Criminal Justice Degree Schools » Criminal Justice Schools » Washington D.C. Criminal Justice Schools

Washington D.C. Criminal Justice Schools

  • 7 schools offering criminal justice degrees in D.C. are in our database. (see below)
  • 1 offer associate’s degrees or certificates, 4 of them offer bachelor’s degrees and above, and 2 offer a mix of bachelor’s and master’s
  • We found no schools in D.C. ranked in US News and World Reports that have a criminal justice program
  • According to Kiplinger’s, D.C. has no universities ranked in the top 100 for “Values in Public Colleges”
  • 10 campus-based and online schools in D.C. are available for requesting information.

Spotlight School

Liberty University
We keep our tuition affordable because it is an integral part of the overall mission for our university. The vision of our Chancellor, Jerry Falwell Jr., is to keep Liberty's Distance Learning Program affordable so as many individuals as possible can experience a Christ-centered education and become equipped for excellence, professionally as well as spiritually.

Programs:

  • BS in Criminal Justice
  • AA in Criminal Justice

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Profiles of Well Known Schools in D.C.

George Washington University: The Department of Sociology at George Washington University offers its students a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, a Master of Arts in Criminology and a dual degree with a BA/MA in Criminal Justice/Criminology. Undergraduate students take courses focused on qualitative methods, urban sociology and deviant behavior while graduate students can customize their degree plans to cater to a specialization in Criminology, Social Inequality or Urban Sociology. To provide a multidisciplinary curriculum, the department is affiliated with the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, the Women’s Studies Program, the Africana Studies Program, and the Department of Forensic Sciences. 23 full time faculty teach within one or more of the programs and many are current/former employees of local federal agencies in Washington D.C.

Howard University: Howard University offers both a Minor and Major in Administration of Justice within the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Students are required to complete 21 hours of foundation courses including Introduction to Sociology, Elementary Statistics, Criminology, and Principles of Criminal Justice. The elective courses available to undergraduates are highly focused on juveniles, deviance and victimology. The department has 22 full time faculty with those that teach Administration of Justice courses having research interests in deviance and criminology. Students have access to numerous federal agency internship opportunities since the offices are located in Washington D.C.

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Washington DC Criminal Justice Salary and Jobs

Occupation Number Employed Average Annual Salary
Correctional Officers and Jailers 1,520 $40,720
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives Estimates not released $118,580
Detectives and Criminal Investigators 2,730 $110,440
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers 5,230 $67,650

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2011.

Washington D.C. Criminal Justice Degrees

Efforts to increase the safety of the nation’s capitol have opened up job opportunities for entry-level police officers, new recruits and armed security positions in and around Washington DC. While the metropolitan area police department employs thousands of officers, the district is surrounded by county and city jurisdictions as well as federal law enforcement agencies and airport security that make Washington DC one of the best places to pursue a law enforcement career. Many of these police departments are the fastest growing, most highly supported and largest in the United States.

A criminal justice degree can help you find work with the large federal and local agencies in Washington DC, which prefer candidates who have completed a college program.

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Qualifications of employment for a law enforcement agency depend largely on which sort of police work you are interested in pursuing. For Washington DC, new recruits must pass an extensive physical fitness screening, have 60 college credits or 5 years of law enforcement experience at a similar jurisdiction or 3 years of active duty military experience, be a US citizen at the time of application, be at least 21 years of age, have no criminal record, pass a psychological and physical exam as well as have a valid drivers license and pass a thorough background check. Once recruited, new hires are sent to mandating academies where they must be able to successfully pass and graduate from their class in order to be placed on the force. Special force training is also provided and must specialized officers are hired and trained from within the department.

From homeland security, airport personnel to protective services and policing jobs there are plenty of job opportunities in law enforcement and protecting the nation’s capitol will always be a primary focus of the federal government.

If you are interested in learning more about earning a criminal justice degree, we recommend the following accredited campus-based and online criminal justice programs for students interested in pursuing associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the growing field of criminal justice.

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Police Quote: “Remember it’s a job, an important job, but it should not be your whole life. Especially if you have a family. You’ve got decades before you retire. So pace yourself so you don’t go from too eager to completely disillusioned. You want to leave the department with some of the same idealism you went in with.” -Peter Moskos, former Baltimore police officer and author of Cop in the Hood

Washington D.C.’s Criminal Justice Employment Outlook 2, 3, 4, 5

At the heart of government, this is a great location for criminal justice opportunities. Washington D.C. is a rare bird experiencing at or above peak employment levels dating back to 2006, but it also had chronically higher unemployment before the recession. At the start of 2012, D.C.’s unemployment rate is 10.4%, about 2 percentage points above the national average, and it has already bypassed recent prior peaks. Government related employment, which is a good proxy for Washington D.C. criminal justice jobs, has excellent prospects with prior peak employment already reached with good growth again in late 2013. The Occupational Supply & Demand System shows annual District of Columbia Criminal Justice job openings with Police and Sheriff Patrol (listed as “hot” / 88% of individuals in these positions report having some college or a bachelor’s degree), Correctional Officers (listed as “hot” / 60% of individuals in these positions report having some college or a bachelor’s degree), Security Guards (580 annual openings) and Paralegals (260 annual openings / 88% of individuals in these positions report having some college or a bachelor’s degree). According to the Sunshine Review, D.C.’s government budget is still stressed, but is improved from 2010. We suggest requesting free information from several District of Columbia criminal justice schools to weigh options.

