Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree Homeland and International Security Concentration Online

About Homeland and International Security

Develop specialized knowledge and in-demand skills to excel as a premier professional.

PennWest California can prepare you 100% online for a dynamic and in-demand career in the fields of homeland and international security. Choose our comprehensive, nationally ranked and widely respected online bachelor's degree program in criminal justice with a concentration in homeland and international security.  

In the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program, you'll learn from a faculty team of professional practitioners with extensive and respected career experience. They will introduce you to the major functions and operations of the criminal justice field and to the specialized area of homeland and international security.    

Gain a career advantage with PennWest California's highly ranked 100% online program.

PennWest California's B.S. in Criminal Justice was ranked No. 18 in Best Online Bachelor of Criminal Justice Degree Programs (2016) by BestDegreePrograms.org. 

In this program students can expect to learn about the criminal justice system related to law enforcement, homeland security, international security, probation, parole, corrections, law, and local, state and federal courts.

The homeland and international security concentration focuses on the function of the Department of Homeland Security and how it operates with other agencies to prevent terrorist opportunities within the borders of the United States. The international security prospective delves into the global aspects of terrorism and how this type of terrorism can be addressed and prevented throughout the world.

PennWest California's 100% online undergraduate program is delivered as asynchronous classes, a format well-suited to meet the needs of today's busy students and working professionals who require flexibility to complete coursework. You can earn your bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a concentration in homeland and international security in as little as 16 months attending full time if you have already earned an associate's degree.

Learn about our accelerated bachelor's-to-master's degree program.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: Homeland and International Security

Unique concentration: Led by a team of scholars and professionals with extensive real-world experience, the homeland security at PennWest California is designed for highly motivated students who seek professional positions in the various justice-related fields or who wish to pursue advanced studies in law or graduate school. Students applying for the 100% online bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a concentration in homeland and international security program should have either an associate degree in criminal justice or a minimum of 50 credits in general education and criminal justice-related courses.

Solid foundation: The criminal justice program consists of a required core of 11 courses that provide a comprehensive approach to the six content areas identified by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences: administration of justice, corrections, criminological theory, law adjudication, law enforcement, and research and analytic methods. The online curriculum for the homeland and international security concentration offers an excellent blend of courses in military criminal justice, law, forensic science, executive protection, criminal intelligence analysis, criminology, cybercrimes, counterterrorism, and homeland and international security. These courses are designed to develop critical thinkers and well-skilled professionals. 

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19:1 
Student-to-faculty ratio at PennWest California.
#18 
ranking as best online bachelor of criminal justice degree program by BestDegreePrograms.org in 2016.
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Degree Benefits

PennWest California's online bachelor's degree in criminal justice program offers an excellent blend of liberal arts and professional courses to develop your critical thinking and communication skills, and to prepare you for leadership positions in homeland security, international security or various other justice-related professions. The B.S. in Criminal Justice is an excellent foundation for law or graduate school. Your curriculum for the homeland and international security concentration includes such courses as Introduction to Security, Corporate Security Law, Executive Protection, International Security Issues, Terrorism and more. Research is conducted in each of the program's courses. Students conduct research on selected topics, most of which relate to current events or issues. Research resources are provided through PennWest California's extensive online library. Faculty also provide external web-based research sources and tools to enable students to enhance their research.

 
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Graduate Outcomes

As a graduate of the homeland security degree program, you will have the education, skills and training necessary to realize your individual and career goals. With the help of highly qualified professors who have strong professional contacts, criminal justice graduates go on to positions in federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security; courts and law offices; correctional institutions; probation and parole offices; juvenile justice agencies; and the emerging fields of forensic science, electronic fraud and white-collar crime. Some students go into PennWest California's applied criminology master's degree program or to a variety of other graduate schools.

 
Criminal Justice (B.S) Homeland and International Security Concentration
Portrait of PennWest California professor Dr. Michael Hummel.

