Best Criminal Justice Schools in South Dakota (2027)

The University of South Dakota offers its criminal justice major as a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science through the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts & Sciences. The program is offered on the main campus in Vermillion, South Dakota, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and online, and USD's program page describes a 100% online option. Students in the major process mock crime scenes, compete in Mock Trial, intern with law enforcement and corrections agencies, present research at criminal justice conferences, and can study abroad to learn about other countries' criminal justice systems.

Admission follows USD's undergraduate rules for freshmen, who qualify through high school grades, class rank or ACT or SAT scores, and transfer students can also apply. USD charges the same online tuition rate to in-state and out-of-state students.

The Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice requires 120 credit hours, 41 of them in the major, and covers criminal law and procedure, policing, the judicial system, the correctional system and criminological theory. The four-year plan includes Introduction to Criminal Justice, Policing in a Free Society, Criminal Case Processing, Prisons and Penology, Criminology, Statistical Reasoning for Social Science, Research and Data Analysis and a capstone, and students can earn academic credit for field experience with Aberdeen, South Dakota agencies.

Students choose between online learning and an on-campus experience. A concurrent dual-degree program with Dakota State University lets students pair the B.A. with a B.S. in Cyber Leadership and Intelligence or Cyber and Network Security without exceeding a typical 120-credit pathway, with all required courses offered online. Graduates are eligible for priority admission to Northern's master's in counseling program.

Beyond the university's liberal arts core, majors complete at least 39 semester hours in criminal justice and need a minimum grade of C- in each major course. Core courses include Criminal Law & Procedure, Delinquency and Criminology, Ethics and the Law, Introduction to Criminal Justice and Methods of Research, and students choose 18 semester hours of electives from options such as Advanced Criminal Procedure, Capital Punishment, Constitutional Issues & Criminal Justice Cases, Corrections: Operations & Issues, Crime in Film and Criminal Law in Indian Country.

High school applicants send an official high school transcript, and the admission standard is a 2.6 high school GPA on a 4.0 scale plus a college preparatory core; applicants below it can submit recommendation letters and a personal statement and may be granted provisional acceptance. The department lists organizations where students have been placed, including United States Probation, the FBI, the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Department and the South Dakota Department of Corrections.

The traditional Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice totals 180 credits: a 58.5-credit criminal justice major core, 60 credits of open electives and a 61.5-credit general education core. The major core covers Introduction to Criminal Justice, Criminological Theory, Criminal Law, U.S. Courts, U.S. Corrections, Criminal Investigation, Constitutional Law and a Criminal Justice Capstone. The FOCUSED version requires 135 quarter credits and 30 courses, with a 45-credit major core, reduced open electives and a 27-credit focus area in Corrections, Criminal Intelligence Analysis, Criminal Investigation, Juvenile and Victim Justice, Law Enforcement and Administration, or Private Security and Protection.

NAU's College of Legal Studies presents the traditional degree as an online bachelor's degree taught through online classes, and the university says the FOCUSED version is offered 100% online. Admission to an NAU undergraduate program requires graduation from a recognized high school or an accepted equivalent, or a transcript from an accredited U.S. college. The FOCUSED pathway is aimed at working adults and is designed for full-time completion in approximately three years; NAU cautions that some employers may evaluate the reduced-credit degree differently, that it may not satisfy some graduate admission requirements, and that availability varies by state.

The criminal justice major, part of a Bachelor of Arts, requires at least 39 semester credits, with courses such as Introduction to Criminal Justice, Criminal Law, Probation and Parole Procedures, Criminal Justice Ethics, Constitutional Criminal Justice and the capstone Seminar in Criminal Justice. DWU also lists classes in forensic investigation, financial and white collar crimes, terrorism and Homeland Security, wildlife law enforcement and legal studies. Students can complete a justice-related internship, and DWU lists the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, State's Attorney's offices, the South Dakota Department of Corrections, and sheriff and police departments among the organizations where its students have interned.

DWU looks for undergraduate applicants who have graduated from an accredited high school or the equivalent with a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, gives individual consideration to applicants who miss one of those requirements, and does not require ACT or SAT scores. Bachelor's degrees at DWU require at least 120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.0. DWU notes that a criminal and personal background check may be required before an internship, and that certain criminal offenses may prevent criminal justice majors from working in the profession.

The Law Enforcement Associate of Applied Science runs 18 months (4 semesters) and requires 75 credits. Students train in Constitutional and Criminal Law, investigations, crime scene evidence, juvenile justice, patrol procedures, firearms, arrest techniques, emergency vehicle operations and first response, with courses such as Law Enforcement Survival, Accident Investigations, Criminal Investigations and Evidence, and a Law Enforcement Practicum must be completed before graduation. The college says the curriculum aligns with requirements for law enforcement training and certification. Law Enforcement students can add a one-semester Conservation Officer certificate offered only in the summer, and the catalog lists a Conservation Officer Option of the degree at 87 credits over 22 months.

Applicants submit a high school transcript or GED and test scores, then are invited to campus to meet the program faculty and interview before acceptance. Every Law Enforcement student completes a criminal background check before attending, and a physician-signed physical ability form and a drug test are among the supplemental materials the program requires. For currently serving officers, a Virtual Academy pathway applies South Dakota Law Enforcement Academy coursework as prior learning and lets officers finish the degree in as little as nine months with a mix of online and on-campus or hybrid coursework; admission requires proof of South Dakota Basic Officer Certification.

The Associate of Applied Science combines constitutional and criminal law, juvenile justice, professional report writing and traffic enforcement with applied training in accident investigation, firearms, emergency vehicle operation, and use of force and pressure point control tactics. Coursework is taught at the George S. Mickelson Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and the curriculum also includes classes in multiculturalism, physical fitness, social problems, first responder skills, law enforcement survival, victimology and the National Incident Management System.

Admission criteria call for at least one of a high school GPA of 2.0, GED subscores of at least 145, a college GPA of 2.0, or qualifying ACT or SAT scores, and students complete a background check and drug screen before program classes start. Southeast Tech says satisfactory completion of LE 291 is required to take the South Dakota Law Enforcement Standards and Training Commission Reciprocity Examination, which must be taken within two years of graduation by applicants who are at least 21.

The Criminal Justice program is 63 credit hours and covers corrections, juvenile justice, criminal law, criminal investigation, ethics, forensics and crime scene investigation, probation and parole, security, terrorism and border security. Law Enforcement Technology is 62 credit hours and adds physical training, firearms training, emergency vehicle operations and basic law enforcement training, taken in the final semesters; the college describes it as not a strictly academic program, with an extensive hands-on component. Each is laid out as an 18-month program.

Applicants send a high school transcript or GED scores, submit immunization records and take the ACCUPLACER placement test unless ACT subscores waive it. Law Enforcement Technology students complete a Law Enforcement Restrictions Acknowledgment form before the academy, and the college notes that South Dakota requires officers to be at least 21 at appointment. Clinicals, practicums and internships can involve evening, night, weekend and holiday shifts and travel outside the Rapid City, South Dakota area.