ECU Online: Flight Path Programs

BS in Criminal Justice & Criminology

Take Command of What Comes Next.

Turn your experience into action with ECU’s online BS in Criminal Justice and Criminology degree, built for working adults ready to finish their degree and make their mark. You’ll build job-ready skills through applied coursework, case analysis of real cases, practicums and research-driven learning that connect theory to practice. Customize your degree with electives and an optional minor.

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Program of Interest*
$429
Cost-Per-Credit
100%
Online, Asynchronous
3.5 Years
Average Time to Completion
3
Optional Minors Available
Overview

An Online Criminal Justice Degree Made for Impact 

ECU’s 100% online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology is designed for working adults who have earned college credit and are ready to finish their bachelor’s degree while building practical skills for the next step in their career. Built for professionals in criminal justice, public safety, corporate security, investigations, compliance, fraud prevention and related fields. This program also prepares students to pursue new opportunities across both the public and private sectors.

Make Your Mark on the Justice System 

Criminal justice prepares you to navigate the systems that respond to crime. Criminology helps you understand why crime happens, how policy shapes outcomes and how research drives better decisions. Together, this criminology and criminal justice degree online program gives you a broader foundation for careers across law enforcement, investigations, corporate security, fraud prevention, compliance, public service and other growing fields

This is a program built to put knowledge into practice. Through real cases, research projects, crime scene participation, practicums and other applied learning experiences, you’ll strengthen skills in investigation, systems thinking, analysis and leadership. With just 18 credit hours of core criminal justice coursework, you’ll have room to customize your degree through a wide range of electives and an optional minor in Human Development and Family Science, Security Studies or Sociology.

Learn from faculty whose experience spans criminal justice practice and criminological research across law enforcement, courts, corrections and child protective services, bringing multiple perspectives into every course. A transfer-friendly degree completion pathway helps you build on eligible previous coursework, while flexible online classes with no set login times make it easier to keep moving toward graduation without putting work or life on hold.

Skills You'll Gain

  • Applying evidence-based research into practice
  • Crime and criminality
  • Criminological research methods
  • Correctional systems
  • Data analysis and interpretation
  • Ethical decision-making
  • Policy evaluation
  • Principles of criminal law
  • Special Populations in the criminal justice system
  • Issues and problems in criminal justice

Real Cases, Real Skills

Build practical experience through crime scene participation, practicums and case studies that mirror the work you'll do on the job. 

You're in Command 

Designed for degree completers, this program helps you finish strong and prepare for wherever your career leads next. 

Faculty Who've Done the Job 

Learn from experienced faculty whose backgrounds span law enforcement, courts, corrections and child protective services. 

Build Your Own Beat 

Customize your degree with 30+ electives and three optional minors that align your education with your career goals. 

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Career Outlook

From the Classroom to the Front Lines

An online criminal justice degree opens doors across law enforcement, investigations, courts, corrections, corporate security, fraud prevention, compliance, loss prevention, public service and government agencies. ECU’s online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology prepares you with practical, career-focused skills built through research, policy analysis, crime scene participation and applied learning that reflects the work you’ll do on the job. Explore criminal justice careers and their national salary data below.1

Detectives And Criminal Investigators
Annual Median Salary: $93,5802
Compliance Officer
Annual Median Salary: $84,937
Risk Management Specialist
Annual Median Salary: $81,115
Corporate Security Analyst
Annual Median Salary: $75,884
Fraud Investigator
Annual Median Salary: $73,621
Loss Prevention Manager
Annual Median Salary: $69,721 
Intelligence Analyst
Annual Median Salary: $65,310 

62,200 New Jobs

Police and detective jobs projected each year, 2024–20342

2,233 Financial crimes

Reported incidents of embezzlement in North Carolina in 20243

10% Increase

Incidents of fraud and embezzlement in North Carolina in 20243

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1 Payscale, 2026 

2 U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2026 

3 North Carolina Department of Public Safety

Dr Heidi S. Bonner

Think Like a Pirate

“Our mission is to educate the next generation of criminal justice leaders. We look at the roles our students are pursuing, then give them the tools they need to be successful in the workforce.”

Criminal Justice and Criminology Department Chair

Dr Heidi S. Bonner

Curriculum & Courses

Curriculum Built to Put You in the Field

The BS in Criminal Justice and Criminology is a 120-credit undergraduate degree offered through the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. It includes 40 hours of general education courses, 18 hours of core courses, 33 hours of criminal justice electives and 29 hours of minor or general elective courses.

