What Everyone Should Know About Online Criminal Justice Programs
A core democratic principle underlying a free society is the “rule of law.” We elect representatives to make laws, with the goal of promoting the common good. The success or failure of upholding and enforcing those laws depends upon the quality of training and education of the men and women working within the many areas of the criminal justice system.
What is Criminal Justice?
According to Wikipedia, “criminal justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts.”[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_justice)
That covers a lot of government functions, including those at the local, state, and national level. Perhaps you have an interest in working in one or more areas of the criminal justice system, such as being a police officer.
What do you learn in a Criminal Justice degree program?
A quality criminal justice degree program, whether for an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree, should combine courses in multiple disciplines. All students in a criminal justice program should finish their degree well-versed in areas such as Criminal Procedure, Criminal Law, and Constitutional Law.
Beyond that, quality criminal justice programs will require students to complete courses in necessary related disciplines such as Communication, Statistics, and even Psychology. These valuable skills will make graduates more attractive to all kinds of potential employers, and make them more well-rounded and effective in their work.
What kinds of jobs are available to Criminal Justice program graduates?
Recent surveys suggest that there are currently three million Americans working in the criminal justice system.[2] For anyone wanting to get into the field of law enforcement, such as being a police officer, a degree in criminal justice is almost a must these days.
However, the field is much broader, making a criminal justice degree attractive for many reasons. If you want to work in the court system (at any level) a criminal justice degree will be useful, and getting a criminal justice degree online can make that opportunity more achievable than ever. It is also excellent preparation for law school, if that is your end goal.
Point University offers an online Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice and online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
Point University offers an Associate of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice in a fully-online format. Online students use a course website to facilitate interaction with their instructor and fellow students, just like you were actually in the classroom! At Point University you’ll develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, all while learning to be an effective leader.
Furthermore, Point University’s Criminal Justice degree has the added benefit of offering the Police Academy Transfer Credit for students living in Georgia and Alabama. “Point University awards up to 9 hours of transfer credit to those who successfully complete the entire nine-week police academy training course offered by the State of Georgia (the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council 408 Hour Basic Law Enforcement Training Course); or from the State of Alabama (the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission 520 Hour Basic Training Curriculum).”
Resources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_justice)
http://www.criminaljusticedegreeschools.com/criminal-justice-careers/