Undergraduate
Our bachelor’s degree program is offered both on campus and online, combining interdisciplinary perspectives of crime and justice with the breadth of knowledge that comes with a liberal arts curriculum.
Both online and on-campus students earn the same degree, taught by the same faculty.
Learn more about our B.S. in Criminal Justice online on the UL Lafayette Online website.
Why Major in Criminal Justice
Majoring in criminal justice will provide personal and professional growth through engaged and experiential learning opportunities. When you graduate, you'll be prepared to act as an informed and skilled agent of justice, who combines critical thinking and analytical skills with empirical evidence to accurately assess our crime problem and evaluate justice problems, policies, programs and solutions.
You will be prepared for entry-level positions in a wide variety of criminal justice related occupations. Learn more about career opportunities for criminal justice majors.
Curriculum & Courses
Crime and society's attempts to control it are the main focus of the major courses in the curriculum. A variety of approaches and issues, from community policing to "three strikes and you're out" are evaluated and discussed as possible solutions. Lower-level courses provide a general introduction to the components of the criminal justice system while upper-level courses provide a more intensive analysis of areas such as management, comparative criminal justice, research methods and community crime prevention.
One of the strengths of the program is its versatility. It combines the core of liberal arts courses, the pre-professional criminal justice education, and elective opportunities so you can tailor the program to your needs and interests.
The curriculum is designed to provide a balance of classroom and out-of-class education, with opportunities to do research and observe criminal justice agencies in the community. Our program offers courses on courts, restorative justice, homicide, terrorism, forensics, and research methods. Please visit the University's catalog to see all courses the Criminal Justice program offers.
A semester-long internship with a local agency is required of senior students. Internships are available in a variety of municipal, parish, state and federal criminal justice agencies. These include: Louisiana Department of Probation and Parole, Lafayette Community Correctional Center, United States Probation, Acadiana Shelter for Girls, Louisiana Office of Juvenile Services, Lafayette City Police, Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Department, and several area indigent defender programs.
Interested in joining us? Apply today!