Application deadline
Credits and costs
Prepare Yourself for a Rewarding Career as a Criminal Justice Professional
This online Associate in Science in Criminal Justice program, offered through a partnership between Penn State World Campus and the Penn State Harrisburg School of Public Affairs, can position you for a career in the criminal justice field in a number of ways. It can provide you with the foundational knowledge needed to enter the field or, if you're already employed in the field, help enhance your résumé, heighten your profile, and advance your career.
Penn State's Online Associate in Criminal Justice Curriculum
The courses in this program can prepare you for a wide range of roles in the criminal justice field. You can gain a deep understanding of both the adult and juvenile justice systems; explore the intersections between public policy, behavioral science, and criminal justice; recognize the role that gender and ethnicity play in the field; and be prepared to interact in an ethical fashion with individuals from all backgrounds. Many of the courses you take in this program can also be used to satisfy graduation requirements for a Penn State Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, should you decide to continue your education and be accepted into the program.
The Penn State Difference
Courses in this program are taught by the same faculty who teach resident Penn State students. These are the same faculty who also teach students in our Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program, which has been certified by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Furthermore, a Penn State degree is renowned throughout the industry, giving you a recognized and respected credential to add to your résumé.
Information for Military and Veterans
Are you a member of the military, a veteran, or a military spouse? Please visit our military website for additional information regarding financial aid, transfer credits, or application instructions.
Courses
Penn State's online Associate Degree in Criminal Justice (CRIMJ) program emphasizes social science perspectives to the study of criminal justice.
Deputy Sheriff's Training and Act 120 Program
Students with ACT 120, Pennsylvania State Police, or Municipal Police Training transcripts may receive up to 16.5 credits for the following courses:
- CRIMJ 100: Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 credits)
- CRIMJ 220: Courts and the Prosecution Process (3 credits)
- CRIMJ 210: Policing in America (3 credits)
- CAS 203: Interpersonal Communication (3 credits)
- KINES 067: Physical Conditioning (1.5 credits)
- NURS 203: First Aid and CPR (3.0 credits)
Training from other states will be reviewed upon request.
Prescribed Courses (select 26 credits)
Prescribed courses require a grade of C or better.
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Additional Courses (select 3 credits)
Additional courses require a grade of C or better.
Elective Courses (select 26 credits)
Elective courses will be chosen in consultation with an adviser.
General Education Requirements
Some General Education requirements may be satisfied by courses required for the major. Students should work with an adviser to select courses.
- Arts (GA): 3 credits
- Humanities (GH): 3 credits
- Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
- Writing and Speaking (GWS): 3 credits
- Quantification (GQ): 3 credits
- Any General Education course, including Integrative Studies (Inter-domain or Linked courses): 3 credits
- United States Cultures (US), or International Cultures (IL) or combined designation (US; IL): 3 credits
May be satisfied by designated courses that also meet other degree or General Education requirements. - Writing Across the Curriculum (W, M, X, Y): 3 credits
May be satisfied by designated courses that also meet other degree or General Education requirements.
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.
Costs and Financial Aid
Undergraduate Tuition
Undergraduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register and the number of total credits you have accrued at or transferred to Penn State. Tuition is due shortly after each semester begins and rates are assessed every semester of enrollment.
How many credits do you plan to take per semester? | If you have 59 or fewer credits | If you have 60 or more credits |
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11 or fewer | $620 per credit | $664 per credit |
12 or more | $7,527 per semester | $8,125 per semester |
Financial Aid and Military Benefits
Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents should explore these potential military education benefits and financial aid opportunities, as well.
How to Apply
Deadlines and Important Dates
Your degree application, including receipt of all transcripts, must be received by the following deadlines to be considered complete.
New students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA by March 1. Please visit the Office of Student Aid website for more information about applying for financial aid and recommended deadlines.
Admission Requirements
To apply for this program, you must be a high school graduate or have completed your GED.
