Public Service and Personal Satisfaction Go Together
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Woman in Court
Public Service and Personal Satisfaction Go Together

100% Online Master’s in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Satisfy your desire for career growth and public service in the complex and high-profile fields of global security, policing or victimology. Kent State University’s interdisciplinary online Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice will equip you with the social science insights, theoretical frameworks and critical thinking skills to help you safeguard the public and secure your future.

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Get ready to step up as a leader in criminology and criminal justice.
This complex field needs professionals who can work across disciplines to better communities and the justice system. Earn your master’s degree online with Kent State. Our online Master of Arts (MA) in Criminology and Criminal Justice program opens up multiple career paths to choose from, and can increase your earning potential as you set yourself apart in the field.

Complete the form to download a program detail sheet for more information on the MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice program and the three concentrations (Global Security, Policing and Victimology) you can choose from.

Make a Bigger Impact With a Kent State Master’s in Criminal Justice

Criminology and criminal justice are related professions, working in tandem to protect the public. Criminologists study the causes of crime and the effectiveness of prevention efforts, using research to solve social problems and formulate policy. Criminal justice professionals focus more on practice: implementing policy and managing crime prevention programs.

Prepare for a Top-Level Career in Policy or Practice

Kent State’s online master’s in criminology and criminal justice offers a unique blend of theoretical and applied learning that helps you create a top-level career in policy or practice.

The knowledge and perspective gained through our advanced degree program will help you thrive in your chosen field. The degree may also be required for employment or promotion at many organizations.

Take a big step toward your next career move with a Kent State master’s in criminal justice.

The work of those in the profession of criminal justice is becoming increasingly complex, demanding the ability to think critically, interact well with those you serve, and be capable of understanding complex and quickly changing situations.
 Allen Lowery
Allen Lowery, Adjunct Professor
Law enforcement veteran with a Ph.D. in psychology

Our Commitment to Your Success Shows in Our Ratings

The Military Friendly® designation indicates a school’s commitment to serving members of the extended military community, including active service members, spouses and veterans. Kent State's gold status places us among the highest-ranked schools in our category. Job placement, graduation and retention rates are factored into the ranking based on public and proprietary data and personal opinion surveys of veterans.

100 percent satisfied alumni

Recent alumni, motivated by the desire to advance and thrive in public service careers, unanimously gave our online master's in criminal justice and criminology ratings of satisfied or highly satisfied. The knowledge and connections you can gain through our program will help you thrive too.

Get Ready for a Satisfying Career. Keep Living Your Life.

Our rigorous and respected program is designed to fit in with your real-world responsibilities, including work and family obligations. Finish your degree in as little as two years, taking just two 7-week classes each semester.

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A career in criminal justice is a good fit if you are:

  • Analytical
  • Career-oriented
  • Committed to justice
  • Enterprising
  • Ethical
  • Interested in human behavior
  • A skilled communicator3, 4

Skip the GRE. Just Bring Your Best Self.

Our admissions process is focused on your work and goals, not on a test score. You only need to tell us about your education and your plans for the future. Then document your work with transcripts and references in our straightforward application process. The affordable $45 application fee is less than the cost of a dinner out. An Admissions Advisor will be happy to help you with your application.

Find your future in one of three degree concentrations.

Kent State's master's in criminal justice begins with a solid grounding in core subjects, including research methods, criminal law and justice institutions, and theories of crime and delinquency. Choose a concentration that aligns with your professional interests to finish your degree.

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Global Security

Work in the public or private sector as part of this fast-paced field encompassing international business, cybercrime and national security.
Portrait of a Police Woman

Policing

Use your expertise to help guide law enforcement agencies as they transform and modernize policies, strategies and tactics of police service delivery.
Nurse Treating Teenage Girl Suffering With Depression

Victimology

Develop, lead and evaluate culturally appropriate initiatives in the criminal and juvenile justice systems that support crime victims.

Career Options

This dynamic field evolves with society and technology, while the demand for highly skilled workers remains strong.

Build your success on our expertise, diversity and dedication.

Kent State was one of the first universities to offer online learning, and our experience shows.

Our well-designed online experience, the flexibility and relevance of our degree concentrations, and the dedicated expertise of our faculty all contribute to high student satisfaction.

