Online Criminal Justice Degree Programs

Got crime on the mind? If so, seek help. No seriously, close your laptop, strap on your boots, let the significant other know you’ll be home late and march on down to your nearest psychiatric care provider. Thinking about committing a crime is not good. But sitting around thinking about pursuing a degree in criminal justice on the other hand is a riveting thought!

As a primer, criminal justice is definitely not for the faint of heart. You’re going to be dealing with some bad dudes and gals, helping to fight crime and make this society more livable for the masses. Criminal justice can be a thankless profession, but there are a host of jobs to choose from. For example, you can opt to be an Air Marshall, a Fish and Game Warden, Corrections Officer, Crime Lab Analyst, Prison Warden, TSA Officer, Homicide Detective, Postal Inspector, it’s a long, long list. But before specializing, getting down to the basics is the first step.

Regardless of the online criminal justice degree program you choose, the first thing you need be sure of is if said program offers the basics in law. These basics are introduction to criminal law, tort law, constitutional law and correctional law among others. It’s also important to know the judicial system well. Not to say you need to be up to speed like the next Supreme Court Justice, but knowing how cases move through the system, your eventual role in the larger process, how enforcing the law is simply one component of the greater criminal justice system.

And lastly, get some experience either prior to pursing the degree or during. A good resume is going to be vital to landing a great job and academics alone won’t do it. For example, having experience in the field, mentoring under someone, having a good letter of recommendation in place, these are critical nowadays.

There are roughly four different types of online criminal justice degrees to choose from: associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate. The great part about online programs is they cost much less than their physical, brick-and-mortar counterparts, and it also doesn’t matter if you live in-state or out-of-state because everything is online so differential tuition pricing does not factor in. To provide an idea of costs, a 2-year associate’s degree program online will cost roughly $23,040 and folks leaving said program would be able to transition into a Security Officer, Forensic Science Technician, Corrections Office or Police Officer position. The average annual salary is $46,063.

For a bachelor’s degree, the online average costs are $45,196 over 4 years. These folks will transition into being a Forensic Accountant, Intelligence Analyst, Probation Officer or Court Officer. Their average salary is $59,448. Lastly, for a master’s degree (2 years after completing the bachelor’s degree), the careers that await are a Policy Analyst, Federal Agent, Criminal Investigator or a Cybersecurity Investigator. These positions pay upwards of $87,123.

As you can see, seeking out an online program in criminal justice is both lucrative and makes a ton of sense.