Arkansas Criminal Justice Programs

The state of Arkansas has been ranked the 10th most dangerous state in the nation, and many cities in Arkansas are actively hiring law enforcement officers and criminal justice professionals. Currently, Arkansas has an annual violent crime rate of 4.69 per 1,000 residents. Property crime rate in Arkansas is at 36.60 per 1,000 residents. In 2014, there were oer 13,800 violent crimes and 107,900 property crimes commited in the state of Arkansas.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (a federal agency that compiles and analyzes occupational data), on average, law enforcement officers employed in Arkansas make roughly $37,000 a year. However, many officer and criminal justice professionals, including detectives, investigators, analystis and other criminal justice professionals can make substantially more. While the mean salary for law enforcement professionals in Arkansas is lower than national averages, the cost of living in Arkansas is also much lower than the national average.

While major police departments, like those located in Little Rock, Fayetteville, North Little Rock are common places to seek employement, there are also many law enforcement jobs to be found in the private sector as well. Careers in corporate security, private investigations, and fraud detection are just a few of the jobs available. There are also many jobs to be found working for the national parks and forests.

The best way to prepare for a law enforcement or criminal justice career to earn a college degree. While a degree won't guarantee you employment, earning an associate, bachelor's or master's degree will give you a leg up on the competition. Earning a bachelor's in a discipline related to law enforcement or criminal justice will prepare you for entry-level positions in various fields of criminal justice. There are a few careers, including forensic accounting, crime scene analysis, forensic psychology, federal investigations and management, that require a master's degree.

Below you'll find a comprehensive directory of the accredited colleges and universities in Arkansas that offers degrees and certificates in criminal justice and related disciplines. However, earning a degree in criminal justice isn't always the best way to launch a career in the field. Many criminal justice and law enforcement agencies also hire professionals with backgrounds in technology, science, psychology and linguistics.

Criminal Justice Degree Finder
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Criminal Justice, Legal and Safety Criminal Justice Corrections Crime Scene Investigation Criminal Justice Administration Criminology Forensic Science and Technology Emergency and Crisis Management Fire Science Fire Services Administration Homeland Security and Terrorism Juvenile Justice Law Enforcement Police Law School Legal Studies Court Reporting - Legal Transcription Legal Administration and Assisting Legal Administrative Assistant - Secretary Legal Office Management and Administration Paralegal - Legal Assistant Public Safety and Personal Safety Security and Loss Prevention Services Computer Crimes Cyber Security Private and Public Investigations Security Services Administration - Management All Degrees Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework Campus & Online Online Campus

Arkansas Northeastern College (Blytheville, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Criminal Justice

Arkansas State University (State University, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Science (A.S.) - Crime Scene Investigations Associate of Science (A.S.) - Law Enforcement Associate of Science (A.S.) - Law Enforcement Administration Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Criminology Bachelor of Science (BS) in Forensic Science Master of Science (M.S.) - Criminal Justice

Arkansas State University-Beebe (Beebe, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Crime Scene Investigation Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Criminal Justice Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Law Enforcement Administration Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Criminology Certificate of Proficiency - Crime Scene Investigation Certificate of Proficiency - K-9 Assisted Drug/Explosive Detection Certificate of Proficiency - Law Enforcement Administration Technical Certificate Program - Corrections Technical Certificate Program - Crime Scene Investigation Technical Certificate Program - Forensics Technical Certificate Program - Law Enforcement Technical Certificate Program - Law Enforcement Administration Technical Certificate Program - Wildlife Enforcement

Arkansas State University-Mountain Home (Mountain Home, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Science (A.S.) - Forensics

Arkansas Tech University (Russellville, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Science (A.S.) - Criminal Justice

Black River Technical College (Pocahontas, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Crime Scene Investigation Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Criminal Justice Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Fire Science Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Law Enforcement Administration Certificate of Proficiency - Crime Scene Investigation Certificate of Proficiency - Law Enforcement Administration Police Certificate Program - Basic Police Training Technical Certificate Program - Crime Scene Investigation Technical Certificate Program - Fire Science Technical Certificate Program - Law Enforcement Administration

East Arkansas Community College (Forrest City, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Criminal Justice Certificate Program - Criminal Justice Technical Certificate Program - Criminal Justice

Harding University (Searcy, AR) Programs offered: Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice

ITT Technical Institute (Little Rock, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Criminal Justice (online) Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice

National Park Community College (Hot Springs, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Criminal Justice

NorthWest Arkansas Community College (Bentonville, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - CJ - Forensic Sciences Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - CJ - Law Enforcement Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - CJ - Prevention and Corrections Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Homeland Security/Emergency Management Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Paralegal Studies

Ouachita Technical College (Malvern, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Criminal Justice Certificate of Proficiency - Criminal Justice

Ozarka College (Melbourne, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Criminal Justice Leadership

Pulaski Technical College (North Little Rock, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Crime Scene Investigation Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Paralegal Technology Certificate Program - Legal Secretarial

Remington College (Little Rock, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Science (A.S.) - Criminal Justice (online) Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice (online)

SouthArk Community College (El Dorado, AR) Programs offered: Certificate Program - Criminal Justice

Southeast Arkansas College (Pine Bluff, AR) Programs offered: Associate in Applied Science - Paralegal Technology Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Crime Scene Investigation Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Criminal Justice Technology

Southern Arkansas University (Magnolia, AR) Programs offered: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Behavior and Social Science - Criminal Justice Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice Executive Master of Public Administration (MPA) - Criminal Justice track

Southern Arkansas University Tech (Camden, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Fire and Emergency Response

University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR) Programs offered: Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice

University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Little Rock, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Arts (AA) - Criminal Justice Associate of Arts (AA) - Law Enforcement (online) Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Criminal Justice Bachelor of Science (BS) in Forensics Master of Arts (M.A.) - Criminal Justice (online) Master of Science (M.S.) - Criminal Justice (online) Master of Science (M.S.) - Forensics PhD - Criminal Justice

University of Arkansas at Monticello (Monticello, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Science (A.S.) - Criminal Justice

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (Pine Bluff, AR) Programs offered: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Criminal Justice

University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville (Batesville, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Criminal Justice

University of Arkansas Community College-Hope (Hope, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Criminal Justice Associate of Arts (AA) - Criminal Justice

University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton (Morrilton, AR) Programs offered: Certificate Program - Crime Scene Investigation Certificate Program - Law Enforcement

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (Fort Smith, AR) Programs offered: Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Crime Scene Investigation Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Criminal Justice Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Law Enforcement Administration Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - Legal Assistance and Paralegal Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice Certificate of Proficiency - Crime Scene Investigation Certificate of Proficiency - Law Enforcement Administration Technical Certificate Program - Crime Scene Investigation Technical Certificate Program - Law Enforcement Administration