Portland State University is located in the heart of downtown Portland, Oregon. PSU was founded in 1946 to help educate returning World War II veterans, and continues this tradition of adapting to changing social and educational circumstances. It is currently the largest and fastest-growing institution in the Oregon University System.

A significant number of students have begun their studies at other institutions; PSU’s faculty and staff work hard to adapt to diverse student needs. The online learning program enables distance learners to interact with an interesting, passionate group of fellow students.

For the seventh year in a row, Portland State University’s community-based learning curriculum is among the best in the nation according to 2009’s U.S. News & World Report. Portland State is ranked among the top public institutions nationally under the section “Choosing a School: Programs to Look For” in five categories: First-year Experience, Senior Capstone, Internships, Learning Communities and Service Learning. These categories reflect an increasing awareness of strategies for engaged learning that Portland State has pioneered.

Online Bachelors & Certificate Programs

Below is a listing of the online bachelor & certificate degree programs offered through Portland State University. Click on a link to learn more.

Popular Online Degrees

For the seventh year in a row, Portland State University’s community-based learning curriculum is among the best in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report. Portland State is ranked among the top public institutions nationally under the section “Choosing a School: Programs to look for” in five categories: Internships, First-year Experience, Senior Capstone, Learning Communities and Service Learning.

Portland State University has also been named a Best Western College by the Princeton Review. This prestigious honor is a reflection of Portland State’s commitment to rigorous curriculum strategy and thorough instruction from world-class faculty.

Accreditation

Portland State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities,* an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, based on approved performance standards.

*Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities, 8060 165th Avenue N.E., Suite 100 Redmond, WA 98052 • Web: www.nwccu.org

The online Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice degree provides rigorous coursework and instruction to students desiring to start or continue their advancement in the Criminal Justice marketplace. You’ll find the degree is an excellent opportunity to advance into a growing and dynamic field.

Education that is within Your Reach

• Graduate in just over one year as a full time student
• Competitively Priced – PSU is an education that is affordable
• Learn from renowned faculty in the Criminology & Criminal Justice field
• 100% Online – No campus visits necessary

Why a Bachelor’s in Criminology & Criminal Justice

The Criminology & Criminal Justice field is growing. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, career growth for Criminal Justice professionals is expected to increase by nearly 24% by 2012. Earning your degree from PSU now will put you on track to take full advantage of this growth. Additionally, the program curriculum is well-suited for those who are seeking a strong and reputable path to acquiring a master’s degree.

What Our Students are Saying

“At my age, working full time and having a seven year old, I thought school was not an option for me, but I was wrong. PSU’s Criminology and Criminal Justice online program has made it possible. I owe my success and happiness to PSU!”

Letty Smith,
Graduate Class of 2008

Top Ranked

For the seventh year in a row, Portland State University’s community-based learning curriculum is among the best in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report.

Best College

Portland State University has been named a Best Western College by The Princeton Review.

Regional Accreditation

Portland State University is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities.

Why a Certificate in Criminal Behavior?

The Criminology & Criminal Justice field is growing. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, career growth for Criminal Justice professionals is expected to increase by nearly 24% by 2012. Earning your Certificate in Criminal Behavior from PSU now will put you on track to take full advantage of this growth. All courses also count towards completion of your online Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice from PSU.

Curriculum

As a student in the Criminology & Criminal Justice program your curriculum will be designed by industry experts. Here are just some samples of the courses you’ll be able to take:

Correlates of Criminal Behavior
Overview of individual and family-level correlates of criminal behavior in children, adolescents, and adults. Explores factors associated with the onset and persistence of aggressive and criminal behavior using a biopsychosocial model. Topics may include family functioning, personality and personality disorders, attention and impulsivity problems, psychotic disorders, brain injury, substance use, sexual disorders, and dissociative disorders.

