Earn Your Criminal Justice Degree Online!

Criminal justice is much more than arresting and prosecuting criminals. If you are interested in helping people using the tools provided by law, you may want a career in criminal justice. Careers in criminal justice include police officer, highway patrolman, detective, sheriff, drug enforcement officer, secret service agent, deputy, prison guard, FBI, attorney, paralegal, and more. Basically, all jobs associated with enforcing, upholding or acting by virtue of the authority of U.S. law are an application of some focus in criminal justice.

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Criminal justice is a challenging program of study, requiring much research and numerous reports and essays. It is definitely not for someone who dreads reading or writing. However, if you enjoy learning new things, exploring law related topics, and have a bit of a flair with the written word, criminal justice may be just the career you are seeking.

At one time, it was almost impossible to get a degree in criminal justice without spending many hours in a campus classroom and library. However, the development and modern sophistication of internet study has made criminal justice available to anyone who has a computer and the hours to put into the study. Furthermore, many degree programs are given a real life flavor by allowing—in fact, encouraging—you to attend real court cases and to analyze the outcomes. Apprenticeships can be completed with a local law firm or under the guidance of the legal department of a business in your area. In some cases, you can even be paid for these apprenticeships.

What does a Criminal Justice program of study involve?
The bachelor’s degree level of a criminal justice program will involve a study of criminal behavior, American judicial systems, probate and paralegal, legal research and basic investigation along with courses in communication, psychology, sociology, and human development. When you progress to advanced degrees, you will begin to specialize and could study corporate crime, forensic law, advanced criminology, civil or family law, internet crime prevention, or immigration law just to name a few. 

What salary can one expect with a criminal justice degree?
Like many other careers, the salary you can expect with a criminal justice degree depends on the job itself, on your education level, and on the geographic area in which you work. However, police officers earn about $45,000 a year while supervisors and detectives make about $65,000 a year. If you want to become an attorney, you can easily make six figures.