Why Earn Your Criminal Justice Degree at Saint Leo University?
Create safer communities, and improve the lives of people everywhere. While pursuing your bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, you’ll develop the highly specialized knowledge and leadership skills to decode and correct criminals, work with law enforcement agencies, and investigate crimes in Florida, the United States and the world.
This program is offered:
Campus
Education Center
Online
This program is a 39-hour major based on the input of a diverse criminal justice advisory board that is designed to prepare students for careers and rapid advancement in the criminal justice system and related fields. This program of study will enhance the effectiveness of working professionals, provide a foundation for advancement to administrative levels, and prepare students for graduate study in criminal justice administration and related fields.
Est. Time to Complete:
4 years
Credit Hours:
120 hours
Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice - Program Details
Where else are you going to learn the latest techniques from faculty members who've served more than 25 years as crime scene investigators, local and federal agents, chief deputies, detectives and FBI advisors? Saint Leo professors are leading experts on all the skills you need to get your foot in the door: interrogation, non-verbal communication, hostage negotiation, and international sex and organ trafficking. And Saint Leo is an approved educational partner by the FBI National Academy Associates.
Learn Your Way:
Online, On Campus, or Near You
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![Saint Leo students and instructor in classroom]()
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What are the on-campus facilities like?
Students who pursue their degrees at Saint Leo’s main campus near sunny Tampa Bay, Florida, join a community of enthusiastic learners just like them.
Criminal Justice students enjoy plenty of engaging learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom, as well as exciting departmental events.
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What are the benefits of earning your criminal justice degree online?
Saint Leo University’s online learning experience provides a well-rounded education with the flexibility to tailor your course of study to meet your individual needs. We know our students have lives outside school, and we seek to meet them where they are. Online students can count on receiving excellent academics as well as opportunities for hands-on learning.
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It will help me be responsive to the latest needs and issues such as gender identity, issues of technology, abuse, and the concerns of the smartphone generation. What I like is that it will teach me how to use applied theology to discuss these issues.
Fr. Rojas
Are education centers near you offering criminal justice degree programs?
You may also choose to pursue your degree through one of our education centers, which merge a traditional in-person education with the flexibility to match your lifestyle. Education centers offer eight-week academic terms as well as evening and weekend classes.
Specialization Options
Saint Leo University offers specialization options for criminal justice students. You can customize your degree to match your passions by choosing one of the following concentrations.
A criminalistics degree will provide you the knowledge and training you need to solve the crime. Saint Leo's Criminal Justice - Criminalistics Specialization trains you in crime scene investigation and forensic science. Crime scene analysts process evidence—like DNA, fingerprints and bullets—in a forensics lab to help identify suspects and reconstruct the events of a crime.
Become an expert on international and domestic terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, law enforcement ethics and law, and Middle Eastern political, religious and economic forces. Saint Leo is an approved educational partner by the FBI National Academy Associates, and our faculty members have served as local and federal agents, chief deputies, detectives and FBI advisors.
Career Outlook
No matter which learning experience you choose, you will receive plenty of professional development opportunities, industry knowledge from expert professors, and support from the Saint Leo community. All this together means that you will be ready for a successful career or continued studies upon graduation.
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![Saint Leo University students in Psychology classroom]()
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How will you gain real experience?
Field placement
Earn your police standard certificate with training at the Pasco-Hernando Police Academy. Intern with agencies such as the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Customs, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. District Court and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Hands-on learning
Testify and sit on a jury for a courtroom role-playing assignment. Stand in the death chamber of the Florida state prison. Examine fingerprints in a forensics lab.
Co-curricular activities
Become an active member of Alpha Phi Sigma, the national criminal justice honor society.
What can you do with an undergraduate criminal justice degree?
Graduates rapidly advance in the criminal justice system and pursue graduate study in criminal justice administration and related fields.
What are the top criminal justice degree jobs?
| Career | Growth | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Crime Scene Investigator | 19% | $60,590 per year |
| Juvenile Probation Officer | 4% | $55,690 per year |
| Police Officer | 7% | $67,290 per year |
From the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020.
Where are Saint Leo criminal justice graduates now?
- Secret Service
- FBI
- Tampa Police Department
- Atlanta Police Department
Student Stories
"Saint Leo's online MBA program in Supply Chain Management provided me the opportunity for flexible learning alongside other supply chain professionals in my industry. With this MBA, I expanded upon educational and professional abilities within the field of Supply Chain Operations."
Paige Holt- MBA Student specializing in Supply Chain Management
Paige is one of our MBA students who has taken full advantage of the opportunities offered by Saint Leo's online MBA program in Supply Chain Management.
“Learning ignites my passion to seek and find information that intrigues my soul, spirit, and mind. Education at Saint Leo University has had an extremely positive influence on my life and my development as a person. It has made me more confident and enabled me to steer into my destiny. Saint Leo University has provided me with different learning experiences that has enabled me to branch out and work with people effectively. It has helped me develop a great amount of self-discipline and, aside from teaching me some very important life skills, Saint Leo University has opened many doors for my future.”
Karen Sislava Reyes - MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ACCOUNTING
Karen came to Saint Leo from Flagler College where she earned her undergraduate accounting degree. Karen has worked as an intern for CliftonLarsonAllen. She plans on sitting for the CPA exam this year and will then pursue a doctorate degree.
''As a graduate now pursuing my masters of science in accounting, I’m even more thankful for how well Saint leo equipped me and not just educationally but as a leader, student, and even on a personal level. It is truly a privilege to have been taught by professors whose efforts go beyond the classroom.”
Tayhana Taylor - Undergrad Bachelor of Science- Accounting
Tayhana has completed four prestigious internships, including two with the BIG 4 CPA firms of Ernst & Young and Deloitte in New York City. These internships were highly competitive, and Tayhana engaged in both audit and tax while in these roles, gaining experience with leading-edge accounting protocols. She has been offered a full-time position with Deloitte in 2025. Tayhana has published three articles with faculty in the Tapia College of Business. The most recent titled, "The Impact of COVID-19 on the Airline Industry," was published in the Journal of Finance and Accountancy in Fall 2023
Saint Leo University has truly been a stepping stone for me. When I entered this university 4 years ago, I was unaware of what I’d be like when I left. Now, 3 weeks away from graduating, I am so thankful that I was a student here. Your time at Saint Leo University is what you make of it, and Saint Leo students are provided with so much opportunity to succeed.
O'shea Williams - Bachelor of Arts Developmental Psychology
“Saint Leo is not just an academic institution, it’s a formation institution. Saint Leo embraced me for who I am, showed faith that I could be my best, and solidified the light that was shining within me.”
Charles Onyeneke ’17
University Campus, Theology
“As a child, my great-grandmother taught me how to pray and to lean on God. Saint Leo inspired us all to learn with compassion and reminded me to keep the faith.”
Brent Patterson ’21
Center for Online Learning, Religious Studies
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Accreditation
Saint Leo University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees.