Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Justice Studies

Justice studies looks at how societies define and deliver justice. Part of the subject is the criminal justice system: policing, the courts, criminal law, corrections, probation and parole. The other part is wider and asks how justice relates to inequality, rights and citizenship. Programmes lean towards one side or the other, so two degrees with similar names can be quite different.

Arizona State University (ASU), for example, describes its Bachelor of Science in justice studies as a social science and liberal arts programme that examines current and historical social justice issues, in the context of inequality, race, gender and citizenship, and that looks at justice both within the legal system and in wider social contexts. North Idaho College takes the criminal justice approach: its programme gives an overview of law enforcement, the court system, criminal law, corrections, police-community relations, ethics, probation and parole. Most programmes add research methods and statistics, and many include an internship.

Qualifications and levels

  • Associate degrees. Community colleges in the United States offer two-year programmes. At North Idaho College, the criminal justice coursework leads to an associate degree, meets the general core requirements of all Idaho public universities and normally covers the first half of a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.
  • Bachelor's degrees in the United States. The Justice Studies, BS at ASU has 120 credit hours and is offered in Tempe and online; its courses include Justice Theory, Statistical Analysis for Justice Studies and an internship. The Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies at Grand Canyon University also requires 120 credits, of which 48 are in the major. Its campus courses last 15 weeks and its online courses 8 weeks.
  • Australia. The Bachelor of Criminology and Justice at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) takes 3 years full time and consists of 24 courses. UniSC states that international students on a Student visa can only study full time and that its online programmes are not available to Student visa holders.
  • Spain. Official bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits and master's degrees 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.

Justice studies is not a law degree. In the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, becoming a lawyer usually takes seven years of full-time study after high school: four years of undergraduate study followed by three years of law school. A justice studies bachelor's degree can be the undergraduate part of that route.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 17 active schools for justice studies. Eleven are in the United States and three in Australia; Argentina, Spain and the United Kingdom have one each. The US schools include The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Pittsburgh, Northeastern University in Boston, Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University in Phoenix and community colleges such as North Idaho College and Eastern Arizona College. In Australia the list includes the University of the Sunshine Coast, the Australian National University in Canberra and Edith Cowan University. University College London, Fundación CIEP in Villa María (Argentina) and Formas Almería in Spain complete it.

Teaching is in English in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. Justice systems are national, so the law, institutions and police and prison services studied are those of the country where the school is. Students who plan to work elsewhere should ask how the qualification is recognised there.

Careers

UniSC lists these career opportunities for its graduates: community corrections officer, criminal justice policy officer, criminologist or crime researcher, custodial corrections officer, police or law enforcement officer, security or intelligence analyst and youth justice officer. Other graduates work in courts, victim support, advocacy organisations and public administration.

A degree is rarely the only requirement. For the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that:

  • the education required of police and detectives ranges from a high school diploma to a college degree, and most must graduate from their agency's training academy; employment is projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035
  • probation officers and correctional treatment specialists typically need a bachelor's degree; employment is projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035
  • paralegals and legal assistants typically need an associate's degree or a certificate in paralegal studies; employment is projected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035

Frequently asked questions

Is justice studies the same as a law degree?

No. It is a social science degree about justice and the justice system and does not qualify graduates to practise law. In the United States, lawyers complete three years of law school after their undergraduate degree.

How long does a justice studies degree take?

The bachelor's degrees at ASU and Grand Canyon University have 120 credits, and the Bachelor of Criminology and Justice at UniSC takes 3 years full time. Associate degrees at US community colleges cover the first two years.

Can justice studies be studied online?

Yes, at some universities: ASU and Grand Canyon University offer their degrees on campus and online. Student visa rules can limit this; UniSC, for example, does not offer online programmes to Student visa holders.

What jobs can graduates do?

Typical roles are in policing, corrections, probation, youth justice, policy and crime research. Police forces and other agencies usually add their own training and selection requirements.