Homeland Security Sparks New Growth in Criminal Justice

Global and national security is changing, and the need for educated criminal justice professionals is growing. Online degree programs in criminal justice offer a way to take part in this growth.

Homeland Security is Growing

World events in the past decade have changed the way the US is educating tomorrow’s criminal justice professionals. From the creation of the Department of Homeland Security after September 11th to the reaction to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the way that professionals respond to emergencies is evolving, so colleges are changing the way they teach these students, too.

Some universities are adding courses on homeland security. Others are beginning to offer more criminal justice degree programs. Many online universities are also offering criminal justice degree programs for students who need more independence and flexibility in their education.

Online Degrees in Criminal justice

These are just a few examples of online degree programs in criminal justice:

Law Enforcement
Forensic Psychology
Crime Scene Investigation

Students can find a variety of educational options online. There are certificate, diploma, degree, and master’s degree programs available from a number of online universities. There are even online courses students can take without enrolling in a full-fledged degree program.

Internships Benefit Online Degree Students

Internships are another benefit of online degree programs. Online university courses often culminate in an internship or externship that allows online degree students to gain real experience in the criminal justice field. Working as an assistant in a state or federal justice department, for instance. Interning at a police station, or a crime lab. Courthouse internships are popular choices of criminal justice students. Working with county commissioners and other law enforcement agencies are other examples.

The growth of homeland security has created a national focus on security and justice. Learning online is just one way to take part in this growth.

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.

Email this article

All information on the Career Colleges website is copyrighted and intended for informational use only including the Career Assessment and Most Popular Career Colleges section. The school programs offered by the technical schools and trade schools represented in the online college directory are up-to-date.