What You Need
Applications are submitted electronically and include a nonrefundable application fee. You will need to upload the following items as part of your application:
High school transcripts or GED transcript. First-year applicants are required to submit Self-Reported Academic Records (SRAR). Official high school transcripts will only be required at the time a student accepts an offer of admission to Penn State.
Official college or university transcripts, if you attended another institution, and/or official military transcripts (if applicable). All college or university transcripts are required regardless of the length of time that has passed, the grades earned, or the accreditation of the institutions attended. Acceptance of transfer credit toward your degree is subject to final approval by the academic department. For detailed information, see the Transfer Students page.
Transcripts not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. Please send your transcripts by mail or electronically through Parchment, eScrip-Safe, or the National Student Clearinghouse directly to Penn State from the college/university where course work was attempted.
Submit official documents by mail to:
Undergraduate Admissions Office
The Pennsylvania State University
201 Shields Building
University Park PA 16802
English Proficiency. The language of instruction at Penn State is English. With some exceptions, international applicants must take and submit scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Minimum test scores and exceptions are found in the English Language Proficiency section on the Undergraduate Admissions International Requirements page. Visit the TOEFL website for testing information. Penn State's institutional code is 2660.
Start Your Application
Former Penn State students may not need to complete the admissions application. Please visit our Returning Students page for instructions.
If this is your first time applying to Penn State, you'll need to complete the following steps:
- Review the application instructions before beginning.
- Complete the online application and submit all official documents.
- Pay the application fee.
Checking Your Status
You can check the status of your application by using the same login information established for the online application form and choosing "MyPennState — Check Application Status." Your decision letter (confirming your acceptance or denial) will be mailed four to six weeks after receipt of all application materials. An admissions counselor will contact you if additional information is required.
Technical Requirements
Review the technical requirements for this degree program.
Get the resources you need to make informed decisions about your education. Request information on this program and other programs of interest by completing this form.
Contact Us
To learn more about the Associate in Science in Criminal Justice, offered in partnership with Penn State Harrisburg School of Public Affairs, please contact:
World Campus Admissions Counselors
Phone: 814-863-5386
Email: [email protected]
Faculty
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Eileen M. Ahlin
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DegreePh.D., Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland, College Park
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DegreeM.A., Sociology, George Mason University
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DegreeB.A., Administration of Justice and Sociology, Penn State
Dr. Eileen M. Ahlin is an associate professor of criminal justice in the School of Public Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg. She joined the faculty in 2013 after 15 years with a private corporation, where she conducted criminal justice research at the federal, state, and local levels. Her teaching and research interests include violence, neighborhood effects, corrections, research methods, and criminological theory.
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Shaun L. Gabbidon
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DegreePh.D. Criminology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
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DegreeM.S. Criminal Justice, University of Baltimore
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DegreeB.S. Governmental Administration with focus in Criminal Justice, Christopher Newport University
Dr. Shaun Gabbidon is the author of more than 100 scholarly publications. The recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Gabbidon was awarded the 2015 Julius Debro Award for outstanding service and the 2016 Outstanding Teaching Award, both from the Division on People of Color and Crime of the American Society of Criminology. He teaches course in the areas of race, ethnicity, and crime; research methods; and private security administration.
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Jennifer Gibbs
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DegreePh.D., Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland, College Park
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DegreeCertificate, University Teaching and Learning, University of Maryland, College Park
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DegreeM.S., Criminal Justice Administration, Niagara University
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DegreeB.A., Psychology, Keuka College
Dr. Jennifer Gibbs' research interests focus on policing topics, including violence against police, public attitudes toward police, diversity in recruitment and retention, and terrorism. Her work on social distance and attitudes toward police, co-authored with Dr. Jonathan Lee, received recognition in the 2016 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence. At Penn State World Campus, Dr. Gibbs typically teaches courses on policing (CRIMJ 210: Policing in America; CRIMJ 408: Police Administration) and ethics (CRIMJ 465: Ethics in Criminal Justice).
