Why study criminal justice at BGSU in Ohio?
- Small class sizes. Receive personal attention and engage in robust discussions on the causes of crime and real-world solutions to criminal justice problems.
- Valuable, real-world experience. We have one of the most extensive criminal justice internship programs in the country. Apply your academic learning to practical work in the field and make contacts that can lead to jobs. You can choose to do your internship at any criminal justice agency across the nation.
- Expert faculty who have a wealth of experience in law enforcement, criminology, research and the criminal justice system. The majority have doctorates and are active in research.
- Criminal Justice Learning Community. Live with students who share your interests and participate in high-impact, project-based learning opportunities.
- A four-year sequence of courses and experiences
- Faculty and peer mentorship
- Leadership training
- Community involvement
- Field trips
- Research opportunities. Many of our criminal justice majors work as student researchers with BGSU’s Police Integrity Research Group. The group studies police crime – crimes committed by sworn officers – and has created a database available to other researchers.
- Network with criminal justice professionals from a wide range of disciplines. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation crime laboratory and investigation facility and the Center for the Future of Forensic Science are located on BGSU’s campus.
- Build camaraderie. Criminal justice courses are open only to criminal justice students. This guarantees that all in-class examples and discussions are directly relevant to you.
- Expand your knowledge. Get involved with the diverse Justice Student Association. Members line up guest speakers who offer insight into their professional fields. Recent speakers include judges, sheriffs and addiction recovery and community health teams. You’ll have opportunities to network and learn about internships that could lead to future jobs.
- Earn your master’s in one extra year. Save money and time in our accelerated bachelor’s to master’s degree program.
- Nationally ranked master’s program. Stay at BGSU for graduate school. We offer online and on-campus options. Our online criminal justice master’s program is one of the top online programs in the country and ranked No. 1 among Ohio public universities.
- Center for the Future of Forensic Science. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) crime laboratory and investigation facility is located on the BGSU campus. BGSU’s productive partnership with BCI led to the creation of the center.
Required internships provide real-world experience and are available throughout the U.S.
Career - what can you do with a criminal justice degree?
Criminal justice majors have many career paths, depending on your goals. Graduates of the BGSU criminal justice program work at the local, state and federal levels in the three branches of the criminal and juvenile justice systems – law enforcement, the court system and the corrections system. They also go on to graduate school and law school.
Career paths
- Law enforcement
- Private investigator
- Juvenile counselor
- Corrections/probation officer
- Attorney
- Victim services advocate
- Criminologist
- Corporate loss prevention professional
Quick Facts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Internships
BGSU has one of the most extensive internship program of any criminal justice program in the country. You are required to complete 400 hours (essentially 40 hours a week for 12 weeks) with an approved criminal justice organization. Field placements are available throughout the U.S.
Curriculum
Our curriculum is focused on social and behavioral sciences with core courses in government, law, psychology and sociology. Because you take courses in other departments, as well as in criminal justice, you’ll learn to look at problems from many viewpoints.
You’ll learn how to:
- Evaluate policies and practices of the criminal justice system
- Think critically about and embrace the diversity of the society in which you serve and live
- Propose and critique solutions to the problems of crime causation and mitigation
We also focus on soft skills, helping you critically examine the world around you and embrace diversity.
Consider our specialization in forensic investigation if you’re interested in pursuing investigative careers in the public, private, intelligence or military sectors.
Sample courses
- Law Enforcement in American Society
- Investigations
- Introduction to Forensic Science
- Digital Crime and Criminal Justice
- Law, Evidence and Legal Issues in Forensic Science
- Criminal Courts
- Juvenile Justice Subsystems
- Institutional and Community Corrections
Summer Forensic Camp for high school students
BGSU’s virtual summer camp lets you experience what it’s like to be a forensic scientist.
- Classroom, lab and field experiences
- Taught by professionals from our cutting-edge forensic science program (They’ve even been featured on the hit show Forensic Files.)
- A virtual tour through a mock crime scene by a forensic scientist
- Home labs such as fingerprinting, evidence collection, blood typing and more.
The criminal justice program is part of the Department of Human Services in the BGSU College of Health & Human Services.
Updated: 12/12/2023 03:45PM