The skills needed to provide protective services for the public can be learned through higher education. Programs in criminal justice are available inside several educational areas. Students can obtain an education in criminal justice through higher education and pursue several careers by completing a concentrated program offered by colleges and universities.

Several areas influence obtaining an education in criminal justice. Students will need to make educational training decisions that will not only affect their schooling experience but what careers they can enter upon graduation. The first major decision that needs to be made is what concentration area do students want to pursue. Deciding on a degree level to enter is the second decision, which is important to ensure the desired career can be obtained. Students will decide what criminal justice schools and colleges to attend and how to best map out educational training to enter the professional industry prepared. The decision making process may seem overwhelming but most students have mapped out what careers they would like even before thinking about education. Formal training in criminal justice is extremely important to ensure professional success. Students can enter programs in areas that include:

• Corrections
• Law Enforcement
• Juvenile Justice

Researching concentration opportunities will help students determine what training level to enter. Programs are offered at all educational levels making the career field accessible to interested students.

Undergraduate degree programs give students the base they need to obtain the education required to step inside entry-level careers and advanced training. Associate’s degree programs provide students with an overview of the field by exploring almost all the components integrated into the profession. Firearms safety, sociology, defensive driving, self-defense, and abnormal psychology are all coursework subjects discussed inside schooling. Bachelors degree programs give students a more centralized education by allowing them to work through specializations in areas like corrections and crime scene investigation. The functions of the judicial system are learned, which is knowledge needed in every aspect of the industry. Criminology, criminal law, policing, and crime are main topics discussed inside this level of education.

Graduate degree training is dedicated to advanced courses that prepare students to enter leadership careers. Masters degree programs take a multidisciplinary approach to education while exploring how to aid in social change and withstand trying situations. Juvenile delinquency, compulsive behavior, probation, public policy, and adult development are areas of study that create strong and knowledgeable criminal justice administrators. Students that would like to enter teaching careers and obtain upper-level positions inside their profession usually pursue training at the doctorates degree level. Courses in forensics, criminal theory, law, public policy, organizational behavior, and criminal procedure are completed during training. The second portion of the career has students developing personal dissertation papers, which is typically based on an area of interest such as criminology.

Careers as law enforcement officers, criminologists, and U.S. marshals are options available to students that obtain an education. Start preparing for a career today by obtaining an accredited education in criminal justice. Quality training programs obtain approval from agencies like the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools ( http://www.acics.org/ ) to provide the best possible training.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Copyright 2010 – All rights reserved by PETAP.org.

If you’re interested in entering the legal field, you’re probably wondering, “How much does criminal justice school cost?” Every college program will inevitably cost money, which is obviously the case with criminal justice programs, and there are many factors that will affect the final cost. Your degree should be thought of as an investment, though-one which can take you everywhere from the police force to the FBI to the legal office to the floor of the court room depending on what path you take.

When you’re wondering “How much does criminal justice school cost,” you must first have a clear picture of the degree you’re going to get. If you get a two-year associate’s degree, which would prepare you for a position such as a paralegal, it will obviously cost less than if you were to get a bachelor’s degree. For a job in the FBI or other higher level jobs you would need to get the bachelor’s degree. Many people also get a bachelor’s degree before they go to law school, although other majors can also go on to the Juris Doctor (JD) degree.

The cost of criminal justice school at a community college will depend on the state you live in, but you can expect to pay about $80 per credit, and there will be about 60 credits involved in the associate’s degree program. A bachelor’s degree at a private university, on the other hand, can cost as much as $900 per credit for 120 credits. You can save money by going to a state college, however, which costs about $300 per credit depending on the state. You can also save even more money by completing your first two years of college at a community college then transferring the credits to a state college, where you can finish the remaining 60 or so credits.

There are other costs associated with any college degree such as books, supplies and the cost of living while attending school. So if you’re wondering “How much does criminal justice school cost,” you must also wonder, “How am I going to pay for it?” You should definitely be able to get financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants and low-interest federal loans as long as the school you’re attending is accredited.

Criminal justice training gives students the knowledge and skill to enter a wide range of careers. Students can learn how to receive an accredited criminal justice education by researching various programs. The best way to receive an education in criminal justice is to complete a college degree program. Students can enroll in one of numerous accredited colleges that offer programs to obtain the training required for the profession.

The field of criminal justice provides a much needed service to the public. Professionals use their skills to investigate crimes, oversee convicted felons, and rehabilitate individuals. Students receive the correct knowledge and skills to work within all levels of government. Many factors go into successfully receiving an education. Deciding which college to attend and program to complete are two major choices that precede receiving an education. The most important aspect of obtaining an education is completing a program. This objective should be the primary goal for all students because without formal training students will not be able to enter the profession.

Education can be completed at all educational levels however graduate degrees are not a professional requirement. The majority of careers require students to have a bachelor’s degree. Students that enter advanced programs do so to widen their knowledge and become leaders by entering administrative careers. Choosing a program is best done in regards to professional goals. Many careers allow professionals to have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. This is very beneficial because most students obtain an undergraduate degree and work for several years before continuing educational training to advance in their area.

