The Top Online Criminal Justice Degree Programs

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By Smart Stuff

Are you searching for a career that will allow you to both join an in-demand industry and give back to your local community? Criminal justice might be the right choice. Working in the field of criminal justice offers plenty of exciting opportunities, including careers like FBI agent, police investigator, forensic accountant, and even a crime scene investigator. You can work with or within law enforcement, but you can also branch out. If you’ve long wanted a challenging yet always important career, criminal justice offers exactly that.

Of course, in order to work in criminal justice, you’ll need a degree. Most jobs in this field require at least a bachelor’s degree, which is the baseline for many career opportunities. But you don’t have to attend a traditional college or university – you can actually earn your degree online.

Many schools are now offering online degree programs, with courses you can take any time right at home. If you have an internet connection, you can work on a criminal justice degree. 

Consider studying and earning your degree from one of the following top schools, all of which offer online criminal justice programs.

University of Central Florida

Tuition: Florida residents are eligible for in-state tuition, which costs $179.19 per credit hour. Out of state students are charged $715.80 per credit hour for this online program. 

What a Criminal Justice Degree Includes: You can earn either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice online from the University of Central Florida. Throughout your degree program, you’ll study a comprehensive curriculum that includes core courses and personalized electives you can choose yourself. You can study more specialized aspects of criminal justice, and you can even learn skills suited for specific careers.

Popular Post Graduation Careers for Students: Many University of Central Florida students go on to have careers in law, immigration, customs enforcement, and corrections. 

Purdue Global University

Tuition: Purdue Global caps tuition for the online criminal justice degree program at $45,000 in total. That’s a significant savings over per-credit-hour or annual tuition rates compared to many other universities.

What a Criminal Justice Degree Includes: The Purdue Global University online criminal justice program offers a Bachelor of Science in either Corrections or Criminal Justice. You can choose your specialization, and you’ll study both core concepts about America’s criminal justice system and more narrow aspects. The Corrections specialization incorporates courses dedicated to corrections-related work in rehabilitation and offender treatment. You can also consider an accelerated program that combines both an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree.

Popular Post Graduation Careers for Students: Purdue Global University graduates find jobs in the corrections industry or in more unique criminal justice

Walden University

Tuition: The estimated cost of Walden University’s online criminal justice degree is $11,700. That price can vary depending on which degree you choose, if you have any previous or transfer credits available, and if you opt for a bachelor’s degree or a combined bachelor and master’s program.

What a Criminal Justice Degree Includes: In the Walden University online criminal justice degree program, you’ll earn a Bachelor of Science and get to choose your own concentration. You’ll learn valuable skills that apply to various roles within criminal justice,. And you’ll also learn more specialized concepts via your specific concentration. You can study everything from criminal justice technology to human services to homeland security.

Popular Post Graduation Careers for Students: Walden University graduates work in many different areas of criminal justice, including law enforcement, investigations, and legal work within the field.

Rutgers University

Tuition: Tuition is charged per semester, and students can expect to pay between $1,950 and $5,850 depending on their student status and your specific online program. Your course load can also affect your per semester costs. 

What a Criminal Justice Degree Includes: Throughout the online criminal justice degree program offered by Rutgers, you’ll master a core curriculum of courses that help you hone skills like quantitative reasoning, science, and social sciences. From there, you’ll delve into the specifics of criminal justice, taking specialized courses. And many students pursue internships within their local area to get hands-on experience.

Popular Post Graduation Careers for Students: After graduating from the Rutgers University online criminal justice degree program, former students often work in criminal justice law, policy-making, and law enforcement.

Start a New Career With an Online Criminal Justice Degree

Online degree programs are becoming increasingly more popular. And, as a result, more colleges and universities are now offering popular degree programs entirely online. So, if you’re interested in earning a criminal justice degree online, now is the perfect time to get started. 

As you’ve seen here, plenty of colleges have criminal justice degree programs that are available online. You can fit these flexible programs into your busy schedule and complete them on your own time. And once you’ve earned your degree, you’ll be able to embark on an entirely new, exciting career. 

But in order to get started, you need to do some research. You need to find different online criminal justice degree programs and compare them. You should look at the courses required, the program length, the tuition rates, and more. Then, you can narrow down your options to find the perfect degree program for your needs. And you’ll be taking the first step towards your degree.

Smart Stuff

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