 2.0 GPA and at least 15 credit hours at Park, 9 of them in the major core, and Park awards credit for military training and experience. Students who finish the associate degree can transfer its credits into Park's BS in Criminal Justice Administration or the Bachelor of Public Administration with a concentration in criminal justice.

The 60-credit-hour degree combines 24 credit hours of general education, 24 credit hours of major requirements and 12 credit hours of major electives. The required courses are Introduction to Criminal Justice Administration, Criminal Investigation, Criminal Law, Police in a Democratic Society, Ethics and Morality in Criminal Justice and Corrections and Penology, plus at least two from a list that includes Crime Scene Investigation, Cybercrime, Juvenile Justice System and Procedures and Community Based Corrections; courses in the major cannot be taken pass/fail. Columbia College's program finder lists the degree as available online and in seat, and the program page names the Day Campus in Columbia, Missouri, as its in-seat location.

Applicants to the online program, the evening program in Columbia, Missouri, or a nationwide location must have completed high school or a high school equivalency test (GED, HiSET or TASC), while incoming freshmen for the residential day program should meet the college's high school GPA standards. The catalog describes the degree as a two-year program, and the college's standard undergraduate per-credit rate covers the undergraduate programs students earn online or in seat at its nationwide locations, including the evening program in Columbia, Missouri.

The Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice is a 60-hour degree with a program length of 2 years, designed as a directed path of study for transfer to bachelor's programs in criminal justice and criminology. Coursework builds a foundation in policing techniques, courtroom operations, correctional methods, political science and social science, and students hear from guest speakers and tour local criminal justice partner locations. The program lists the Springfield, Missouri campus as its location, and the college says students can complete the degree fully online or seated.

Admission to Ozarks Tech is open, and the college admits first-time students finishing high school, GED or HiSET requirements as well as transfer students. The college says its courses meet transfer requirements at several institutions, naming criminology programs at Missouri State University, Drury and Missouri Southern State University, and it has an articulation agreement for this program.