Message from the Director
The mission of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice is to maintain high quality academic programs to meet the needs of our students. The program offers a broad array of coursework and activities designed to provide students with the requisite preparation to become well-qualified criminal justice professionals or to continue their professional education (e.g., law school administration, postgraduate degree).
A system of criminal justice must meet the needs of each citizen as well as the needs of complex social, economic, and governmental institutions. The Bachelor of Arts degree program in criminal justice was developed with these needs in mind. Our curriculum focuses on the history and functions of the criminal justice system, research design, policy implementation, theoretical and environmental causes of crime, and practical skills for those interested in a career in criminal justice and related fields. Our curriculum also acknowledges and focuses on the systemic failures to address disparities within the criminal justice system, realities and misconceptions of the system, and meaningful evidence-based practices to affect positive change.
Our regionally and (inter)nationally recognized faculty continually pursue excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service to meet the needs of the University and our community. Our faculty actively conduct evidence-based research, work with local agencies, and advocate for policy and real-world changes; we conduct research that helps solve the problems inherent in the system and we teach, train, and encourage empathy among our students so that they can be the catalysts and advocates for positive change in their community.
The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice provides a broad range of courses to provide students with a comprehensive and solid background in criminal justice. We offer courses examining: 1) law enforcement, 2) corrections, 3) courts, and 4) various aspects of crime including gangs, drugs, white-collar crime, crime analysis, homeland security, and criminological theory. Students in our program will learn how the criminal justice system works, why people offend, how society and law react to crime, and how to conduct research methodologies for scientific study that can address policy and criminal justice reform.
Christine Famega, Ph.D
Director and Professor
Program Quality Recognition
San Bernardino County Sheriff and CSUSB alumnus Shannon Dicus credits his college education for his success.
Shannon D. Dicus '93, started his career in law enforcement in 1991, shortly before earning his BA in criminal justice at Cal State San Bernardino. Subsequent to his graduation, he quickly learned that his college education and degree were crucial for advancing in the sheriff's department.
"...As you progress through your career, you start to get into the business side of law enforcement. And the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is an $800 million dollar business and you need to understand how to run it," Dicus said, following with gratitude for his CSUSB professors, who brought wisdom and experience to his chosen field of study.
Dicus specifically credits the university for his leadership skills, which aided him in being appointed as San Bernardino County sheriff in July 2021 and elected sheriff in June 2022. Being a good leader, he says, means being a good communicator and listener, which is integral when policing a community that sees law enforcement as a valued partner. Dicus stresses the importance of getting a college degree and recommends his alma mater to prospective students for one-on-one interactions with professors invested in student success.
2024: Ranked #44 in "Best Online Master’s in Criminal Justice Programs" by U.S. News & World Report
2022: Ranked #34 in "Best Online Master’s in Criminal Justice Programs" by U.S. News & World Report
2022: Ranked #32 "Best Online Master’s in Criminal Justice” by OnlineMastersDegrees.org (OMD)
2022: Ranked #7 in “Best Online Colleges in California - Best for Criminal Justice” (Intelligent.com)
2022: Ranked #8 in “Best Master’s in Criminal Justice Degree Programs - Best Value” (Intelligent.com)
2022: Ranked #10 in “Best Online Criminal Justice Degree Programs for Best Advisors” (Intelligent.com)
2022: Ranked #14 in “Most Affordable Online Criminal Justice Degree Programs - Best in the Pacific Region” (Intelligent.com)
2022: Ranked #15 in “Best Online Master’s in Criminal Justice Programs for Nationally Recognized Faculty”(Intelligent.com)
2021: The Master’s Program was ranked #4 in “15 Best Online MA Programs in Criminal Justice, 2021” (Best Value Schools)
2021: Ranked #1 in the State of California for our fully online Criminal Justice BA Degree Completion Program in CEGE (Best Value Schools)
2021: Ranked #38 in "Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs" (U.S. News and World Report)
2020: Ranked #18 in “Top 50 Criminal Justice Degree Programs for 2020” (Intelligent.com)
2020: Ranked #35 in “Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs” (U.S. News and World Report)
2019: Ranked #30 in “Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs” (U.S. News and World Report)
2018: Ranked #21 in “Best Online Masters in Criminal Justice Degree Program, 2018” (College Choice)
2018: Ranked #34 in “Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs” (U.S. News and World Report)
2018: Ranked #39 in 'The Top 50 Institutions for Online Master of Criminal Justice Degree Programs' (Master's Programs Guide)
2017: Ranked #19 in 'The 30 Best Online Bachelor of Criminal Justice Degree Programs' (The Best Schools)
2017: The Master's Program was ranked #15 in 'The 25 Best Online Master of Criminal Justice Degree Programs' (The Best Schools)
2016: Ranked #2 in 'The 25 Best Online Bachelor's in Criminal Justice Degree Programs' (The Center for Online Education)
2016: Ranked #7 in the 'Top 30 Best Online Criminal Justice Degree Programs (Bachelor's) 2016' (Best Degree Programs)
2016: The Master's Program was ranked #4 in “Most Affordable online Master’s in Criminal Justice Program” (Collegevaluesonline)
2016: The Master's Program was ranked #12 in “Best Online Masters in Criminal Justice Degree Program, 2016” (College Choice)
2016: Ranked #9 in the 'Best Online Criminal Justice Programs' (Best Colleges)
2015: The Master's Program was ranked #3 in “50 Best value Colleges for a Criminal Justice Degree, 2015” (Best Value Schools)
2015: The Master's Program was ranked # 17 in “50 Best Online Criminal Justice Programs, 2015” (Super Scholar)
2015: The Master's Program was ranked #20 in “Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs” (U.S. News and World Report)