Juvenile Offenders
The course addresses some of the questions and debates regarding treatment and management of juvenile offenders. Special topics covered include delinquency theories, drug involvement, violence in schools, mistreated children, the “adultification” of youth, problems with incarceration, race and gender issues, the death penalty for juveniles, and prevention of juvenile delinquency. Students are asked to consider the roles of mental health, intelligence, environmental and socioeconomic factors as they relate to programmatic concerns for professionals working in the juvenile justice field.

Women, Crime, and Justice
Women as criminals, victims, and professionals in the criminal justice system are the focus of this course. Theories, policies, and relevant empirical studies will be discussed in the context of the historical, socio-political, and cultural forces that shaped them. Topics may include: girls in gangs, female police officers, mothers behind bars, domestic violence, and pregnancy and drug use.

What Our Students Are Saying

“At my age, working full time and having a seven year old, I thought school was not an option for me, but I was wrong. PSU’s Criminology and Criminal Justice online program has made it possible. I owe my success and happiness to PSU

Letty Smith,
Graduate Class of 2008!”

Rankings

For the seventh year in a row, Portland State University’s community-based learning curriculum is among the best in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report. Portland State is ranked among the top public institutions nationally under the section “Choosing a School: Programs to look for” in five categories: Internships, First-year Experience, Senior Capstone, Learning Communities and Service Learning.

Portland State University has also been named a Best Western College by the Princeton Review. This prestigious honor is a reflection of Portland State’s commitment to rigorous curriculum strategy and thorough instruction from world-class faculty.

Accreditation

Portland State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities*, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, based on approved performance standards.

*Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities, 8060 165th Avenue N.E., Suite 100 Redmond, WA 98052 • Web: www.nwccu.org

Why a Certificate in Advanced Crime Analysis?

The Criminology & Criminal Justice field is growing. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, career growth for Criminal Justice professionals is expected to increase by nearly 24% by 2012. Earning your certificate from PSU now will put you on track to take full advantage of this growth.

Curriculum

As a student in the Criminology & Criminal Justice program your curriculum will be designed by industry experts. Here are just some samples of the courses you’ll be able to take:

Crime Analysis
An introduction to the basic methods used in analyzing data from criminal justice agencies, including temporal and spatial analysis of crime patterns, calculation of crime rates, descriptive analyses of victim and offender characteristics, recidivism, and the identification of offense typologies. Students get hands-on experience coding, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting crime data from a number of sources like police homicide reports, the FBI, Department of Corrections, and attitudinal surveys.

Crime, Grime, and Fear
Course designed to study the social, economic, political, and physical factors underlying neighborhood crime and decline. Special attention is given to physical and social incivilities, the “broken windows” theory, police-community partnerships, and problem-solving. Students will work on neighborhood-centered projects to explore solutions to neighborhood crime patterns, disorder, and fear of crime, and ideas for strengthening police-citizen relations, and community building.

Applied Crime Mapping
This course will provide students with the technical and analytical skills used in crime mapping. Various mapping applications will be made available to students for the geographic examination of crime data. As this course is an introduction to mapping software, no prior GIS knowledge is required. Students will learn to create useful maps that convey spatial crime data and the relationships between crime and other geographic features.

What Our students Are Saying

“At my age, working full time and having a seven year old, I thought school was not an option for me, but I was wrong. PSU’s Criminology and Criminal Justice online program has made it possible. I owe my success and happiness to PSU!”

Letty Smith, Graduate
Class of 2008

Rankings

For the seventh year in a row, Portland State University’s community-based learning curriculum is among the best in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report. Portland State is ranked among the top public institutions nationally under the section “Choosing a School: Programs to look for” in five categories: Internships, First-year Experience, Senior Capstone, Learning Communities and Service Learning.

Portland State University has also been named a Best Western College by the Princeton Review. This prestigious honor is a reflection of Portland State’s commitment to rigorous curriculum strategy and thorough instruction from world-class faculty.

Accreditation

Portland State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities*, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, based on approved performance standards.

*Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities, 8060 165th Avenue N.E., Suite 100 Redmond, WA 98052 • Web: www.nwccu.org