Experienced Faculty

The criminal justice program is led by highly qualified and dedicated full-time professors with the highest degrees in their fields, along with real-world professional experience. Our professors have earned Ph.D., J.D. and other doctoral degrees from such institutions as Columbia University, University of Notre Dame, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Robert Morris University. Part-time instructors in the undergraduate criminal justice program are well-qualified, drawing on their experience as practitioners. 

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Professional Connection

PennWest California is attuned to professional standards through faculty who are members of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. ACJS is an international association established in 1963 to foster professional and scholarly activities in the field of criminal justice. ACJS promotes criminal justice education, research, and policy analysis within the discipline of criminal justice for both educators and practitioners.

A PennWest California professor instructs his students in the field of Homeland Security.

Student Resources

You'll have the opportunity to enhance your academic study in criminal justice at PennWest California by joining Lambda Alpha Epsilon (LAE), the national criminal justice association. LAE introduces students to the criminal justice system and to employment opportunities, and also offers excellent networking with practitioner members. Alpha Phi Sigma is the national honor society for criminal justice majors. The society recognizes scholastic excellence by undergraduate and graduate students in criminal justice.

 

B.S., Criminal Justice Courses Homeland and International Security Concentration

Curriculum


Course Credits
General Education Courses 40 or 41
Building a Sense of Community
UNI 100  First-Year Seminar
1
Composition
ENG 101  English Composition I
3
Public Speaking
Any Public Speaking Course
3
Mathematics and Quantitative Literacy
Any Mathematics and Quantitative Literacy Course
3
Health and Wellness
Any Health and Wellness Course
3
Technological Literacy
Any Technological Literacy Course
3
Humanities
Any Humanities Course
3
Fine Arts
Any Fine Arts Course
3
Natural Sciences
Any Natural Sciences Course
3 or 4
Social Sciences
Any Social Science Course
3
General Education Options
  • Any Ethics and Multicultural Awareness Emphasis Course
  • Any Technological Literacy Course
  • Any General Education Courses (two courses)
12
   
Required Major Courses 33
JUS 101  Intro to Criminal Justice Studies 3
JUS 102  Intro to Law Enforcement 3
JUS 103  Correctional Systems 3
JUS 331  Juvenile Justice 3
JUS 361  Court Systems 3
JUS 375  Criminal Law 3
JUS 376  Criminal Procedure 3
JUS 466  Leadership and Ethics in Criminal Justice 3
JUS 495  Research Methods in Criminal Justice 3
JUS 496  Criminological Theory 3
JUS 499  Seminar in Criminal Justice Studies 3
   
Concentration Courses 9
JUS 104  Introduction to Security 3
JUS 205  Principles of Homeland Security 3
JUS 440  Military Criminal Justice 3
   
Related Electives 12
Select 12 credits from the following:
  • JUS 305  International Criminal Justice (3 credits)
  • JUS 335  Corporate Security Law (3 credits)
  • JUS 338  Executive Protection (3 credits)
  • JUS 399  Selected Topics (repeatable) (3 credits)
  • JUS 405  Cyber Security (3 credits)
  • JUS 410  International Security (3 credits)
  • JUS 415  Multiculturalism in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
  • JUS 429  Terrorism (3 credits)
  • JUS 430  Criminal intelligence Analysis (3 credits)
  • JUS 435  Countering Terrorism (3 credits)
  • JUS 498  Criminal Justice Internship (3 to 12 credits)
12
   
Additional Electives 25 or 26
   
Total 120

Additional requirements, not counted toward the General Education requirements, include:

  • Special Experience Course (1 course required): JUS 499 Seminar in Justice Studies
  • Writing-Intensive Component Courses (2 courses required): Any two JUS approved Writing-Intensive Menu courses
  • Laboratory Course (1 course required): Any Laboratory Course

Program Notes: 42 credits (or 14 courses) of upper-division (300- or 400-level) courses are REQUIRED. Any related electives not listed must be approved by adviser.

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Admission Requirements

Homeland Security - Minors and Concentrations

Minors
  • Minor in criminal justice
    Take two required courses (6 credits) plus five Justice electives (15 credits)
  • Minor in forensic science

    Take four required courses (12 credits) plus three Justice electives (9 credits)

Concentrations