Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) is proud to announce the approval by its Board of Governors of an innovative program change that transforms its Bachelor of Science in criminal justice into a more accessible and affordable pathway for aspiring professionals. This pioneering 90-credit hour curriculum is the first of its kind in the state, underscoring SEMO’s commitment to degree accessibility and student success.
The newly redesigned BS in criminal justice program reduces the overall credit requirement from 120 to 90 hours without decreasing the competencies students gain. The 90-hour degree embeds a 42-hour General Education core and restructures the major into a comprehensive 48-hour curriculum. The change offers more advanced discipline-specific coursework in fewer hours, incorporates experiential learning opportunities and integrates SEMO’s Law Enforcement Academy Certificate as elective credit. Additionally, the program now removes the requirement for minors, although they remain optional, giving students greater flexibility in customizing their educational path.
“By reimagining our curriculum, we are not only lowering the financial and logistical barriers to a criminal justice degree but also aligning our academic offerings with the evolving needs of the workforce,” said Dr. Eric Bain-Selbo, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Our graduates will be better equipped to tackle the demands of law enforcement, corrections, and community-based roles, industries that are projected for consistent growth and where a significant number of professionals still lack formal degrees. I commend the criminal justice faculty and Department Chair Dr. Brian Donavant for creatively redesigning the program to better meet regional and national needs.”
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Bain-Selbo says reducing a bachelor’s degree to 90 credit hours isn’t possible for all degrees, but SEMO is looking at others with the hopes of decreasing hours where it is possible while still maintaining the high quality of the degree and preparing students for careers.
The new structure will not only reduce costs and time to completion for traditional students but will also offer substantial benefits for non-traditional students, including working adults and those with prior experience in the field. This change is especially timely, as the criminal justice industry is experiencing consistent job growth with a significant demand for more highly trained professionals.
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth in the fields of law enforcement and related sectors is promising, further validating the need for a program that efficiently prepares students for a dynamic career landscape. With only 27% of police officers currently holding degrees, SEMO’s revised program directly addresses a clear workforce demand by emphasizing rigorous, practice-based learning and flexibility for nontraditional students.
“This change is not only about making education more accessible by reducing both cost and time to completion, but also about continuing to provide a high-quality program that prepares our graduates for the dynamic and growing criminal justice sector,” said Dr. Brian Donavant, chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology. “By reducing the number of required credit hours, we are creating a more streamlined and effective degree path for our students while meeting the needs of the community and workforce.”
Donavant says the new 90-credit hour Bachelor of Science in criminal justice will now be reviewed by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education and SEMO’s accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission. He anticipates, if approved, the program will be available for enrollment sometime in the next academic year.