Quick Facts: Criminal Justice Industry
Criminal Justice Occupations:
- Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists$49,060
- Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary$57,200
Online Criminal Justice Degrees
If you have a desire to make a difference in the world, protect your local area and ensure that justice reaches every citizen in the country, then you might be the perfect candidate for a career in criminal justice.
This field is a large and diverse one that includes law enforcement, public safety, corrections, law and even many different governmental and federal organizations.
Read More ⇣Compare These Accredited Colleges For Online Criminal Justice Degrees...
Showing schools in your area
- Interested in enhancing your skills and knowledge in the criminal justice field? Learn more at GCU!
- GCU promotes interdisciplinary studies and research while developing valued skills in the justice workplace.
- Develop collaborative and analytical skills through a rigorous educational environment and Christian worldview.
- GCU's master's and bachelor's degrees prepare students to change lives, enhance communities and ensure the fair treatment of community members.
- Gain the analytical skills and legal expertise needed to evaluate individuals and take charge in a professional legal setting.
- Accredited
- Online Courses
- Flexible Scheduling
- Accelerated Programs
- Financial Aid
- Transferable Credits
- Online BS, MS, professional doctorate, and PhD programs to help you make a difference in your field and the lives of others.
- Personalize your MS or PhD in Criminal Justice or emergency management degree with a concentration in a selection of areas.
- Earn credit for what you already know from previous or ongoing coursework, experience, and training, such as Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).
- Online Courses
- Financial Aid
- Transferable Credits
- Liberty University provides a worldclass education from a christ-centered worldview
- 100% online programs at associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels
- No standardized testing if student meets admission requirements
- Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- 95% of Liberty University students receive some form of financial aid
- Accredited
- Online Courses
- Financial Aid
- Transferable Credits
- The first and only 100% online, fully accredited public university in the United States
- No set class times or locations
- Affordable tuition, guaranteed not to increase as long as you are enrolled
- Accelerated eight-week terms
- Classes start every month
- Online Courses
- Financial Aid
- Transferable Credits
- For the 12th consecutive year, Cal U was named one for the best schools in the Northeast by The Princeton Review
- Recognized by the U.S. News and World Report for: Best Online Programs, Bachelor’s 2017, Best Online Programs, Grad Education 2017 and Best Online Programs, Bachelor’s for Veterans 2017
- Quality Online courses at Cal U have the same objectives, content and learning outcomes as campus-based programs and are taught by the same expert professors.
- Offers private school amenities at a public school cost. Student-to-teacher ratio of 20:1
- CAL U online programs complete an annual assessment of student learning to ensure outcomes are focused on your success in career entry, advancement or enhancement!
- Accredited
- Online Courses
- Accelerated Programs
- Financial Aid
- Transferable Credits
- Offers MUSE (My Unique Student Experience), a content delivery system that gives students the option to watch, view, read or listen to required course materials.
- Allows students to complete courses at whatever pace they want.
- Provides IntelliPath, a proprietary learning technology that lets students learn at their own pace.
- A DANTES-affiliated university and member of the Service Members Opportunity Colleges.
- Online Courses
- Flexible Scheduling
- Financial Aid
- Transferable Credits
- Northcentral University was founded in 1996 to provide working professionals around the world with unprecedented access to richly engaging, professionally relevant, and academically-rigorous education from a U.S. university.
- As a regionally accredited, private, online and graduate-focused university, NCU offers doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business, technology management, education, and psychology, as well as doctoral and master’s degrees in marriage and family therapy.
- Online Courses
- Financial Aid
- Transferable Credits
- Ranked among the 2015 Best National Universities by U.S. News & World Report.
- Designated as a Military Friendly School every year since 2012 by Victory Media.
- Offers credit for prior learning and experience through assessment tests.
- Provides a short term Leadership Certification program in partnership with EQUIP®.
- Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association (NCA).
