Because Criminal Justice is a broad field encompassing many different aspects of our society’s efforts to fight and control crime, the criminal justice system necessarily employs a full range of trained professionals. These specialists work to:
- Uphold laws
- Prevent crime through deterrence
- Apprehend suspects
- Prosecute and incarcerate criminals
- Assist victims, and
- Rehabilitate both juvenile and adult offenders.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that between now and 2010 we will see a greater than 27% increase in demand for police officers, federal agents, private investigators, and US Customs agents. Our nation is putting greater resources than ever into homeland security, and simultaneously we are experiencing significantly increased demand for private security and criminal justice experts. In turn, this nationwide increase in demand for experts in Criminal Justice means that the field is host to a number of exciting opportunities. If you’re fascinated by these possibilities and are passionate about helping others and defending values, you can now move forward with your criminal justice education and become a leader in the field.
To gain a greater understanding of the task of pursuing an online degree in Criminal Justice, not to mention the field itself, it’s especially worthwhile to explore things from a few different perspectives: the specific professions that interest you most within the Criminal Justice industry; the academic degrees necessary for entrance into those professions; and the availability of the relevant degree programs online. With these different threads of information, you’ll be equipped to make the best decisions for a successful career in Criminal Justice.
An accredited degree can kick-start or elevate your career in the growing field of Criminal Justice by qualifying you for positions such as:
- Police officer
- Federal, local, or state special agent
- Forensic specialist
- Probation, parole, or corrections officer
- A broad range of appointments in the court system
- Security specialist in either the private or public sectors
The job of police officer has no shortage of challenges, challenging and involves much personal responsibility. Furthermore, law enforcement officers in many agencies may retire with a pension after 25 or 30 years of service, allowing them to pursue a second career while still in their 40s or 50s.
Because of relatively attractive salaries and benefits, the number of qualified candidates exceeds the number of job openings in Federal law enforcement agencies and in most State police departments - resulting in increased hiring standards and selectivity by employers. Applicants with college training in police science, military police experience, or both should have the best opportunities.
Change Your Life with an Online Degree in Criminal Justice
You can start or advance your career in the exciting field of Criminal Justice by getting a degree online. Because they have a great amount of flexibility built in, online degree programs afford students not just the ability to study when it’s most convenient for you, but also the opportunity to earn a degree in less time than is usually possible through on-campus attendance. One online education specialist--www.earnmydegree.com EarnMyDegree.com--offers criminal justice degrees at the Certificate, Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. While the concentrations offered will vary from one online university to another, there are 3 primary branches of Criminal Justice:
- Policing. A degree program with this focus will concern all the moving parts in police science, including suspect apprehension, emergency response, and community networking.
- Investigation is the mainstay of crime dramas for a reason: it is the center point on which all the other elements of law enforcement rotate-public, private, and corporate security as well. A degree program with an Investigation focus will have you explore the details of crime scene management, technical forensics, evidence analysis, and the handling of witnesses and suspects.
- Law enforcement is the most fundamental function of any criminal justice system. As a Criminal Justice student pursuing a degree with this focus, your study will concentrate on the prevention of crime, apprehension of suspects, and equip you with an understanding of how the system operates in an array of government agencies, from the city police to the FBI.
If you want to make a professional transition into Criminal Justice-or if you want to qualify yourself for a highly specialized position within the industry-you can begin the transition by investigating the exciting array of options provided to you by online universities with Criminal Justice degree programs.