Land a Career in Criminal Justice with Online Education

By Joe Cooper
Career Colleges Columnist

Part-time degree programs are great for working professionals. Online education is all about independent study, and sometimes that's what working professionals need to improve their career prospects. Even seemingly hands-on careers, like crime fighting, can be mastered online. Here’s the scoop on online criminal justice education!

Successful Criminal Justice Pros Prepare for the Future

Keith Hooks, a law enforcement officer in Tracy, Calif., is a real life example of a dedicated criminal justice professional improving his career prospects through a degree program. He works full time, but is also a part-time student. He is in a degree program studying criminal justice, the perfect degree for his field, and he hopes it will someday help him become a sergeant.

This drive to hone your skills is the mark of a successful criminal justice pro, and Hooks is no exception. He is such a good detective, in fact, that he won the city's "City Employee of the Year Award" last year. With that distinction and his degree, his career prospects are sure to brighten and afford him bigger and better opportunities in criminal justice. Why not follow in his footsteps?

Online Education for the Working Professional

Like so many student hopefuls, Hicks must balance a full-time career and school with family life and other obligations. An online degree program allows for the constraints that jobs, families, and other adult responsibilities place on daily life. Online degree programs in criminal justice offer classes in law enforcement, local and federal legislation, criminal investigation, crime scene technology, and more.

Online Degree Programs Provide More Opportunity

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics stated in their 2004 report that the highest earning 10 percent of detectives earned average salaries of $86,010. With a degree in criminal justice, Detective Hooks and many others can earn higher salaries and better opportunities for advancement. An online degree program can do the same for working professionals who want to grow their careers using the little time they have.

Sources
Tracy Press
US Bureau of Labor Statistics

About the Author
Joe Cooper is a freelance education and technology writer and edits medical literature. He holds a bachelor's in American Literature from UCLA.

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