It’s absolutely true.

Distance-learning has been around a long, long time–since the days of newspaper-advertised correspondence courses.  But distance learning has come a long way, and the days of return-postage-stamped envelopes have been replaced by dynamic, interactive online computers that truly bring the classroom to your rooms.

And education is no longer for a select few; the “non-traditional” (i.e. adult, returning, or part-time) student is the new tradition.  Online courses are particularly well suited for many of these new student’s needs.  If you’ve wished you could get your criminal justice degree but felt the best criminal justice schools or their programs were out of reach because you couldn’t afford to relocate, or couldn’t commute to classes because of your work schedule or obligations, you may have options.

Finding the Best Criminal Justice Schools Online

Finding schools online is a bit trickier–distance learning has always attracted its fair share of scammers and unsavory cons and diploma mills.  But don’t let these overshadow the very real, very reputable online criminal justice degree programs that are available.  There are colleges and universities that are based wholly online, without a physical campus at all, that are fully accredited.  And some of the traditional, on-campus oriented best criminal justices schools also have online degree programs.

Check out a school’s accreditation, and look at the reputations of the faculty, as well as the accomplishments of alumni.  These are excellent ways to judge whether an online program ranks with the best criminal justice schools and is worth your investment.

Various Program Options

Online study isn’t the only revolutionary option being offered by the best criminal justice schools.  Many are also offering accelerated full time courses, or part-time courses that meet the particular needs of students.

Law enforcement jobs are great jobs to have.  They’re usually secure, government positions with good benefits and reliable pay.  There’s always a need for criminal justice specialists, whether they’re forensic scientists or beat cops.  Crime isn’t going to go out of production any time soon–it might be the one thing that multiplies during a rough economy.

And there are so many law enforcement jobs to choose from.  There are legal careers, administrative jobs, jobs in corrections, on the police force–there alone you have dispatchers, officers, detectives, and so on.  There are jobs for psychologists in forensic psychology and for those to whom the hard sciences appeal in forensic science.  That’s one reason more colleges for criminal justice are offering online degrees.

Online Degree Programs Brings Colleges for Criminal Justice to You

There’s a huge need for larger criminal justice degree programs, because there are enough applicants to fill them, and enough job openings for those applicants when they graduate–but on-campus programs just don’t fill that need.  Online colleges for criminal justice have picked up the slack, and that should be good news for those of you who have been frustrated by circumstances that prevented you from getting your degree.

You don’t have to worry about being on time for class or rearranging your work schedule with distance learning criminal justice programs, because there’s no ‘class time’ except for when you schedule it.  You’ve got to get your assignments in, but it doesn’t matter if you study at 2 AM or 6 PM.  You don’t have to arrange for someone to babysit your kids, and you don’t have to worry about filling up the gas tank.

Colleges for criminal justice are turning to online learning to reach the best and the brightest–are you going to be one of those students they reach?

Maybe you’ve been dreaming of getting your degree in a law enforcement related field for a long time.  What’s held you back?  No programs near you at all?  Or none in the concentration or focus that you’re most interested in? Or perhaps it’s that you work shifts and while you have time to study, fitting a class schedule into your life is impossible.  Well, with your law enforcement degree online, that’s not the case.  If you have the motivation and dedication to study on your own, and to prioritize your time, you can get that degree you’ve wanted.

Law Enforcement Degree Online Options

Online learning is great because you don’t have to narrow your goals down to fit the options within driving distance, or the ones that your local transit system can get you to.  Instead, the world is at your fingertips, along with all of the varied concentrations and majors you can dream up.  Online programs aren’t restricted to local interest or convincing students to relocate; that’s why there will soon probably be more law enforcement degree online programs than there have ever been campus based programs.

How Distance Learning Helps You

Getting into a law enforcement career is a dream of many, but only a few make it in.  It’s nearly impossible to get into law enforcement without some criminal justice background, even for jobs without a strict degree “requirement.” It’s the same catch-22 that plagues aspiring candidates in so many fields–”Experience required.”  But how do you get that experience if you can’t get a job?

Academic experience matters too.  Your law enforcement degree online might just be the tool that opens the doors of opportunity.  Choose a specialty that suits your talents and excel at your studies, and you can find yourself in law enforcement sooner than you think.

Graduate level education is evolving so quickly it could be called revolutionary.  Online criminal justice masters degrees are the newest wave of distance learning graduate programs becoming available.

How is online grad school different?

