Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Criminal justice: More than a career in law enforcement

At many universities, criminal justice often equates to basic police courses. The Bachelor of Science with a major in criminal justice at Trine University offers you a combination of theory and practical experience that prepares you for multiple careers throughout the three sections in the criminal justice system, or for law school.

While many of our graduates have successful careers in law enforcement, there is more to explore.

The experience: Learn from those working in the field

Our program is a mix of practical knowledge taught by current professionals in the field (lawyers, law enforcement officers - federal, state, and local, corrections professionals and administrators) and theory.

The program also has a strong student-to-student support system, the American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA). The ACJA has monthly meetings where professionals in the field speak and recruit, a mentoring program for underclassmen, a yearly symposium, and a handgun competition team that competes nationally.

ILEA Track

It's time to  Step Ahead  and enjoy the benefits of college education before you even earn a degree. Get a jump on the competition by starting your career with an Indiana law enforcement agency and then complete a bachelor's degree when you enroll in Trine University's Step Ahead criminal justice program.

Trine's partnership with the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) enables students to Step Ahead by attending the academy and completing the basic police training course. Trine's program lets you Step Ahead of the competition by entering the academy ahead of your peers, giving you the required training to be work-ready for a career in Indiana law enforcement. You Step Ahead of other job applicants.

Step Ahead ensures you are:

• In front of the competition by completing ILEA training.
• More attractive to employers because of academy training.
• Job-ready for Indiana law enforcement in three years.
• Entering the employment market a year earlier.
• Earning a paycheck while you complete a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in criminal justice.

Here's a quick look at how the Step Ahead program works:

• During your freshman and sophomore years, complete 68 credit hours.
• During the first semester of your junior year, complete an additional 17 credit hours.
• During the second semester of your junior year, enter the ILEA (must meet age and physical ability requirements) and complete the academy's basic police training course.
• During what would be your senior year, work in law enforcement while you complete your bachelor's degree online.
• Students may also complete additional credit hours during the first two and a half years, leaving fewer classes to be completed after attending the academy.

It’s easy to talk about excellence . But it’s another thing altogether to truly commit yourself to it each and every day. To live it. To inspire it in everything around you. At Trine University, this commitment to excellence has formed the bedrock of our experience for well over a century. You’ll see it, and you’ll feel it, the second you step on our beautiful, 450-acre campus in Angola, Indiana. Few schools can say they’ve been getting it done at such a high level for nearly 130 years. We can.

A Commitment to Excellence

From our programs to our faculty, to our facilities, to the positive impact our work has on communities everywhere, we set our standards at Trine just a little higher. We can’t help it. It’s who we are. It’s why U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review consistently rank us among the Midwest’s best universities, and it’s why more than 1,900 companies around the world seek out our graduates.

An Innovative Spirit

Innovation is in our DNA at Trine. It always has been. In fact, the modern-day golf ball was patented by a Trine graduate. Our students enjoy an active and engaging learning experience, winning national awards for the hands-on work they accomplish. We’ve invested more than $8 million in the Division of Innovation and Technology. And we recently unveiled a new, high-tech Project Based Learning Center for Excellence.