People who wish to pursue a career in the fascinating world of criminal justice and law enforcement can do so by completing a graduation or master’s course in the subject. By completing a course, learners can fulfill their aspirations of working in law enforcement agencies or the courts in the country. Besides full-time, on-campus courses, interested students can pursue online criminal justice graduate programs to save some time and effort on traveling.
Online Criminal Justice Course (BA/BS)
The University of Central Florida offers this online bachelor’s program. Those signing up for it can either pursue a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice. The course comes with 120 credit hours, and the cost is $179.19 per credit hour for in-state learners and $715.80 per credit hour for out-of-state learners.
This online criminal justice program offers learners interactive training and hands-on online coursework. It focuses on the core components of the criminal justice system: courts, police, and corrections. After completing it, students will learn about the country’s criminal justice system and acquire the necessary skills to excel in the field. The course covers several topics.
- History of crime in the country
- The nitty-gritty of the country’s criminal justice system
- How legal prosecution works
- How to conduct research and analyze data.Â
- The criminal justice system’s impact on communities, society, and individuals.
Besides learning these topics, students will pick up skills needed to analyze crime patterns, assess the factors influencing criminal behavior, critically examine the ethical limitations of the criminal justice system, and evaluate various crime-related policies. By pursuing this degree, learners will be prepared to work within the local, state, federal, or county justice agencies or private organizations in a related field.
Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice Administration
This bachelor’s degree from Columbia College covers the most pressing current issues related to cybercrime, private security, juvenile justice, crisis intervention, and constitutional criminal procedures. During the online course, learners will get an in-depth understanding of the role of police, laws, courts, and correctional bodies and officers towards society. The program covers several areas of study.
- Policing
- Ethics
- Investigation
- Juvenile justice
- Criminal law and procedure
- Management of criminal justice agencies
After completing this program, learners will acquire skills that will enable them to become a Sheriff’s Deputy, Police Officer, Loss Prevention Officer, Criminal Investigator, Corporate Security Manager, Restorative Justice Facilitator, and Juvenile Detention Officer.
Like many Columbia College degrees, this one is available with an online learning option. Students who prefer the traditional classroom experience can attend lectures at any of the college’s nationwide locations on their main campus. The college administration believes that multiple learning methods, including online and virtual teaching, will help many pursue this course.
Bachelor of Science in Corrections & Juvenile Justice Studies
Offered by Eastern Kentucky University, this course is excellent for learners to re-imagine the criminal justice system. In recent years, law enforcement bodies have sought to shift focus from criminal containment to reformation. In simple words, they aim to make criminals better persons so that they can continue to live in society rather than be imprisoned to prevent crime.
Through this course, learners will gain in-depth knowledge about the various offender transformation programs that can be applied to adult and juvenile criminals to help them change their ways instead of having them stay behind bars for long periods. According to Eastern Kentucky University, the students from the college’s online graduation criminal justice course have gone on to work for esteemed employers like the Department of Juvenile Justice, Lake Cumberland Youth Development Center, and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Police Department.
Learners would spend about $443 per credit hour on this course. Students will need around 120 credit hours; up to 90 credit hours can be transferred.
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
The Florida Atlantic University’s bachelor’s degree in criminal justice offers learners a suitable foundation to acquire skills related to criminology, criminal justice, public administration, and similar areas. It teaches them to advocate for victims, serve in different capacities related to law and justice, transform criminals, and make a genuine difference in their respective communities.
After completing this bachelor’s degree, students can bag roles like crime analyst, local and federal law enforcement officer, corrections officer, victim advocate, juvenile justice specialist, fraud investigator, and parole or probation officer.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration
National University offers this program, which covers diverse topics like research methods, juvenile justice, forensic science, and criminal reformation. The Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice program concludes with a senior project supervised by a full-time associate and select core adjunct faculty. During the course, students are taught a range of subjects.
- Criminology
- Juvenile offense
- CJ management and leadership
- Principles of investigation
- Courts and the judicial process
- Criminal law and procedure
- Criminal justice capstone
- Ethics and the CJ system
Like Florida Atlantic University’s bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, this one focuses on teaching criminal transformation instead of containment and punishment.
Most courses on this list have practical applications for learners in the real world. Regardless of the course one chooses, one can try to become an FBI agent, corrections officer, crime scene investigator, forensic science technician, law enforcement officer, or immigration and customs enforcement agent.
