Abilene Christian University-Undergraduate Online

What you'll study

The degree requires 120 total hours: 56 hours of university requirements (including 9–15 hours in Bible) and a 64-hour major (with up to 22 hours available as electives). The criminal justice curriculum comprises a 27 credit-hour core, 15 credit hours of supplemental courses in political science and sociology, and 22 credit hours of specialized electives.

• Core topics include criminal justice system concepts, crime and control methods, criminal law foundations, and court procedures.
• Law enforcement history and practices, leadership theories in policing and policy, and arrest/search and seizure law applications.
• Victim assistance strategies, including domestic and partner violence intervention.
• Ethics in criminal justice examined from a Christ-centered perspective.
• U.S. political system, civil liberties, judicial branch structure and functions.
• Sources and patterns of criminal behavior and sociological approaches to why individuals offend.
• Research methods and data analysis techniques used in criminal justice studies.

Example coursework listed by the program includes: Law Enforcement Leadership; Professionalism and Ethics in Criminal Justice; Crime and Delinquency; Domestic Violence.

Entry requirements

The published page does not list specific admissions criteria. The program does offer credit-by-exam opportunities: students who submit a TCOLE exam certificate may be eligible to receive credit for three courses (CRMO 205, CRMO 250, CRMO 365), which can reduce time and cost to degree completion.

Career prospects

The program prepares students for roles in law enforcement, corrections, victim advocacy, policy or community safety work by developing communication, decision-making, analytical and problem-solving skills. The page cites the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projection of 7% growth for police and detectives (2020 baseline), and emphasizes applicability to policing and criminal justice practice.

Scholarships & funding angle

ACU offers a Locked-In Tuition guarantee that keeps undergraduate tuition constant for the length of the degree. Published pricing on the page shows $395 per credit hour with a $310 resource fee per term. The university notes a tuition discount for Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) employees. Additionally, submitting certain TCOLE exam certificates can yield credit worth more than $3,500 in tuition savings.