Cal State San Bernardino’s online master's degree criminal justice and MBA programs have again been listed among the nation’s best in U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 rankings of the top online programs.

The online master's degree criminal justice program, which is housed in the university’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, was ranked 38th out of 74 listed programs in the USNWR Best Online Criminal Justice Programs.

“I am thrilled to see that our criminal justice program continues to be acknowledged among the nation’s top programs,” said Rafik Mohamed, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. “Our criminal justice faculty and staff work hard to ensure that our online programs achieve the same standards for high-quality and student engagement as our in-person programs. The recognition is a testament to their efforts.”

The online MBA program at CSUSB, which is housed in the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, was ranked 126th  out of 321 listed programs in the USNWR Best Online MBA Programs.

Lawrence Rose, dean of the Jack H. Brown College, said the ranking was a tribute to the hard work and enthusiasm of the faculty and staff.

“Our college has worked and continues to work at providing the most cutting-edge online program that will both challenge and help our students succeed in their college studies and when they enter the workforce,” Rose said. “I’m very proud of our faculty and staff.”

U.S. News & World Report evaluated the master’s degree programs using five categories:

  • Engagement (30%): Quality online programs promote participation in courses, allowing students opportunities to readily interact with their instructors and classmates, as is possible in a campus-based setting. In turn, instructors are not only accessible and responsive, but they are also tasked with helping to create an experience rewarding enough that students stay enrolled and complete their degrees in a reasonable amount of time.
  • Expert Opinion (20%): A survey of high-ranking academic officials in criminal justice helps account for intangible factors affecting program quality that statistics don’t capture. Also, employers may hold in high regard degrees from programs that academics respect.
  • Faculty Credentials and Training (20%): Strong online programs employ instructors with academic credentials that mirror those of instructors for campus-based programs, and they have the resources to train these instructors to teach distance learners. 
  • Services and Technologies (20%): Programs that incorporate diverse online learning technologies allow greater flexibility for students to take classes from a distance. Outside of classes, strong support structures provide learning assistance, career guidance and financial aid resources commensurate with quality campus-based programs.
  • Student Excellence (10%): Student bodies entering with proven aptitudes, ambitions and accomplishments can handle the demands of rigorous coursework. Furthermore, online degrees that schools award judiciously will have greater legitimacy in the job market.

Visit the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Program rankings website for more information.

About CSUSB’s Criminal Justice program

The Department of Criminal Justice provides a broad range of courses to provide students with a comprehensive and solid background for entering into criminal justice. The department offers courses examining: 1) law enforcement, 2) corrections, 3) courts, and 4) various aspects of crime including gangs, drugs, white collar crime, and crime analysis. The curriculum is designed to meet students’ needs irrespective of their career aspirations.

About CSUSB’s MBA program

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Cal State San Bernardino’s Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration offers a high-quality master’s level education. The CSUSB MBA program offers rigorous coursework, mentoring from exceptional and well-seasoned faculty, resulting in exciting and rewarding career opportunities. The program prepares students for positions of responsibility and leadership in business administration, emphasizing conceptual knowledge and practical skills.

The MBA program is fully accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Fewer than five percent of the world’s business schools have achieved this accreditation.

For more information on the CSUSB MBA program visit the program’s website.