Online Criminal Justice Degrees
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Criminal justice encompasses a wide variety of positions related to law and public safety. Criminal justice workers include police and probation officers, attorneys and public defenders, judges, and court and public safety administrators. Careers in criminal justice include positions in both crime enforcement and criminal law, and as such, the training and skill set required to enter this field may vary greatly depending the specific position and level of service. Many advanced positions in criminal justice require advanced academic degrees as well as job experience, and even entry-level positions may require specialized training in safety and crime prevention.
Jobs in criminal justice often involve work in the public sector on both the local and state levels. Public service positions may include community policing, investigation and prosecution of crimes, and employment within the public courts or department of corrections. Police work requires specialized training through either local or state police academies. Police work can include patrolling work, public safety or traffic management, and criminal investigations. Probation and corrections workers are public sector jobs that include direct work with incarcerated criminals in the public jails and prison systems. These positions may also involve rehabilitation services for convicted criminals. Again, there are varied levels of work and specialized roles within the field of probation and corrections, with some work focusing on counseling and support, and other roles that focus directly in management of prisoners and over safety within corrections facilities.
Lawyers also make up an important part of the criminal justice sector providing criminal defense and prosecution services within the court systems. Attorneys must complete an advanced degree in law and pass their state's law bar exam. Similar to police work, criminal defenders and prosecutors can specialized in a number of fields within enforcement, and the studies and training for specialties require advanced planning.
Featured Accredited Schools Offering Online Criminal Justice Degrees
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- Associate
- Bachelor's
- Master's
- Doctorate
- Certification
Learn more about Kaplan University - Criminal Justice Programs
What are some of the specializations within this degree program?
- Police Detective: A police detective investigates and documents a specific category of crime, including robbery, assault, narcotics, or homicide. Detectives are responsible for gathering evidence regarding a crime and offering the evidence to prosecutor's office, which will then pursue criminal charges against individuals.
- Criminal Attorney: Criminal attorneys offer legal advice and defense to individuals accused of a crime.
- Judge or Magistrate: Judges and magistrates preside over court cases and make decisions regarding criminal sentencing. A judge must have training as an attorney and in-depth experience working in legal prosecution.
- Police or Corrections Administration: Police and corrections administrators are responsible for the management and direction of police departments, jails, or prisons. This work involves the supervision of employees and the management of facility budgets.
- Rehabilitation: Criminal rehabilitation includes employment in social work and probation. These positions entail direct work with criminal offenders who need social and psychological support upon completion of a criminal sentencing.
What degree levels are available?
- Associate Degree: 2 years to complete
- Bachelor's Degree: 4 years to complete
- Master's Degree: 2 years to complete
- Doctoral Degree: 3-6 years to complete
What are the educational and certification requirements?
Police training requires enrollment in a state or city police academy. Trainees must learn basic law enforcement and public safety skills, such as firearm training, emergency response, and extensive information regarding local and state criminal codes. Specializations and advancement in areas such a forensics or homicide often require continuing education courses or seminars and extensive on-the-job experience. The certification is typically provided by a police academy.
Lawyers and court officials must complete an advanced degree in law, which is typically a three-year program at a law school. Public defenders, prosecutors, and judges all complete extensive internship training and must also acquire in-depth work experiences in order to advance in their fields.
Corrections and probation officers must also complete specialized coursework and certifications in order to work within correctional facilities. These individuals are specifically trained in working with incarcerated criminals to ensure safety within prisons and jails, and as such, they must be trained to handle potentially hazardous situations with violent offenders.
Police officers must complete training programs as required by the specific state or department where they wish to work. Similarly, correctional officers must complete certification with the organization or facility where they are seeking employment. Lawyers are required to pass the bar exam in their state of residence. Judges and court officials must be approved by a local of regional government. All of these careers require thorough criminal background checks as a part of the certification process.
What kinds of classes will I be expected to take?
Accredited criminal justice degrees teach students about the three arms of the U.S. criminal justice system: courts, law enforcement, and corrections. These subjects are covered in a variety of criminal justice, history, and sociology courses. A universal requirement of criminal justice degrees is a course titled Criminal Investigation. In this course, students learn how crimes are investigated and how evidence is handled in courts. It also covers techniques for investigating crimes, such as interviewing and taking photographs. The class Criminal Procedure covers what happens to subjects after they've been arrested, including victims' rights and court procedures. To put the criminal justice system in context with other governmental systems, students take a course in American Government as part of the criminal justice core curriculum. Students learn about the American political system, democracy, and constitutional rights.
Other classes cover broader social issues that affect the criminal justice system. Most programs require a sociology course with a title like Social Problems, where issues of poverty, drug abuse, race, and crime are discussed in a larger context. A general psychology class is also a usual requirement, which covers the natural and social science approaches to understanding human behavior.
If I pursue this program online, will I be required to complete any on-site training?
Most accredited online criminal justice programs do not require students to come to campus for any reason. Some programs may have the requirement or option of completing an internship, at a law enforcement or criminal justice institution in the student's community.
What are some other degrees that are related to this program?
Several degrees explore similar topics to the criminal justice degree. The most similar would be a degree in law enforcement. Law enforcement degrees may be synonymous with criminal justice degrees, depending on the school, or they may focus more on the skills necessary to become a law enforcement officer. A degree in forensic science is similar in that it teaches concepts of criminal investigation, but it focuses on the scientific and laboratory side of processing crime scene evidence. For those interested primarily in the legal aspect of criminal justice, a degree in paralegal studies includes classes about American government and law.
If you're considering criminal justice because of its aspect of societal protection, you may be a good fit for a degree in fire science. These degrees don't have much criminal justice coursework, but they do teach students about fire prevention, fire combustion, and fire protection systems—the skills necessary to become a fire inspector or fire fighter. Homeland security degrees cover issues of homeland security infrastructure and national threats and are designed for students who would like careers in law enforcement, public health, and other positions of social aid.