Online graduate school offers students some distinct advantages–and some specific challenges, also.  One of the advantages of pursuing your online master’s degree is that your coursework usually won’t conform to the usual type of class schedule–with the exception of assignment due dates, making your schedule will be up to you.  Of course not all people find that to be an advantage–if you are a very disorganized person who isn’t good at prioritizing time, then online criminal justice master degrees may not be the right choice.  Of course, then again, if that’s the case, there might not be any master’s degree programs that are a good choice!

Online programs are a great option for parents, or for those who want to study part time but have unpredictable or unconventional work schedules.  Some for some students the classroom, face-to-face experience is important, but for others, it’s not as vital–and online study has come a long way and is getting more dynamic and interactive all the time.  Video chat sessions, for example, are a part of many online criminal justice masters degrees. Some also offer limited residency requirements–each semester you visit for a week or a few days, for workshops and to meet with professors and bond with fellow students.

Choosing between online criminal justice masters degrees

You’ll want to choose a specialty, and this is another great advantage online degrees offer.  Depending on where you live, your on-campus options are limited–either very limited, or moderately limited.  But with distance learning, you can specialize in almost anything, because you’re not constrained by geographical limitations.

Have you ever been watching a movie or a television show and wished you had a job in law enforcement?  Of course, it’s not as glamorous as it appears in Hollywood.  But there’s a definite appeal to law enforcement careers, one that attracts the best of the best.  But you probably wondered, yourself, how do you even get a job as a law enforcement officer?  Or as a detective, or in the FBI?

A good educational background helps.

This is where law enforcement schools come in.  You need to have some background in law enforcement to compete in today’s job market, period.  You can’t just enter as a desk clerk and hope to get deputized!  Getting a degree or vocational training in the field of law enforcement is an investment that will give you the edge your resume will need to compete with other applicants.

Finding the right law enforcement schools depends on your career goals.

Specialization is the name of the game in law enforcement.  If you want to go into forensic psychology, you should start your education with that goal in mind.  Choose among law enforcement schools with good psychology departments and an excellent reputation in the field.

Work hard at your program.

Criminal justice is a challenging career field.  Jobs are competitive, and you want to excel from the very beginning.  Remember that a career in criminal justice is not like working retail–your job, however large or small, will be a contributor in life and death matters.  Is it any wonder that law enforcement schools demand so much from their students?

Choose a program that will prepare you for the specialty you’re interested in, whether that’s forensic science or investigations.   Find out what agencies in your area are hiring, and find out their requirements, too.

Do you NEED a degree to get a job in a criminal justice related field?

Many times, no, there are entry level positions in some professional criminal justice jobs that don’t require a degree–but they tend to have many more applicants than available positions.  Also, to move up in the criminal justice system, you will need to get a degree.  And having a criminal justice degree from the start can help you find entry level jobs with more room for advancement.

Who should consider a criminal justice degree?

Criminal justice is a huge and varied professional field.  Depending on whether your aspirations are legal, in law enforcement, in administration or politics, your criminal justice oriented degree can take you far.  You’ll want to choose a concentration that will give you and advantage in the particular type of work you plan to pursue.

You can also think beyond the immediate necessary qualifications you’ll need.  You may be planning on going into the police academy–which you’ll almost certainly need to do to enter the police force–but that doesn’t mean getting your criminal justice degree won’t advance your career.  Getting a criminal justice degree before you start out as a police officer, with perhaps a concentration in investigative law enforcement, will make you a better officer to begin with.  It’ll also give you a step up on your resume–departments are often “bottom heavy” but need to hire new recruits to train for future professions.  Being a little overqualified can make you a much more attractive candidate.

Your criminal justice degree is also a great choice if you want to go into criminal law, or see yourself in politics–security and law enforcement are ever more important issues.  It’s also a great degree to have if you are consider getting your license as a PI.

A career in the field of criminal justice is appealing to many people, and for good reason.  There are so many varied attractive aspects to the field–there is literally something for everyone.  From being a detective, to working in the legal field, to corrections, to being a police officer, there are a plethora of career options for all personality types and talent sets, and all of them are geared towards building a better society.

If you’ve thought about looking for an opening in one of these types of jobs, getting a criminal justice degree is a good start–and if you’ve put that off because you thought you didn’t have time, or couldn’t find a program near you, online criminal justice degree programs may make it possible.

It doesn’t matter if the online criminal justice degree programs you choose apply to are offered by schools ten miles away or two hundred; online classes come to you.  Criminal justice degrees have gotten more popular, and that means that there are more online programs than ever to choose from.