Online and Washington D.C. Criminal Justice Schools

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University of Phoenix
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

  • A.A. in Criminal Justice
  • B.S in Criminal Justice Administration/Cybercrimes
  • B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration - Human Services

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Baker College Online
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

  • Bachelor of Criminal Justice

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Capella University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

  • MS - Criminal Justice
  • PhD - Criminal Justice
  • BS - Criminal Justice

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Keiser University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

  • Criminal Justice, BA
  • Criminal Justice, MA (Online Only)
  • Homeland Security, BA (Online)

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Walden University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

  • B.S. in Human Services - Criminal Justice 
  • B.S. in Criminal Justice - Crime and Criminals
  • B.S. in Criminal Justice

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Kaplan University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

  • MS in Criminal Justice - Law
  • MS in Criminal Justice
  • BS in Criminal Justice

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Liberty University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

  • BS in Criminal Justice
  • AA in Criminal Justice

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Post University
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

  • B.S. in Human Services / Criminal Justice
  • B.S. in Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement
  • B.S. in Criminal Justice

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Colorado Technical University Online
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

  • Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
  • Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice: Human Services
  • Master of Science in Criminal Justice

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Brandman University Online
Campuses: 1Online
Popular Degrees:

  • BA in Criminal Justice (Homeland Security Emphasis)
  • BA in Criminal Justice
  • BA in Criminal Justice (Victim Advocacy)


Tip: If you don’t live near a campus-based school that offers a program of interest, consider an online degree or a university in an adjacent state (Virginia, and Maryland).

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Washington DC Criminal Justice Salary

Working in the criminal justice field in the District of Columbia can provide competitive salaries that are among the highest in the country. The average salary for Washington DC police officers is $67,560 1 and first-line supervisors of police officers earn an average of $117,370.1 Correctional officers earn an average of $39,280 1 in Washington DC while detectives and criminal investigators make an average annual salary of $107,150.1 Washington DC paralegals earn an average of $65,740 1 per year.

Directory of Washington D.C. Universities Offering Criminal Justice Degrees

American University (Washington, DC)
Criminal Justice Degrees Offered:
Bachelor of Arts | Justice
Doctor of Philosophy | Justice, Law, and Society
Master of Science | Justice, Law, and Society

George Washington University (Washington, DC)
Criminal Justice Degrees Offered:
Bachelor of Arts | Criminal Justice
Graduate Certificate | Paralegal Studies
Graduate Certificate | Paralegal Studies (online program)
Master of Arts | Criminal Justice
Masters Degree | Paralegal Studies

Student Review:“The George Washington University is a great school, located in the middle of all of the hustle and bustle of the nation’s capital. They offer a broad variety of programs, but are best known for foreign policy, law, and medicine. They offer many night classes, which is great for working professionals. I took all night classes, except one class from 3:30-5. The campus is very urban – not much grass but it has a Whole Foods, many bars and restaurants, and a Metro station. It is located in the heart of the city and is a short walk to all of the monuments – the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Smithsonian museums, and the memorials.” -Dan A., student at George Washington University

Georgetown University (Washington, DC)
Criminal Justice Degrees Offered:
Post Baccalaureate Certificate | Paralegal Studies (ABA approved)

Howard University (Washington, DC)
Criminal Justice Degrees Offered:
Bachelor of Arts | Administration of Justice

Southeastern University (Washington, DC)
Criminal Justice Degrees Offered:
Bachelor of Science | Criminal Justice

Trinity Washington University (Washington, DC)
Criminal Justice Degrees Offered:
Bachelor of Science | Criminal Justice

University of the District of Columbia (Washington, DC)
Criminal Justice Degrees Offered:
Associate in Applied Science | Corrections Administration
Associate in Applied Science | Law Enforcement
Bachelor of Arts | Administration of Justice

References:
(1) Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_DC.htm
(2) Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/lau/ see state on page for current unemployment rate
(3) USA TODAY/Moody’s Analytics/BLS: http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2009-02-06-new-jobs-growth-graphic_N.htm
(4) Occupational Supply & Demand System / OCDS Georgia State University for the U.S. Department of Labor: http://www.occsupplydemand.org/OSD_SelectOcc.aspx?chk=2&ST=ZZ
(5) The Sunshine Review: http://sunshinereview.org/core/home (select state budget button)

Page Edited by Charles Sipe.