Associates degree programs give students a broad understanding of the field. This prepares them to enter careers and further training. Education is broad and prepares students for the field giving them numerous options upon graduation. Students can expect to work through courses that include:

• Sociology
• Self-Defense Tactics
• Abnormal Psychology

Schooling lasts approximately two years preparing students to apply their knowledge to several areas. Education gives students the opportunity to become security officers, court advocates, correctional officers, and case workers.

The best starting point when receiving an education is at the bachelor’s degree level. Most careers are open to students at this level and further training can be easily entered with no further requirements. Programs are designed so students can choose specializations. Training provides students with a great foundational knowledge of the judicial system that is applied to their concentration courses. Crime scene investigation, juvenile justice, and law enforcement are some concentration fields available. General courses taken may include:

• Criminology
• Judicial Process
• Delinquency
• Criminal Law

After four years of intensive study students will be able to step into careers as police officers, corrections officers, U.S. marshals, and drug enforcement agents.

The field is continuing to expand giving students the opportunity to specialize in more areas and work with many types of individuals. Receiving an education is the only way to ensure job placement. Begin learning about criminals and the law by choosing an educational starting point. Students that complete their education through accredited criminal justice schools and colleges will become important members in the field and society. Various agencies such as the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools ( http://www.acics.org/ ) fully accredit programs that provide the best possible education.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Copyright 2010 – All rights reserved by PETAP.org.

It does not matter whether you are fresh out of high school, trying to look for a higher position within your present career, looking for a change in your career path or you simply wish to obtain a higher level of education in your life, You have plenty of education opportunities available to you to pursue your dreams and one of the best way to do this is through online learning. However, before you start head on with this type of education, you should know a little more about this type of opportunity. Comparing the pros and cons of online learning will let you observe that it is almost similar to those for most schools. Figuring out what will be the best for you based on your personal priorities and even circumstances should be the first thing in your mind. If you always prefer face-to-face contact with your instructors to further expand your educational experience, you might not want to go a larger school or university. In this case, online learning is not suited for you, as the most contact you have with instructors and classmates is through e-mail or discussion boards. On the other hand, this lack of interaction might be of more interest to you, if you are the type of student who might be wary of first impressions or biases in class. Of course, teachers, professors and instructors are also humans, just like the rest of the population in the world. Nobody is perfect, as the saying goes. We all have our own inherent flaw that causes us to unintentionally produce biases towards people within the first time of interacting with them. Physical interaction will be pretty limited in these kind of environment, therefore, most if not all of these kinds of behaviors is limited or will not exist. This will help persons with this kind of attitude to focus on studying than interacting with his peers. Thus, the flow on information will be sterile and it will not provide an impression of a boring lecture or a teacher you do not like.

Attending online schools or programs will provide flexibility for you. It will allow you to study at your own pace without any pressure, and at whatever time of the day you would prefer the most. You can have your own breaks whenever you need them, attend to other important chores or even commitments if need arises. It is something that traditional learning will not allow you based on its nature. However, it also has its own disadvantages. In online learning, you have to manage your own time so that you can get the most out of your online learning experience, you even have to budget a set amount of time each day or week in order to get everything done, and it will force yourself to stick to that schedule as day goes by. Moreover, there might be unwanted interruptions if you are trying to learn at home that might not exist in a traditional setting. If you would feel that it cannot be helped, then online schooling is not for you, because its flexibility might be more of a disadvantage rather than an advantage.

Getting back to the topic, comparing or choosing the right online colleges or programs that you will be attending to is way different than choosing traditional colleges. When looking for traditional colleges, it will help to visit the campus that you are eyeing and take a tour or even talk to its students. It will help you in deciding which college to attend. Such is not a case when looking for prospective online colleges. However, researching and asking questions online will help you evaluate and decide which online school to attend to. What is your goal for studying? What will be your goal once you graduate? What type of online school you are looking for? What type of program or course are you planning to have? What are your learning needs? What type of schedule will suit you? These are the important questions you should consider when looking for the perfect online school and program for you. It will be the key to help you out in researching and getting information online.

As for choosing an Online Criminal Justice School that will best suit your needs and your goals in life, it would be best to start with choosing the appropriate online school, choosing the right distance learning program comes next. One of the basic things you should consider to help you save your time and energy learning about each school is to make sure that the colleges you are considering are accredited by one of the six regional accreditation agencies recognized by the US Department of Education of CHEA. This way, it will not waste your time considering unaccredited institutions where you might just waste your time and money and not even receive a real college degree. Once you have narrowed your searching pool down to all the legitimate schools to be considered, you need to establish your own set of criteria to find out what are the important things that you are looking for in a school. You should consider its affordability if you are stick on setting a budget, and if the school has the program in the field that you want to go to. If it meets your criteria, you should also consider if the school has the classes with complete flexibility, or if you have to participate in online discussions at some point of time. It is very important if the online criminal justice school that you are considering will fit your personal needs and you have to make sure that you will base on your own criteria to get the most out of the school that you are considering. You may want to consider or evaluate a school by its instructors and their qualifications. When you have a good list of these online criminal justice schools, doing your background research will be of great importance. It will make all the difference. Try going to message boards, websites, and even blogs about the schools on your list. Even though the information that you will get might be somewhat biased to promote their school, you will at least get a better idea of what their school programs are like, and what others state to be the schools’ pros and cons.

