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Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Criminal Justice Program has been ranked in the Top Best Online Schools for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice by Online Schools Report. The online bachelor’s program was ranked No. 20 and the online master’s program was ranked No. 23 overall out of 35 schools that made the rankings across the nation.

Dr. Vidisha Worley, associate professor of Criminal Justice at Â鶹ÊÓƵ said the ranking is significant having an indirect impact on recruitment and retention.

“To the university, this means greater visibility and respect, displaying the name of Â鶹ÊÓƵ prominently in the national map of higher education,” said Worley, who is also vice chair of the University’s Institutional Review Board. “This also means more and more students enrolling and with the dedication of highly qualified and experienced faculty members, more and more students graduating, thus, boosting retention.”

Online Schools Report compiles the top 35 criminal justice programs using seven data points from various sources to determine the score for each college. The data points include online program and faculty quality, online program size, graduates’ earning potential, retention and acceptance rates and overall price.

“Affordability and superior quality distinguish our program from others in the country,” said Worley. “While keeping the cost low for both our undergraduate and master's students, we do not compromise on the quality of delivery. Our online classes have rigor and are demanding on the students. No wonder, they are proud to be Â鶹ÊÓƵ graduates.”

The mission of the Criminal Justice Program at Â鶹ÊÓƵ is to provide excellence in graduate and undergraduate instruction; research and scholarship; professional development; and university and community service. The program seeks to promote professionally and academically relevant curricula and programs and effective cooperative relationships with regional service agencies in order to prepare criminal justice practitioners at the graduate and undergraduate level.