Online Criminal Justice Degrees: Choosing the Best Program

If you are interested in a career in criminal justice, you will have to earn an associate degree or higher in criminal justice. You may begin your search for a suitable criminal justice degree program by visiting reliable college directories such as Top-online-colleges.com, college ranking websites such as Princetonreview.com or other sites such as Petersons.com. If you are interested in online criminal justice degrees, Top Online Colleges and Petersons offer a substantial amount of information on hundreds of online colleges and programs.

If you would like even more results, you can use your favorite search engine to browse through hundreds of relevant search results. Top search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and Bing are an excellent start. Once you have created a list of prospects (especially if you are considering an online criminal justice program) verify accreditation. You can find a list of U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agencies at  ED.gov. Just a few of the nation’s top accrediting agencies include:

-Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

-Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

-Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)

-Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)

-Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

-Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

-Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

-Western Association of Schools and Colleges

-New England Association of Schools and Colleges

-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Next, check course requirements (curriculum). The standard curriculum for criminal justice degrees is listed below. Keep in mind that the traditional curriculum listed here is the standard in the academic world.

General Education Courses:

Advanced Writing

Communications

Cultural Diversity

Fundamentals of Public Speaking

Introduction to Anthropology

Introductory Statistics

Major Courses:

Abnormal Psychology

Applied Research Methods

Behavior Modification

Clinical Psychology

Corrections

Criminal Law

Criminal Law and Procedure

Criminalization

Criminology

Deviant Behavior

Introduction to Criminal Justice

Finally, an accredited online college that offers criminal justice degrees will request official transcripts and test scores, 2-3 recommendation letters, a completed admissions application, and an application letter or essay.

According to information gathered from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics and Top Online Colleges, criminal justice graduates may find work as police officers, detectives, inspectors, and federal agents. Some criminal justice majors continue on to law school.

A large majority of criminal justice graduates end up working in state, local, and federal government positions. In fact, a criminal justice degree prepares students for Federal Bureau of Investigations jobs, U.S. DEA positions, and immigration and naturalization occupations. Criminal justice majors also work in bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives, U.S. customs, or as U.S. Marshals.

For the 2008-2018 decade, job growth is project at 16.3 percent. Police officers make up the largest number of professionals in this industry. Sheriff’s patrol officers are the next fastest growing group, followed by detectives and criminal investigators. Salaries for law enforcement officials range from $27,310-$72,450 per year. Detectives and criminal investigators earn $34,480-$92,590 per year. Depending on area of specialization, longevity, and rank, FBI agents may earn anywhere from $48,000 up to $100,000 or more per year. Lawyers may earn in excess of $145,600 annually.