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Daniel Howard
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DegreePh.D., Sociology, University of Delaware
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DegreeM.S., Criminal Justice, New Mexico State University
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DegreeB.S., Sociology, The College of Wooster
Dr. Daniel Howard joined the faculty at Penn State Harrisburg in 2012 after earning his Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Delaware. His research interests include correctional programming, treatment policy, and evaluation methodology. He teaches corrections classes for Harrisburg and World Campus programs and graduate seminars in criminal justice policy and administration. Dr. Howard's work has appeared in Justice Quarterly, Policing: An International Journal, Criminal Justice Policy Review, and Journal of Crime and Justice, as well as the Pennsylvania bar association magazine.
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Don Hummer
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DegreePh.D., Social Science-Criminal Justice, Michigan State University
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DegreeM.S., Criminal Justice, Shippensburg University
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DegreeB.S., Sociology/Anthropology, Elizabethtown College
Dr. Don Hummer is co-author/editor of The Culture of Prison Violence, Handbook of Police Administration, and the forthcoming The Technology Revolution in Criminal Justice. His work, focused primarily on offender treatment and control, has appeared in peer-reviewed outlets such as Aggression and Violent Behavior, Probation Journal, Law & Policy, and The Prison Journal.
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Philip Kavanaugh
DegreePh.D., Sociology, University of DelawarePhilip Kavanaugh is an associate professor of criminal justice. His latest work examines how harm reduction strategies to address the U.S. opioid crisis exist within and adapt to the broader war on drugs. His primary teaching duties are in the areas of drug policy and criminological theory.
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Jonathan Lee
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DegreePh.D., Criminology, Sam Houston State University
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DegreeM.A., Criminal Justice, Penn State
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DegreeB.A., Economics, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Dr. Jonathan Lee is an associate professor of criminal justice at Penn State Harrisburg's School of Public Affairs. He specializes in quantitative research on sociology and psychology of deviance, police-public relations, and police decision-making. He is associate editor of International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, a consultant to Dauphin County DA's Office and police agencies, and principal investigator of criminal justice projects funded by U.S. Department of Justice.
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Siyu Liu
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DegreePh.D., Criminal Justice, University at Albany (SUNY)
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DegreeM.A., Criminal Justice, University at Albany (SUNY)
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DegreeB.A., Biomedical English, Peking University Health Science Center
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DegreeB.S., Psychology, Peking University
Dr. Siyu Liu specializes in quantitative research on the topic of criminal desistance, police legitimacy and the Forth Amendment process, and the death penalty in China. Dr. Liu is an active member of the Association of Chinese Criminology and Criminal Justice based in the U.S. and has been presenting her research projects in more than eight prestigious universities in China.
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Jennifer L. Schally
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DegreePh.D., Sociology, University of Tennessee
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DegreeM.A., Community Psychology and Social Change, Penn State
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DegreeB.S., Sociology, Penn State
Dr. Jennifer L. Schally joined the faculty at Penn State Harrisburg in 2014 after earning her Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Tennessee. Her research interests are mainly in green criminology and crimes by the powerful, including harms to nonhuman animals. She regularly teaches courses in criminology and race and crime. Dr. Schally’s work has appeared in the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, the American Journal of Community Psychology, and the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Her book, Legitimizing Corporate Harm: The Discourse of Agribusiness, was published by Palgrave in 2018.
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Emily R. Strohacker
DegreePh.D., Sociology, University of Central FloridaDr. Emily Strohacker joined the School of Public Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg in August 2017 as an assistant professor of criminal justice. Her areas of research interest include criminology, deviance, and victimology, specifically in the areas of cyber victimization and sexual victimization. She regularly teaches courses in victimology, research methods, and criminology. Her published works have appeared in Crime & Delinquency, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, and Police Quarterly.