Curriculum Overview & Degree Requirements

This bachelor of criminology and criminal justice online program is built around how criminal justice actually works: through evidence, research, collaboration and informed decision-making.

Study crime through the lens of law, policy, research and human behavior while building the practical skills employers expect across public and private sectors. From crime scene participation, practicums and evidence-based case analysis to topics like white-collar crime, homeland security and gender-based violence, every course is designed to connect what you learn to the decisions professionals make every day. Flexible internship options let you gain experience in the setting that best supports your career goals.

The program gives you room to shape your education with 33 criminal justice electives credit hours to explore the areas of criminal justice that interest you most. Strengthen your degree with one of three optional minors in Human Development and Family Science, Security Studies or Sociology. The transfer-friendly degree completion pathway helps most students earn their ECU degree in an average of 3.5 years.

Degree Breakdown

General Education 40 Credits
Criminal Justice Core 18 Credits
Criminal Justice Electives 33 Credits
General Electives 29 Credits

Sample Courses

The coursework in ECU’s online criminal justice bachelor’s degree is designed to help you think critically, solve problems with evidence and apply research to real-world challenges. You’ll move beyond theory through crime scene participation, practicums, case studies and applied learning that mirror the work of today’s criminal justice professionals. Curate your degree with 33 elective credit hours or an optional minor to build focused expertise across criminal justice, government, business or community organizations.

Comparison of organized criminal behavior around the world, including structural aspects, activities conducted, and criminal justice responses.

Choose FROM 3 Optional Minors

Your career goals are unique, and your degree can be, too. Choose from three optional minors to gain specialized knowledge in the area of criminal justice that interests you most without extending your time to graduation.

Criminal Justice + Human development & Family Science

Focus on the Individual Within Complex Systems.

An important aspect to criminal justice is understanding the people that laws affect. Pairing your Criminal Justice and Criminology degree with a minor in Human Development and Family Science helps you explore how people grow and develop across the lifespan, from childhood through adulthood. You’ll examine the biological, emotional and social factors that shape decision-making and well-being while gaining insight into how policies, programs and interventions can influence individual outcomes. The result is a deeper understanding of the human side of justice and the knowledge to make more informed, compassionate decisions.

Career Outlook

  • Juvenile Justice Specialist
  • Community Corrections Officer
  • Case Management Specialist
  • Rehabilitation Specialist
  • Child Welfare Specialist
  • Prevention Program Coordinator

Sample Courses

  • Critical Issues in Family and Cultural Diversity
  • Theories of Child Development
  • The Juvenile Justice System
  • Advanced Public Policy and Legal Issues Affecting Families
  • Parent Education
Criminal Justice + Human development & Family Science

Criminal Justice + SECURITY STUDIES

Where Criminal Justice Meets National Security.

Today’s security challenges go beyond responding to crime. Expand your understanding of how policies, systems and institutions work together to prevent threats before they happen. Through coursework in homeland security, intelligence, emergency management and global security, you’ll learn to evaluate complex risks, shape security strategy and understand the frameworks that guide decision-making across government, public safety and national security.

Career Outlook

  • Emergency Management Specialist
  • Threat Assessment Analyst
  • Corporate Security Specialist
  • Security Operations Coordinator
  • Government Affairs Coordinator
  • Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

Sample Courses

  • Changing Nature of National Security Policy
  • Victimology
  • The Foundation of Homeland Security and Defense
  • Transnational Crime
  • Terrorism and Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice + SECURITY STUDIES

Criminal Justice + Sociology

See the Society Behind the Statistics.

Justice systems don’t operate in a vacuum. They exist within the communities they serve. Pairing your Criminal Justice and Criminology degree with a Sociology minor helps you examine how neighborhoods, institutions, economic conditions and community dynamics influence crime, public safety and justice outcomes. You’ll learn to analyze how policies affect communities, identify patterns across populations and better understand the relationship between justice systems and the people they serve, preparing you to approach complex challenges with a broader perspective.

Career Outlook

  • Probation Officer
  • Crime Analyst
  • Social Research Assistant
  • Program Evaluation Specialist
  • Court Liaison Officer
  • Social Services Coordinator

Sample Courses

  • Criminal Justice and Society
  • Ethics in Criminal Justice
  • The Juvenile Justice System
  • Diversity Issues in Criminal Justice
  • Social Issues in Regional Development
Criminal Justice + Sociology
Kallie K.,

Coach quote

A lot of our learners have tried to go back to school before. What's different this time is that they don't have to figure it out on their own.