A Solid Investment



The Kent State master's in criminal justice is not only one of the most affordable online master's programs in criminology and criminal justice in the state of Ohio, but it can also significantly increase your earning potential.5

Explore costs and financial aid

A Good Learning Experience



Our thoughtfully designed online courses and user-friendly learning management system allow you to easily navigate course content and stay connected to professors and classmates while studying when your schedule allows.

Check out the online experience

A Dedicated Faculty



Our professors are a diverse and esteemed group with numerous professional experiences complementing their doctoral qualifications. All full-time instructors, they’re also fully dedicated to helping you succeed.

Learn more about our faculty

Featured Articles

June 03, 2022
Even before there were celebrity trials on TV and scattered across the internet, word of mouth, radio and newspapers drove public fascination with certain cases turning plaintiffs and defendants into celebrities themselves.
March 30, 2022
The question, “Do prisons have air conditioning?” isn’t something that the public would typically ask, but it’s an important topic for those interested in criminology and the criminal justice system to consider.
January 13, 2022
In a culture ever more dependent on technology and the internet—for education, work, entertainment, and connection to our communities—it should come as no surprise that people behave online much as we do in person: with a mixture of kindness and cruelty, combining the best and worst of human intentions.
December 29, 2021
There are currently two million individuals incarcerated in American jails and prisons. In the past 40 years, the prison population in this country has grown by 500%. According to The Sentencing Project, this unprecedented increase is due more to the changes in criminal justice policy and sentencing laws than to changes in the nation’s crime rates.
November 29, 2021
Whether you’re aware of it or not, you likely use encryption daily. Sending emails or text messages, using fitness trackers that communicate with apps on your phone, accessing an online banking portal and retrieving photos or files from cloud storage all take advantage of the security features of encryption.
August 27, 2021
Penal labor in the U.S. is explicitly allowed by the 13th Amendment of our Constitution. The amendment outlaws slavery or involuntary servitude in the U.S., except when serving as punishment for a crime where the person has been “duly convicted”.
August 23, 2021
In 1996 Congress passed the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) to decrease the instances of litigation brought to the courts from incarcerated people. For the 25 years since the PLRA was signed into law by President Clinton, prison reform...
June 02, 2021
Initially, the United States aimed to create a justice system that protected the convicted or accused's rights, with four of the initial 10 amendments focused on this cause. However, punitive policies and federal funds fueled mass incarceration disparity affecting poor and minority households while filling pockets of ...
May 28, 2021
The use of telephonic communications to solve criminal cases is not a new development but remains a highly controversial topic. Almost 20 years ago, the Los Angeles Times reported on how law enforcement agencies viewed mobile phones as "a powerful resource in investigations and trials.”
March 24, 2021
At some point in your life, you have probably heard the term "halfway house" in relation to rehabilitation of some form. However, there is little publicly available information regarding these institutions, and few people really know how they function. Essentially, halfway houses are less strict 'community prisons' where ...
February 19, 2021
Now, more than ever, the U.S. justice system needs skilled law enforcement officers to assist in protecting the innocent, keeping the peace and achieving the ends of justice. From lawyers and secret agents to forensic analysts and probation officers, there are many high-paying jobs within law enforcement.
October 15, 2020
Today’s criminal justice system faces unique challenges that demand highly trained, dedicated professionals. In the area of criminal justice policy, there are exciting careers in community policing and enforcement, the treatment and rights of victims in the criminal justice process ...
Admissions and Application Deadlines
Apr
9
Priority Deadline
Summer 2023 Semester
Apr
27
Final Deadline
Summer 2023 Semester
May
11
First Day of Class
Summer 2023 Semester
Sources
  1. Retrieved on May 5, 2022, from militaryfriendly.com/faqs/
  2. Based on a limited sample of self-reported data from Kent State alumni from graduating cohorts between 2016-2020.
  3. Retrieved on May 5, 2022, from onetonline.org/link/summary/33-3021.06
  4. Retrieved on May 5, 2022, from onetonline.org/link/summary/33-3021.00
  5. Retrieved on May 6, 2022, from bls.gov/careeroutlook/2021/data-on-display/education-pays.htm