Criminal Justice A.A. [Online]
An Associates of Arts degree in Criminal Justice prepares you for future careers in a variety of law-related support positions or for pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Why Criminal Justice A.A.?
This program addresses the processes of law enforcement, the legal system, and the penal/correctional system. It pointedly addresses issues of diversity, ethics, and biblical anthropology as they relate to the complexities of criminal justice.
Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice from Cairn
Biblical Integration
Cairn University is committed to the centrality of Christ and the Word of God and is reflected in the curriculum and instruction. We must do more than say it matters, we must act in a way that demonstrates it matters. All instruction is grounded in the timeless Truth of God’s Word. No matter what your intended career path or field of study, Cairn is committed to helping you think about your career through a biblical worldview.
Experienced Faculty
Our online courses are taught by faculty who are committed to your professional and spiritual growth. In addition to the carefully crafted learning activities, our faculty are substantively engaged throughout the course delivery. You don’t just have professors, you have mentors who invest in you throughout the program and often remain connected long after graduation.
Campus Community
Community is about more than simply taking classes together. It's more than having a similar experience. Community is powerful, instructive, encouraging, and biblical. And at Cairn, community is intentional. It's attended to closely as an outworking of the University’s biblical commitment and understanding that in Christ, we are one.
Academic Opportunity
If you choose to remain at Cairn for further study, this program integrates seamlessly into the B.A. in Criminal Justice and in most other online bachelor’s degree programs.
Affordability
There's quite a bit of talk these days about the cost of higher education and the question of value. Many assume that you can't have both value and affordability, so they settle for lesser options or assume that the costliest options must have the most value. But when Cairn talks about walking a different path, value is no exception. It's possible to get a college education that is both affordable and valuable.
more Details
Get an inside look at our Criminal Justice Program
There are over 70 unique programs at Cairn to choose from! Not sure if this is the best program for you? Here are some more details to help you decide.
Required Credits: 60
Curriculum Highlights:
- CRJ 162 Policing/Criminal Process
- CRJ 261 Prison and Prisoners
- CRJ 361 Contemp Fed Law Enforce
- POL 221 The Supreme Court/Constit
Criminal Investigator
Police Officer
Homicide Detective
Corrections Officer
Cairn Online has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), which regionally oversees postsecondary online education.
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An Affordable Education
While the cost of a Cairn University education is competitive with similar institutions, we realize you may need financial assistance to take this journey. You are not alone. 97% of our full-time undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance.
Meet Our Faculty
Chris Lloyd
Assistant Professor, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Chris Lloyd served as the Director of the Cairn University Office of Safety and Security from 2009-2022. Prior to this position, Lloyd worked with his alma mater, Villanova University, and Bucks County Community College in various Safety and Security Administrative roles. In addition to his role of Safety and Security Director, Chris Lloyd teaches undergraduate Criminal Justice courses at Cairn, drawing on his education and vocational experience in the field.
Greg Schaller
Chair, Social Sciences Department, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences
In addition to teaching politics courses at the University, Greg Shaller is the president of The John Jay Institute, a one year program that “prepares principled leaders for faith-informed public service.” Greg previously served as associate professor of politics at Colorado Christian University, where he taught from the fall of 2009 until May of 2017. At Colorado Christian, Greg developed a political science major in the fall of 2011, which now has over 45 students in it.
Additionally, Greg is a fellow at the Centennial Institute, Colorado Christian University’s public policy think-tank. His work with the Centennial Institute includes writing for their blog and in their monthly policy review, The Centennial Review. He also assists with the planning and coordination of the Centennial Institute’s Western Conservative Summit, a summer conference which is attended by over 3,000 people annually.
Greg has also taught at Villanova University and St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. He is pursuing his PhD at the University of South Dakota.
Cairn Online Frequently Asked Questions
The tuition for post-secondary education has become expensive in general. However, Cairn Online programs rank amongst the most affordable online bachelor’s and master’s programs. While the tuition costs vary by program level, the rate is typically $425 per credit or 12K per year for A.A. and B.S. programs and $300-$725 per credit for graduate programs.
The current tuition rates are available from this page. Scholarships and financial aid are also available.
Currently there are over 6 million online learners in the United States, and those numbers are growing every day. Online degrees that have regional accreditation are held to the same standards as traditional universities, ensuring that students earn a valuable degree that will prepare them with the skills and credentials for their career. Do research to find an online degree that is accredited and reputable, such as those offered at Cairn University.
Cairn Online courses based on Cairn’s 100+ years tradition of excellence in biblical education. Our on faculty has carefully designed them taking into consideration what works best for the online learner. The modular design and asynchronous delivery enable you to complete your studies while you pursue your career, ministry and spend time with your family.
Courses typically contain seven units and are delivered in 7-week terms*. Each unit contains 5-7 modular activities. Each learning activity includes instructional videos accompanied by reflections, quizzes, discussion forums and other assessments. Courses also utilize adaptive learning technologies such as Cerego for long-term retention of concepts and VoiceThread for enhanced collaboration.
The asynchronous delivery provides flexibility around your daily busy schedule. In most courses, interactive activities are typically due by Wednesday while the rest of the unit’s work is due by Sunday night. The MBA, M.A. in Music and Criminal Justice programs use the 7RD2 process and require the completion of certain activities daily to optimize learning.
Our own Cairn faculty intentionally participate in the course throughout the week to provide you with an incarnational experience.
*Few capstone courses are intentionally offered in 14 weeks to optimize student learning.
A.A. programs usually take 2 years and B.S. and B.A. programs typically take 3-4 years to complete.
Graduate programs vary in length by program. As an example, Cairn’s traditional MBA typically takes 20 months to complete but then there is also the accelerated One-Year MBA that you can complete in 12 months.
If you are looking to complete your program sooner, you can consider taking more 7-week courses at a time.
All courses are developed by one or more course developers and taught by our own faculty. The instructors are also intentionally involved in the course throughout the week by providing direction in the course activities, participating in the forum discussions, grading the student work and providing substantive feedback. Most courses also offer optional office hours weekly via Zoom or similar video conferencing tools.
Our instructional design team works very closely with the course developers and carefully plans the courses to balance the technology requirements. Most courses use the eLearning platform for hosting the course materials, Panopto for video capture and storage, VoiceThread for enhanced discussion forums, and Cerego for adaptive learning. Zoom is used at times for virtual office hours. These sessions are optional.
Except for the Hebrew and Greek language courses for the B.S. in Biblical Studies program, typically there are no required meeting times for the completing the course activities.
The course transfer depends on where you are transferring from, and what program you are transferring to. If you are coming to Cairn Online from another institution, it is very likely you will have some credits that will transfer. Because there are so many options, we encourage you to talk to an enrollment counselor. If you are transferring out, Cairn is a regionally accredited school and some credits should transfer with relative ease. Each college sets their own transfer criteria, so be sure to check their policies for specifics.
Cairn Online offers a variety of options for prior learning and experience. You can receive up to 6 credits for prior learning for graduate programs. At the discretion of the program advisor, three to six credits for prior learning (CPL) can be awarded for students with extensive background in areas addressed by specific courses. Additionally, advance standing may be granted for Bible or theology credits earned at an accredited Bible college, Christian liberal arts college or university, or seminary. Credits will be granted on a course by course basis.
Cairn is approved to offer financial aid because of its regional accreditation. There are many options available and typically students qualify for at least one type of federal aid. Many students receive scholarships and grants that make earning their degree even more affordable. Cairn offers a variety of scholarships and discounts in addition to options for loans and grants. Please refer to this page for details.
The requirements depend on the program you are considering. Please refer to this page for details.