- Accredited
- Online Courses
- Flexible Scheduling
- Financial Aid
- Transferable Credits
- Online Courses
- Its Fast Track program enables qualified students to save up to 30% on tuition and graduate up to 30% faster.
- Its online MBA program was named by the International Graduate Forum as a top 10 Online MBA Program in 2012.
- Lets students watch, view, read, or hear content through its program, My Unique Student Experience (M.U.S.E.).
- Has additional campus locations near military bases in Colorado Springs and Denver.
- Online Courses
- Accelerated Programs
- Financial Aid
If you want to find a career that is fulfilling and rewarding, consider earning one of the many different online criminal justice degrees available today through accredited online colleges and universities.
Understand Criminal Justice Degrees
Criminal justice is how the government deals with all aspects of crime in the country. It starts with maintaining order and peace in any given community, discouraging crime, protecting residents, solving crimes when they do happen and then bringing criminals to justice for their actions.
Students who decide to pursue degrees in this field will gain a better understanding of the entire process, but will also have the opportunity to study a particular area closely. The diversity and fascinating subject matter of criminal justice makes it a popular degree program for adults of all ages.
Find the Type of Criminal Justice Degree That’s Right for You
Students who want to earn online degrees in criminal justice can opt to earn either an associate degree or a bachelor's degree. In addition, students can choose to pick a specific focus for their respective degrees.
An associate degree in criminal justice typically takes two years to complete, but online students can enjoy the flexibility of the course and complete it faster or slower as needed.
A bachelor's degree will take roughly four years to complete and can be focused on such subcategories of criminal justice as homeland security, law enforcement, corrections and criminal offenders.
Both associate and bachelor's degrees can be completed online rather than in a traditional college campus setting if desired.
Investigate the Curriculum of Criminal Justice Programs
Each degree program in criminal justice will vary slightly depending on your level of degree and the college or university you plan to attend. However, most cover the same basic areas including criminology, courses to understand the intricacies of the legal system, ethics in the field, the benefits and drawbacks of incarceration and rehabilitation, juvenile crime and more.
Those who decide to focus on a specific subject matter like the legal system, terrorism or corrections will have a greater number of course covering that individual subject.
Explore Potential Career Paths in Criminal Justice
There are countless potential careers for those who graduate with either an associate or a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. If you want to work in crime prevention or support victims, then careers in shelters, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, halfway houses or crime prevention schemes might be the right fit.
If you would prefer to protect citizens personally, then you may consider working in a police department, sheriff's department, with the Secret Service or even with the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Jobs in corrections might include parole officers, prison officers and more.
Advantages of Studying Online
Earning your criminal justice degree online has many advantages including convenience, affordability and flexibility. Students can progress through course materials at their own pace, making it incredibly flexible. In addition, students can complete the work and even take exams in their own free time without commuting to a local college campus.
Finally, the tuition costs of many online programs are actually cheaper than traditional college degree programs. All of these reasons make studying online for your criminal justice degree a smart choice.
Whether you want to work in corrections, in the Secret Service or as a local sheriff, earning a criminal justice degree online is the first step in finding your dream career.
Criminal Justice courses explore emergency preparedness and crisis response, training students on specific measures for preventing, planning for and responding to emergency incidents. Advancements in technology used to help security teams effectively deal with crises of various types requires those in the protective and security services field to maintain current training to efficiently keep up with current trends.
The field of criminal justice is not limited to law enforcement, there are many areas of concentration available through online degree programs such as degrees in homeland security, public safety, corrections, and others. You can earn your associate, bachelor, or masters in criminal justice online. Certificate programs are also available so that you can learn relevant work skills as you earn your degree.
Related Article
Become a Hero with a Career in Security and Protective Services
Become a Hero with a Career in Security and Protective Services
Crime rates are on the rise throughout the nation. The threat of terrorism continues to be an unprecedented national concern. The citizens of this country need the protection provided by those in security and protective services positions.