Choosing Between Online Criminal Justice Degree Programs

Of course, this popularity does have a negative side to it–an unfortuate aspect to distance-learning has been the number of copy-cat diploma mill scams online.  To avoid paying for enrollment in a scam school, or even in a real school that just doesn’t meet the requirements you’ll need, follow some simple steps:

1. Double check your school’s accreditation online with the US Dept of Education.  It’s simple and fast–all you need is the name of the school.

2.  Once you’ve done that, check your state’s requirements for the particular profession you’re interested in, and contact the appropriate overseeing agency to make sure that online criminal justice degree programs like yours meet them.

It’s silly, but I ended up in forensic science because of TV.  I know, it’s a complete cliche, right?

Well, okay, I didn’t end up successfully in forensic science just from watching TV.  I wish it’d been that easy!  I had to go to a criminal justice school, too, of course.  Actually, though, I loved the process that got me here almost as much as I love the work I’m doing.  Right now I’m only a lowly lab tech, but I still can’t imagine any field I’d be happier in.

I’ve always been kind of a science nerd, but it wasn’t until I got interested in crime and investigation that I seriously considered science as a career, which led me to apply to a criminal justice school. See, science intrigued me, but I’m just not the type of person who would thrive doing research.  Theory is cool, but practical application is where it’s at.  For a while I was interested in medicine, but something about that just didn’t click either.

But forensic science being used to catch criminals seemed perfect for me.  So I started looking at how to get into that career field.  I mean, obviously it’s not something you just apply for cold without qualifications.

The first thing I found in my research is that to be a forensic scientist, you need two things: a strong science background and a working knowledge of the criminal justice system.  I got my associate’s, which had a focus on criminal justice, from an online school.  Then I finished my bachelor’s at a traditional criminal justice school, where I was able to focus on my laboratory courses while still having plenty of options for my minor in criminal justice.

Going to criminal justice school was the best decision I’ve made… in fact, I’m thinking about going back, for my masters!

You know you love the idea of working in the field of criminal justice.  You’re on the edge of your seat during crime dramas, and you want a career that challenges you every single day, and offers you the chance to make the world a better place.

So naturally, you’re interested in criminal justice colleges and universities.  What majors should you consider?  That depends on your talents and skills, and of course, what specific career path you’re interested in.

General Criminal Justice Major

All criminal justice schools offer a general major in criminal justice.  What sort of coursework can you expect, in this particular major? Criminal justice majors approach the field as a social science, and the programs usually give you a broad overview of information about why and how crimes occur, and the methods and theories behind controlling crime.  Criminal justice colleges and universities recommend majors in criminal justice for those who aspire to be police officers, detectives, or federal officers.  They’re also a good starting point if you aren’t sure which career in the field you want to pursue.

Degrees in Forensics

If you’re the science-minded type and you want to do your part in the field of criminal justice, a degree in forensic science might be the right one for you.  Criminal justice colleges and universities offer forensic science degrees that help you prepare through programs of coursework that focus on general information about criminal justice as well as understanding the criminal justice system, in addition to in depth scientific courses that teach you about the newest methods, theories, and technology behind forensic science.

…and Many Other Choices

These are only two of the most popular majors available at criminal justice colleges and universities.  Check out additional information on this site for more about the major that appeals to you!

Just as there are an astonishing range of careers to choose from in the field of criminal justice, there are nearly as many different criminal justice programs which prepare you for those careers.  Which program is right for you depends largely on which criminal justice career, or area of specialization, you’re interested in.

Criminal Justice Programs: Certificates

The shortest and least expensive programs are often certificates, although associate’s degrees at certain schools may offer you courses in criminal justice as well, which are useful for applying to entry level careers in the field.  Certificate programs usually focus on technical skills and are offered by both universities and vocational schools.

Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degrees

If you’re going to get your four year degree in a criminal justice related field, choosing your major or specialty is an important part of the process, as it will determine which criminal justice careers you may be qualified for.

Popular specialties include corrections, crime scene investigation or technician, general criminal justice programs, administration and management in criminal justice, fire and emergency management, forensic science, forensic psychology, criminology, homeland security, juvenile justice, and law enforcement.

Graduate and Postgraduate Criminal Justice Education

Those who enter the legal field, or are involved in careers related to the highly scientific or technical aspects of criminal justice may benefit from a master’s degree or even a PhD related to their fields of study.  PhD criminal justice programs are also a good choice for those who want to enter the area of teaching criminal justice methods or theory at the university level.

There are a wide variety of criminal justice programs to choose from, at all levels of expertise and expense.  Even if you’re just starting out, choosing to further your education can increase your chances of finding a good job in criminal justice.