Online Colleges for Public Safety

Public Safety Online Colleges

Online public safety degrees are available at every level from the certificate to doctoral degree. If you are only interested in getting your feet wet in the field, one of the online public safety programs in emergency operations management or criminal investigation could be a help. It could come as a surprise that certificate programs focused on such complex subjects can be completed in a short time, but often these types of programs help provide an entry way to a job or the knowledge you need to pursue a more advanced degree. If you want to invest more time in your education, you could seek online public safety degrees such as the bachelor's degree in Homeland Security, the bachelor's degree in Internet security, or the Master's degree in Homeland Security and emergency management. There are a variety of online public safety degrees available as interest in the subject increases and more agencies take steps to have effective emergency preparedness plans in place.

There has been an increase in the number of public safety jobs since 9/11, with the job market for police officers and detectives expected to rise 10 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those working in the field earned mean annual wages of $55,620, according to 2010 BLS data. However, you'll need to complete training at a police academy or the like to receive the hands-on knowledge needed to enter the field. Firefighters, who earned mean annual wages of $47,730 in 2010, must have a high school diploma or an associate degree. They also need to obtain related fire academy training. Because it's been harder for firehouses to recruit volunteer firefighters, job growth is expected to be higher than average between 2008 and 2018, at about 19 percent. Your online training could also lead you to a career as an emergency management director. According to the BLS, these workers earned mean annual wages of $60,330. Unlike law enforcement and firefighting opportunities, this field does not require academy-based training. As you can see, the public safety field is broad, and there are a number of career fields that could lead you to satisfaction and the opportunity to protect the public.

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