About the Program

In UMFK’s criminal justice program, you’ll prepare for entry-level positions in local, state, and federal law enforcement and criminal justice. With a focus on ethical and critical thinking, courses are taught by professionals with decades of experience in the field. Much of what you learn will be put to the test in real-world learning environments, including a required internship.

Officer Jess Combs speaks with dispatch over her cruiser's CB radio

Criminal Justice – Bachelor of Science

Gain the knowledge and skills you need for employment and advancement in a multitude of public safety professions including police officers, state troopers, sheriff’s deputies, game wardens, customs and border protection, corrections, emergency management and many others with the Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice.

BS in Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice – Associate of Arts

Earn an Associate of Arts degree in Criminal Justice online or on campus for employment or advancement in the criminal justice system and with various law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, regional, and local levels. This degree may be used as a gateway to the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.

AA in Criminal Justice

Program Requirements

  • CRJ 100: Criminology
  • CRJ 101: Introduction to Criminal Law
  • CRJ 103: Introduction to Public Safety Administration
  • CRJ 105: Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • CRJ 108: Constitutional Law
  • CRJ 215: Principles of Investigations
  • CRJ 221: Ethics And Community
  • CRJ 310: Introduction to Public Management
  • CRJ 311: Homeland Security & Emergency Management
  • CRJ 315: Public Policy
  • CRJ 319: Interviewing Concepts in Modern Policing
  • CRJ 322: Terrorism
  • CRJ 326: Introduction to Forensic Science
  • CRJ 333: National Incident Management Systems
  • CRJ 397: Public Safety Internship
  • CRJ 419: Case Preparation & Resolution
  • PSY 100: Introduction to Psychology
  • PSY 334: Crisis Identification & Intervention
  • PSY 362: Abnormal Psychology

Forensic Science Minor

Students take at least three forensic science courses, with the option of earning a minor in forensics. In addition, you’ll benefit from real-world learning in the form of mock trial prep, interviews, and crime scene investigations.

Forensic Science Minor
A professor talks with a forensic science student while the student looks through a microscope

Criminal Justice Minor

The Criminal Justice Minor allows the student to explore the legal, social, and practical aspects of the criminal justice field.

Criminal Justice Minor
headshot of Kale O'Leary wearing a forest ranger uniform

Career Opportunities in Criminal Justice

Graduates have careers as:

  • Game Warden
  • Conservation Law Officer
  • Marine Patrol
  • State Trooper
  • Sheriff Deputy
  • Police Officer
  • Chief of Police
  • Border Patrol Agent
  • Customs and Border Officer

Employers who have hired our graduates in recent years include:

  • Maine Warden Service
  • Maine Forest Rangers
  • National Park Service
  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Maine Department of Conservation
  • Fish & Game
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • Department of Homeland Security
  • Bureau of Parks and Lands
  • Maine State Police
  • Local Police Departments (various)

Career Outlook and Earning Potential

Bureau of Labor Statistics – Potential Occupations and Employment Outlook

Job CodeJob Title
33-3021.01Police Detectives
33-3021.03Criminal Investigators and Special Agents
33-3051.01Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers
33-3051.03Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs
43-5031.00Police, Fire, and Ambulance Dispatchers
33-9032.00Security Guards
33-1011.00First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
33-1012.00First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

7 Career-Oriented Outcomes

Professionalism, Safety, Practitioner, Critical Thinker, Communicator, Leader, Teamwork, Advocacy

Federal Bureau of Prisons

An example of where our graduates work

Bureau of Parks and Land

One of our many internship opportunities

Criminal Justice Spotlights

Meet the faculty and students who make this program so successful.

Next Steps

Tell us about yourself to learn more about the benefits of earning your degree at UMFK.