Kallie K.,
Flight Path Success Coach

Accreditation

When you earn a degree from East Carolina University, you earn more than a credential. You earn the reputation of a university that's spent more than a century serving students who are determined to make a difference.

East Carolina University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Questions about the accreditation of East Carolina University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website.

Accreditation &   Academic Excellence
Admissions & Transfer

General Admissions &
Transfer Credit Criteria

You’ll find that ECU is a place where people know you for more than what you do; we see you for who you are and who you’ll grow into. As such, we are committed to equality of opportunity and do not discriminate based on race/ethnicity, color, genetic information, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, political affiliation and veteran status.

24 + Transfer Credits

At least 24 transferable credit hours from the last or current institution attended.

2.0 Minimum GPA

A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all attempted coursework.

Grade of C- or Better

A grade of C- (1.7) or higher in coursework is required to be considered for transfer.

Good Academic Standing

Applicants must be in good academic standing at their current or most recent institution.

Official Transcripts

Official transcripts are required from all colleges and universities previously attended.

A Completed Application

Submission of ECU’s online application for admission, including all required materials.

Admissions Notes

Current ECU students should email [email protected] before completing a Flight Path program application.

  • Meeting the minimum admission requirements doesn’t guarantee admission nor does it guarantee admission into your academic program of interest.
  • Offers of admission are extended on the basis of a competitive review process and are subject to enrollment limits.
  • Only courses with a grade of “C-” or higher from regionally accredited institutions are eligible to transfer and can be used to gain admission.

Mail Official Transcripts to:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Mail Stop 517
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC 27858-435

We also accept electronic transcripts from most transcript services. Please request to have them sent directly to [email protected].

Tuition for North Carolina Residents

To qualify for in-state tuition rates, North Carolina residents must first confirm their in-state status by completing an application through the Residency Determination Service (RDS). To learn more about how to apply for NC residency, please refer to the North Carolina Residency page.

Technology Requirements

  • A PC (Windows 10 or newer) or Mac (macOS 11 or newer) computer manufactured within the last 4-5 years. 
  • Built-in microphone and speakers, or a dedicated computer headset for clearer communication and reduced background noise. 
  • Internet connectivity with a minimum speed of 15 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload speeds. 
  • Chromebook devices are currently not recommended by any academic programs at ECU due to several limitations.

Chromebook devices are currently not recommended by any academic programs at ECU due to several limitations. For more information on tech requirements, visit our technology page.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Tuition & Financial Aid

Cost Snapshot

ECU’s online Flight Path programs are designed to make earning your degree affordable, transparent and predictable.

  • In-state tuition: $429 per credit hour*
  • Out-of-state tuition: $510 per credit hour*

Tuition may vary by program and is subject to change. 

View Full Tuition Details

Financial Aid Overview

Financial aid options may be available to help cover the cost of your degree, including federal aid, grants, scholarships and loan programs.

  • Federal financial aid available for eligible students
  • NC state grants and scholarships may apply
  • ECU grants and scholarships for qualifying students
  • Military and veteran benefits may be applicable
Explore Financial Aid Options

Meet Your Faculty

Christopher Ryan Harrison

Christopher Ryan Harrison

Ph.D., MS
Flight Path Program Coordinator – Teaching Instructor

Dr. Harrison serves as the Flight Path Coordinator in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at East Carolina University, where he also teaches...

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Deneil D. Christian

Deneil D. Christian

Ph.D., CFE
Teaching Assistant Professor

Dr. Deneil D. Christian serves as a Teaching Assistant Professor in the online B.S. in Criminal Justice Flight Path program at East Carolina University....

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Justin Ovaska

Justin Ovaska

M.S.
Senior Instructor

Justin Ovaska brings 15 years of college-level teaching experience, including five years as a college program director, along with 15 years of law enforcement...

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Thomas Duty III

Thomas Duty III

M.S.
Teaching Instructor

Thomas Duty is a Teaching Instructor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at East Carolina University and a proud Pirate alumnus, having...

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Not Sure Which Program Is Right for You?

Our admissions team can help you explore your options. Flight Path is designed for students returning with 24 or more college credits who want a focused path to graduation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Criminal justice focuses on how justice systems operate, including policing, courts, corrections and investigations. Criminology examines why crime occurs and how research can inform policy and prevention. ECU’s program combines both perspectives to prepare graduates for careers across public, private and nonprofit sectors.

How Can We Help?

We’re here to help you find the best way forward.

Filling out a quick form connects you with an ECU admissions representative who will answer your questions, review your options and help you chart the best path to your degree. It's a conversation focused on your goals, not a sales pitch.

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