BS Criminology & Criminal Justice at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Programme overview

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (SCCJ) is a nationally recognized leader in the scientific study of the causes of crime and criminal justice system responses. The school provides its students with the foundation for entering many diversified criminal justice related careers in corrections, courts and law, juvenile services, law enforcement, private security, and victim services.

Faculty: Public Affairs & Community Service | Duration: 120 credit hours | Study mode: full-time | Intake: Fall, Spring and Summer start (first-year application deadlines: Summer/Fall May 1, Spring December 1) | Location: Lincoln, NE, United States

What you will study

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice; 120 credit hours required. The curriculum is composed of a broad range of courses in corrections, courts, criminology, diversity, deviant behavior and violence, juvenile delinquency, law, law enforcement, research methods, victimology and various special topics.

Career pathways

Explain diverse positions, including those representing different cultural, economic, and geographic interests in the context of criminology and criminal justice.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

University-level (not programme-specific): admission is guaranteed to first-year applicants who complete the 16 core course units (English 4, mathematics 4, natural sciences 3, social sciences 3, world language 2) and meet one performance requirement: 3.0 cumulative high school GPA, or ACT 20+, or SAT 1040+, or rank in the top half of the graduating class. ACT/SAT scores are not required. Applicants who do not meet these requirements are reviewed by the admissions committee. College of Public Affairs and Community Service: transfer and readmit students need a cumulative GPA of 2.5. Minimum cumulative GPA: 2.0 for graduation.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms: Summer/Fall (August start) and Spring (January start). The first-year, transfer and international pages list fall 2027 and spring 2027 terms; spring 2027 classes begin January 11.

Fall 2027 application for admission opens August 1, 2026.

First-year and transfer applications: Summer/Fall deadline May 1; Spring deadline December 1. Applications received after the deadline may be placed on a waitlist. Fall 2027 priority deadline for scholarship notification is November 1 (admission application).

International applicants: Fall 2027 priority deadline November 1, final deadline May 1; Spring 2027 final deadline December 1. English proficiency scores due July 15 (fall), December 1 (spring), May 1 (summer).

The application fee is $45, payable by credit card or check (international applicants pay online by credit card). First-year applicants apply through the Common Application or Nebraska's own application. ACT/SAT scores are not required for admission and are encouraged for full scholarship consideration.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.unl.edu/apply/

Explore more study programmes

Business