Online Criminal Justice Programs Schools & Colleges

Criminal Justice Online Colleges

Many colleges offer degree programs in law enforcement or administration of justice. If you want to to pursue a career in criminal law as a lawyer or paralegal, you may want to complete a pre-law bachelor's degree program and continue on to law school. Many types of criminal justice programs are available to students online and range from the associate to master's degree and beyond. Example online criminal justice degrees you could find find include the Associate degree in Paralegal Studies or in Criminal Justice. You could also discover similar degree programs at the bachelor's level. If you are already established in a career, and are looking for ways to advance in your career and to expand your learning, online criminal justice programs at the graduate level could be helpful. These can allow you to focus in very specific areas and to truly finesse your skills. Some of the advanced online criminal justice programs currently available include the Master's of Science degree in Criminal Justice with focuses either on Law or in Global Issues in Criminal Justice.

Depending on the type of education you pursue, there are a variety of criminal justice career paths. For instance, if you become a paralegal or legal assistant, you could find yourself in a field that is projected to grow by 28 percent, 2008-2018. The field typically requires a certificate or associate degree, which is a small investment considering the projected growth opportunities. In fact, the growth is considered far above average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and is expected because many law firms are trying to cut costs by having paralegals and legal assistants do the work once performed by lawyers. Many in this occupation do well for themselves: the mean wages earned by paralegals and legal assistants were $49,640, according to 2010 BLS data. You could also work toward becoming an adjudicator, hearing officer, or administrative law judge. Growth in this overall field is expected to be 8 percent, 2008-2018, about average, but those in these occupations reported earning mean annual wages of $89,740. Of course, to enter this field, you may need a master's or advanced degree as well as experience and training that could come from on-the-job opportunities. Other occupations that could be of interest to you include those of a counselor, law clerk, lawyer, and more. Additionally, there are also opportunities in law enforcement. However, these typically require attending a police academy, but a degree could be beneficial to your understanding new material at the academy or even in advancing up in the ranks later on in your career.

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