A national ranking service has listed Cal State San Bernardino’s online criminal justice master’s degree program No. 12 in the United States, and the only California State University campus to make its “Best Online Masters in Criminal Justice Degree Programs, 2016” list.
College Choice, a leading authority in college search and rankings, compiled its list drawing data from a number of public sources, including U.S. News & World Report, the National Center for Education Statistics and PayScale. The list is based on factors such as cost of attendance, each program's reputation in its field, and return on investment.
Robert Hand, lead editor for the ranking, said: “For students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and wish to continue their education, deepen their knowledge of criminal behavior and correctional systems, increase their chances of establishing a career in leadership in this field or being involved in a research career, a graduate degree in criminal justice is worth considering.
“Master's degrees in criminal justice will require students to specialize beyond their general training in their bachelor’s program, and most schools will boast strengths in one or more particular areas,” Hand said. “Our focus on online programs in this list gives students an additional measure of flexibility.”
Sam Houston State was first on College Choice’s list, followed by the University of California, Irvine at No. 2 and the only other California institution to make the top 50 ranking.
The latest ranking is a continuation of the national recognition the CSUSB criminal justice program receives.
In August 2015, Best Value Schools placed CSUSB’s criminal justice program at No. 3 in the nation in its list of the “50 Best Value Colleges for a Criminal Justice Degree 2015.”
Also ranked nationally in August was the criminal justice online master of arts degree, listed at No. 17 in SuperScholar’s “50 Best Online Criminal Justice Programs 2015,” and No. 20 by U.S. News & World Report in its “Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs.”
In 2009, the criminal justice program ranked third in the nation for the number of books its faculty produces, and second nationally on a per capita basis considering the number of faculty members per department, according to a study published by the Southwest Journal of Criminal Justice. The study ranked college criminal justice departments based on their production of scholarly books.
Visit the CSUSB Department of Criminal Justice website for more information on its programs.
To view the complete ranking by College Choice, go to “Best Online Master’s in Criminal Justice Programs, 2016.”
About California State University, San Bernardino
Set in the foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains, California State University, San Bernardino is a preeminent center of intellectual and cultural activity in inland Southern California. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015-2016, Cal State San Bernardino serves more than 20,000 students each year and graduates about 4,000 students annually. For more information about Cal State San Bernardino, contact the university’s Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit news.csusb.edu.