Each year, Online U publishes its “Most Affordable Online College Rankings List,” which represents the most affordable online degrees in the country across a variety of popular subjects. UA Cossatot’s Criminal Justice degree is listed as its twelfth most affordable Criminal Justice online degree in the nation at the associate degree level for 2020.

UA Cossatot’s tuition rate is $74 per credit hour. The estimated cost for tuition and fees for a full-time criminal justice student at UA Cossatot is $1,548 a semester. The college’s Professional Studies department offers an Associate of Science and a Technical Certificate in Criminal Justice.  

The Associate of Science in Criminal Justice degree is a transferrable degree that allows students to further their education after graduating. Completion of the associate’s degree can also improve overall employability. The Criminal Justice Technical Certificate prepares students for entry-level positions in the field of criminal justice as a dispatcher or a jailor.

Hector Cortez is a UA Cossatot Campus Police Officer and is also a student in the Criminal Justice program at the college. Hector said, “I have been interested in the criminal justice field since I was in junior high. After graduating from high school, I decided to apply at the Howard County Sheriff’s Department. I was given a job as a jailer and as a dispatcher. I couldn’t become a police officer until I turned 21. I decided to take classes at UA Cossatot while I worked because the college had a degree program for criminal justice, and I could take all of my classes online. Even though the classes were online, my instructors would work with me one-on-one, and they would respond to my questions within minutes!”

Hector added, “Taking classes at UA Cossatot has allowed me to get a great education in criminal justice. Some people want to go further into the criminal justice field, and more departments are now requiring applicants to have degrees or years of experience. Taking classes at UA Cossatot is inexpensive, and it allows people to check off the degree part of the requirement to apply.”

Officer Cortez went on to say, “I am now an employee of the college, and I can honestly say if criminal justice is your career goal, UA Cossatot is the place to help you achieve it.”  

UA Cossatot is offering an Introduction to Criminal Justice class this summer, and this fall for anyone interested in this career field.

To view more information on Online U’s website, please visit www.onlineu.org. For any questions about UA Cossatot’s Criminal Justice program, please contact Barbara Lacefield at blacefield@cccua.edu.