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Recently we explained what you can do with a degree in criminal justice, including what jobs you can get with a bachelor’s degree in this field.
Here, we’re going to explain some more basic information, including whether or not you need a degree to launch a career in criminal justice, how to choose which kind of degree you get, and why you should consider studying criminal justice online instead of at a traditional, in-person school.
This post will give you all the details you need to determine how to prepare yourself for launching a successful, lifelong career as a criminal justice professional.
After you’ve read through the post, fill out our information request form to receive additional details about our 100% online Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. If you’re ready to get started, submit your application today.
The most common criminal justice degree programs are:
Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees also come in two types: “Arts” degrees and “Science” degrees (B.A. vs. B.S., and M.A. vs. M.S., respectively).
For criminal justice professionals, the B.S. and M.S. degrees are a better fit than the B.A. and M.A. degrees because they’re more likely to focus on technical elements and topics, providing you with more useful skills and knowledge that will directly apply to a job in the industry.
Accordingly, if you’re serious about starting a career in criminal justice, then you should choose to enroll in a B.S. or M.S. program.
You could start a career in criminal justice without first getting a degree, but that’s probably not the ideal way to achieve the best possible results from your career.
Why? Because if you don’t have a degree then it’ll be harder to get hired into some of the best criminal justice jobs.
If your goal is to launch a lifelong career in the field, and you want a role and a career that moves past entry-level work, then you should be thinking about earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Getting your degree will provide you with opportunities to develop your criminal justice knowledge, skills, and abilities, preparing you for better industry jobs, while also helping you convince hiring managers that you’re capable of overcoming the unique challenges people face while working in this industry.
In short, there’s no better way to prepare yourself for a successful career than by completing a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice.
When it comes time to choose between pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree, you’ll need to spend a bit of time comparing the two options.
To find out which type of program would work best for you, think about your educational background, your work experience, and your professional goals.
The purpose of this exercise is to pick the program that best suits your skills, experience, personal qualities, and career aspirations.
Anyone who doesn’t already have a bachelor’s degree (in any field) should choose the Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice.
The bachelor’s program will develop your understanding of law enforcement, corrections, and the law itself, allowing you to figure out how these important components of the criminal justice system operate and interact.
As a bachelor’s student, you’ll study:
After completing your Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, you’ll be eligible for a variety of industry roles, including jobs like:
As you can see, getting a bachelor’s degree will open many doors for you, providing you with far more options than you’d have should you try to start your career without a degree.
Anyone who already has a bachelor’s degree (in any topic), extensive experience working in the criminal justice industry, and wants to land a role in leadership or management would likely be a better fit for a Criminal Justice Master’s Program.
A master’s program will develop your knowledge about how the criminal justice system functions, but it will go much deeper into the critical components of the criminal justice system, including:
After completing a master’s program, you’ll be prepared for much more complex, important, and senior-level roles in criminal justice, including tasks like:
After completing a Master’s Program in Criminal Justice, you’ll have additional options for potential careers and positions, including excellent roles like:
Yes, you should consider studying online, as an online program will provide you with far more flexibility and freedom compared to an on-campus program.
At CSU Global, our 100% online B.S. in Criminal Justice Degree program is far more convenient than a traditional on-campus program.
Why? Because we designed our program specifically for busy people, ensuring that it provides as much flexibility as possible.
Choosing to study with us means you’ll have a much easier time juggling existing work and family responsibilities with your new educational pursuits, as we offer:
If you’ve already got a busy schedule and existing work or family responsibilities, then you’ll want to consider studying online with us.
Our program may also be far more affordable compared to in-person schools, as our tuition rates haven’t been increased in 10 years.
To get a feel for how our cost per credit hour compares to any other criminal justice programs that you may be considering, make sure to have a look at our tuition rates page.
Both of our online Criminal Justice Degrees are regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which is the most respected accreditation possible.
All of our criminal justice courses are taught by faculty who have recent, real-world experience in the field, and our programs are designed to provide you with relevant, workplace-related knowledge and skills.
We also help students get their careers off the ground by expanding their professional networks thanks to our relationships with important criminal justice agencies and organizations, including:
Both of our criminal justice programs are also extremely well respected, having each earned top rankings in their category, including:
CSU Global itself is also regarded as an industry leader in higher education, having recently won several important awards, including:
Finally, we offer competitive tuition rates, a tuition guarantee to ensure that your tuition rate won’t increase, and for our undergraduate programs, Alternative Credit Options like Credit By Exam, Self Study Assessment (SSA), and Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) to help save you time and money.
To get additional details about our fully-accredited online Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, or our online Master’s Program in Criminal Justice, please give us a call at (800) 462-7845, or fill out our Information Request Form.
Ready to get started today? Apply now!
