What Can I Do with an Online Criminal Justice Degree?

online-criminal-justice-degreeAre you interested in earning an online criminal justice degree? If you have a passion for the criminal justice system and you would like to start working towards a long-term criminal justice career, the very first step is attaining formal training through an accredited institution.

While traditional on-campus programs were popular in the past, as distance education becomes more popular, individuals who are currently employed can earn a degree as they work and care for their families by studying online.

If you are not sure where your online degree majoring in Criminal Justice will take you, it is time to learn about your employment options before you dedicate the time and the money to attaining an online degree. Here are the many places you can go in terms of career when you earn an online Criminal Justice degree:

What Careers Can You Pursue with an Undergraduate Online Criminal Justice Degree?

If you earn an Associate’s degree or a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from an online institution, you will start to build a foundation of knowledge that you need to start applying for a majority of entry-level titles in criminal justice. Knowing your career options will help you decide the right track when you enroll in an online Associate’s or Bachelor’s program. You will need to decide if an applied criminal justice program or a theoretical criminal justice program is best for the career you are most interested in, and doing this can make everything much easier on you.

An applied program, whether it is online or traditional in nature, will prepare graduates for careers in the practice of criminal justice. Common responsibilities that fall under this scope are policing, bailiff, border patrol agent, crime scene investigation, federal special agent, parole officer, probation officer and corrections. A theoretical program, on the other hand, is a formal training degree program that is focused on how crime affects society, criminal behavior, criminology, and forensic psychology. Some positions that fall into the theoretical scope include sociologist, substance abuse counselor, criminal profiler, and more.

Is an Online Criminal Justice Degree Equal to a Traditional Degree?

You do not necessarily need to attend a private university that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to earn a degree that will help you get hired in a public or private setting. In fact, there are ways to keep the costs of earning your degree down, including the option to study online. Many prospective students are skeptical of entering online degree programs because some online programs have a bad reputation. If you fall into this category, you will be happy to hear that an accredited online degree in criminal justice is perceived just as highly as a traditional degree. As long as the program meets the standards of bodies like the Academy of Criminal Justice Science, you can have peace of mind in knowing you will earn a valuable degree.

Resource: Top 10 Online Criminal Justice Degree Programs

There are a variety of paths that you can take when you earn your online criminal justice degree degree, and you need to decide which path is most beneficial and interesting to you. As the field of criminal justice continues to rise in demand, there is a larger need for graduates who are experts in criminal justice. Earn an accredited online criminal justice degree, and do something to improve your outlook on the future.