Delaware Criminal Justice Degree Programs

Updated October 14, 2026

State Agency: Delaware Criminal Justice Information System

Delaware has five schools, Delaware Technical Community College-Terry, Goldey-Beacom College, Strayer University-Delaware, the University of Delaware, and Wilmington University, offering criminal justice-family programs and credentials from certificate through doctoral level. Many entry-level law enforcement, corrections, and security jobs here don’t require a four-year degree, but each path has its own certification process, so confirm requirements with the specific agency.

Delaware runs criminal justice with fewer, larger agencies than most states of its size: three counties, one state police force covering ground that would be split among several municipal departments elsewhere, and statewide certification for police officers through the Delaware Council on Police Training (COPT) rather than each town setting its own standard. Corrections and private security run through their own separate state oversight, not COPT, so the path you take determines which agency’s rules actually apply to you.

Featured Programs:

Overview

If you’re weighing a career in policing, corrections, the courts, or private security in Delaware, the real question isn’t whether the state needs people in the field. It’s which door you walk through, and what that door actually requires versus what it just rewards.

Some entry-level roles, including many corrections and private-security positions, don’t require a degree to apply, though you’ll still go through that employer’s own hiring and licensing requirements. Detective and supervisory tracks at many agencies tend to favor candidates with a degree and time already served, though the specific requirement varies by department. The only way to know for certain is to check with the agency you want to work for before you enroll.

Criminal Justice Education in Delaware

Criminal justice programs build toward a shared foundation of criminal law, procedure, policing, and corrections, though the exact mix of required and elective coursework differs by school and degree level. You can use our program listing at CriminalJusticeprograms.com to find programs near you and start your degree.

Coursework commonly includes:

Victimology
Corrections
Policing
Court Procedures

Many programs also let you choose a specialization, which shapes your elective slate and which internships you’re eligible for. Specializations commonly offered in criminal justice programs nationally include internet crime, forensic science, juvenile justice, and identity theft; check each Delaware program’s own course catalog to see which it actually offers. An internship in an area you care about can give you something concrete to talk about when you apply for your first job.

Where to Study Criminal Justice in Delaware

Five Delaware institutions offer a criminal-justice-family program at some credential level, per U.S. Department of Education data. None are distance-only, so all five count as genuinely in-state options.

Institution	City	Control	Program Area	Credentials Offered
Delaware Technical Community College-Terry	Dover	Public	Criminal Justice, Fire Protection, Legal Support Services	Associate, Undergraduate certificate
Goldey-Beacom College	Wilmington	Private nonprofit	Criminal Justice	Bachelor’s
Strayer University-Delaware	Wilmington	Private for-profit	Criminal Justice	Associate, Bachelor’s
University of Delaware	Newark	Public	Homeland Security	Master’s, Doctoral
Wilmington University	New Castle	Private nonprofit	Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, Security Science and Technology	Bachelor’s, Master’s, Undergraduate certificate

This reflects what each school reported to the Department of Education, not necessarily what’s actively enrolling students today. Confirm current program status, format, and admission requirements directly with the school before you apply.

School and program data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, institution file May 2025 and field-of-study file April 2025. Data accessed October 2026.

Criminal Justice Salaries and Job Outlook in Delaware

As of May 2025 BLS wage data, a Delaware police or sheriff’s patrol officer earns a median of $92,970 a year, and ProjectionsCentral projects the role to grow a modest 0.8% through 2034. Moving into a first-line supervisor of police and detectives role, the median jumps to $131,080, the added pay that comes with supervisory rank.

On the corrections side, a Delaware correctional officer or jailer earns a median of $65,880, though ProjectionsCentral projects that occupation’s Delaware employment to decline 13.3% through 2034. A declining projection doesn’t mean hiring stops entirely; openings still open up from turnover and retirements, but it’s a different outlook than patrol work.

Security guard work pays less, a median of $36,360, and ProjectionsCentral projects 4.4% growth in the role through 2034. It’s still a licensed role here, not an unregulated one: Delaware security guards are licensed through the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing Section and must complete a state-approved training program and pass an exam before they can work.

Occupation	Delaware Median Annual Wage	Projected Growth (2024-34)
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers	$92,970	+0.8%
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$131,080	+0.7%
Correctional Officers and Jailers	$65,880	-13.3%
Security Guards	$36,360	+4.4%

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives, Correctional Officers and Jailers, and Security Guards. Long-term (2024-34) job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral. Figures reflect state-level data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2026.

Career Paths After Your Degree

An associate degree or less can still get you into many entry-level roles. Delaware’s Department of Correction sets its own minimum qualifications for correctional officers and jailers, which may or may not include a degree requirement, so confirm the current standard directly with DOC rather than assuming. Private security and armored car guard work runs through a separate path entirely: licensing with the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing Section, which requires completing a state-approved training program and passing an exam before you can be hired.

A bachelor’s degree can improve your standing for detective or supervisory openings at some agencies, and certain state and federal employers weigh it more heavily in hiring and promotion. Exactly how much it matters varies by department, so ask the agencies you’re targeting how they weigh education against experience.

Whichever path you pick, an internship or a declared specialization gives you something concrete to point to in an interview.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a four-year degree to become a police officer in Delaware?

Not necessarily. Delaware police certification runs through the Delaware Council on Police Training (COPT), which sets the minimum training standard every sworn officer completes at an approved academy. Each hiring department adds its own requirements on top of that, including education, testing, physical and psychological screening, and background standards, so check directly with the department you’re applying to rather than assuming one statewide rule covers everyone.

What’s the fastest way into a criminal justice career in Delaware?

Corrections and private security tend to have fewer upfront education requirements, though each still runs through its own licensing or hiring process: corrections through the Delaware Department of Correction, private security through the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing Section. A sworn law enforcement role requires completing COPT-certified training at an approved academy regardless of your degree.

Which Delaware schools offer criminal justice-family programs?

Five institutions report a program in the criminal justice family to the U.S. Department of Education, criminal justice itself plus related fields like homeland security, fire protection, and legal support at some of them: Delaware Technical Community College-Terry, Goldey-Beacom College, Strayer University-Delaware, the University of Delaware, and Wilmington University. Check the table above for which credential and program area each one actually offers.

Is a criminal justice degree worth it if I just want to be a corrections officer?

That depends on the Delaware Department of Correction’s own minimum qualifications, which can change and which this page can’t state as a fixed rule. A degree may not be required to get hired, but it can still matter for promotion later, so it’s worth asking DOC directly what they currently require before deciding how much school to invest in.

Key Takeaways

Police certification runs through one statewide body – The Delaware Council on Police Training (COPT) sets the minimum certification standard for sworn officers statewide, though individual departments add their own hiring requirements on top of it.
A degree isn’t always required to get hired – Requirements vary by department and by role, so confirm directly with the agency rather than assuming a single statewide standard.
Five schools, five different offerings – From Delaware Tech’s associate programs to the University of Delaware’s graduate homeland security track, your choice depends on the credential level and specialty you want.
Pay varies sharply by role – A Delaware patrol officer’s $92,970 median is more than double a security guard’s $36,360, per May 2025 BLS data.

Worried about paying for school? Our scholarships guide lists awards built for criminal justice majors, with eligibility, amounts, and deadlines.

Read: Scholarships for Criminal Justice Majors and Grad Students