Criminal Justice 3000 Criminal Justice associate sub_topic An Associate degree in Criminal Justice will prepare students for entry-level employment or advancement in law enforcement, corrections, probation, immigration, security services, homeland security, crime scene investigation and comparable types of employment. The program will provide a broad understanding of the criminal justice system in the United States and a fundamental knowledge of the social and behavioral sciences. 0 0 0 3010 <ul><li>An associate's degree in criminal justice requires about two years of study</li> <li>A criminal justice associate's degree will open doors to entry level positions in the field.</li> <li>Getting a criminal justice associate's degree online is a better option for someone already working in the field.</li> </ul> <p><b>How does someone earn an associate's degree in criminal justice?</b></p> <p>An associate's degree is an undergraduate degree that usually requires 60 semester credit hours, or two years, to complete. Offered at community colleges and junior colleges, usually a student is required to take a number of general education requirements, such as science, English, social sciences and math. Though many associate's degrees are used to transfer to a four year degree, an associate's in criminal justice is specialized to train professional criminal justice workers. An associate's criminal justice program prepares people for entry-level positions within the field. After getting some experience, graduates can be promoted upward to supervisory positions and mid-management positions. </p> <b>What career opportunities are available for someone with an associate's in criminal justice?</b> <p>The job outlook for law enforcement professionals in the near future is excellent. Crime is a major issue in many communities. Police department jobs, such as detectives and officers, will continue to be in constant demand. In the greatest demand, however, are jobs in probation and parole sectors and in private security jobs. With an associate's degree there is the opportunity to get a foot in the door and get real-life work experience a field of interest. The more highly paid positions will be hard to get into right away with only an associate's degree. To become more highly competitive for management positions and other leadership positions, working toward a more advanced degree might be a good choice after completing an associate's degree. </p> <b>What are the advantages and disadvantages of earning an associate's degree in criminal justice online?</b> <p>Getting an associate's online lets students have the freedom to take classes from home. Also, online classes allow students to have a job, or pursue other interests, while earning their degree. Some programs offer their classes exclusively over the internet while others split class time between internet collaboration and in-person collaboration. Checking with a specific program to find out how they run their programs is the best way to learn which ones are best. While online learning does allow more freedom and flexibility than a traditional, on-campus, program they also require much more self discipline to succeed. Most online classes have a prescheduled list of assignments and due dates, which students are expected to complete on their own. There is usually less teacher-student interaction in online learning, so a student must possess the self-motivation to succeed and complete the course independently. </p> <b>How much money does a career in criminal justice offer?</b> <p>The levels of work available in the field of criminal justice vary widely and so do their respective salaries. A law enforcement officer (or a police officer) makes between $37,600 and $53,300, with an average yearly salary of $45,300, depending on location. Police sergeants generally make an average of $57,700 a year, with a range between $50,700 and $64,500. Police chiefs make between $81,500 and $91,600. Social workers in the criminal justice field make anywhere between $37,800 and $44,900 a year. These are not all the positions available in the field, but these give a good range for average salaries. </p> associate-criminal-justice Associate in Criminal Justice Associate Degree in Criminal Justice 3000, 3020, 3030, 3040, 3100, 3200 Accredited Criminal Justice Associate Degrees, AA in Criminal Justice 1 0