Once you decided which online criminal school you are going to attend to, the next thing would be choosing the program that will not only fit your needs, but the one that will most likely be your personal goal. You have to make sure that you will not only need that type of program, you should also consider whether you really want it to be your stepping stone in your career path. Online degrees in criminal justice have a good number of programs and specialties to choose from such as law enforcement, crime scene investigation, corrections and forensic psychology, security, and more. First will be Computer Security, and under its set of programs will include Organizational Security, Computer Forensics, Cyber Crime, Cyber Security, and more. For Corrections, there will be Corrections for women and juvenile corrections. For Forensics, there are Forensic Nursing, Forensic Psychology, Computer Forensics and other programs related to its field. Justice and Security, For Private Security and Safety, there are programs like Private Security, Public Safety Administration, Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Management. Next will be the Law Enforcement, Policing & Investigation course, which includes Law Enforcement, Fraud Examination, Policing and Criminal Investigations under its wing. As for Homeland Security, there are Homeland Security program itself and Homeland Security Administration as well. For Criminal Justice in general, it includes Criminal Justice, Fraud Examination, Global Issues, Law, Justice Administration, Public Administration, and more. And as for Crime Scene, there are programs such as Crime Analysis and Crime Scene Investigation. You have to identify which program will be suited for your needs and your wants, and then identify the field that you want to specialized yourself with.

In terms of funding, online universities tend to be cheaper than their traditional counterparts. They are a lot of scholarships and funding for criminal justice programs, grants and loans are also available, and typically worth it! You are investing in your future!

While there are many learning opportunities available online that will help you in earning a certificate and increasing your skills, there are a good number of opportunities that can simply help you enrich your personal experience. Some only pursue online education for the joy of learning, some set it as their personal goal in life. There is no such thing called as limit if you want to enrich your life or if you want to pursue your education. Thus, whether you are pursuing a degree or a training certificate, or if you only want to gain personal enrichment, it does not take thousands of dollars or even hours out of your life. Do not even hesitate to take the first great step to getting a good education. Who knows, it might be your stepping stone to success!

Criminal justice is a broad career field, and there are numerous opportunities at nearly every education level and in most locations throughout the country. People may enter careers in criminology holding a high school diploma, or they may do so with a PhD. Criminal justice is also a field where higher education plus extensive professional experience can lead to particularly interesting and lucrative work.

Some entry-level positions include working as a corrections officer in a local jail, working as a police officer or becoming a court bailiff. Security jobs are another way in to the field of criminology. These jobs will sometimes only require a high school diploma and some training although some police departments may require their officers to have an associate or bachelor’s degree. Entry level salaries will vary between about $20,000 and $40,000 per year.

Depending on the city or county, a two-year associate degree may be required for some of the jobs listed above. Another alternative in this field for the associate degree seeker is working as a legal secretary or paralegal. Becoming a court reporter is a similar field, and some court reporters work independently.

A bachelor’s degree significantly expands the opportunities available in the criminal justice field. It is the baseline degree required for a number of jobs including work with some police departments. In departments that do accept patrol officers with less education, a bachelor’s is sometimes required for promotion to detective or other positions. Other careers in criminal justice with a bachelor’s degree include working as a probation officer or in forensics. Forensics workers may specialize in computers or accounting, but in general forensics refers to the science of crime scene examination. Forensics workers will need a background in the sciences such as biology or chemistry. Finally, a bachelor’s degree is the minimum educations requirement for those hoping for careers with the CIA or the FBI.

At the level of master’s and doctoral degrees, many more career fields open up. At this level, a combination of education and job experience is most useful. With graduate work under one’s belt, one might move into criminal profiling. This is a field many people are familiar with from movies or television shows in which someone draws conclusions about what a criminal might be like based on the way the crimes are committed. Criminal psychology is closely related to profiling and criminal profilers may also be criminal psychologists.

People with advanced degrees can also work with legislative bodies, think tanks or nonprofits on criminal justice issues. For example, they might be involved in drafting new laws related to how criminals are prosecuted for certain crimes based on extensive education and research in the field. They might also work as researchers or advisers.

Opportunities are also available as case workers for people in prison or for parolees. With degrees beyond the bachelors, careers might involve working to set up systems both in and out of prisons that train and educate inmates and prepare them to reintegrate into society.

Criminal justice professionals may also teach at a university level. Such a job nearly always requires a doctoral degree and is best enhanced with practical experience in the field.

Law is another area of criminal justice, and law school takes three years to complete following four years for a bachelor’s degree. Lawyers may be defense or prosecuting attorneys, and they may run their own practice, work with other lawyers or work for the government. They may work at a state or federal level.

Criminal justice is an increasingly popular career area. It’s been popularized as a seemingly glamorous field by movies and television. The work can be interesting and rewarding, but depending upon the specialty chosen, it can also be stressful and dangerous. However, there are excellent opportunities in criminal justice, and the field is growing each year.