Criminal Justice Degrees: Specializations & Career Options With A Bachelor's, Associate's or Master's Degree

Choosing the right criminal justice degree depends on a few key factors: whether you have any college education or even have an associates degree in a related subject already, whether or not you have any job experience in the police or legal field, and whether you’re looking to get your foot in the door for and entry-level position or want to get the education to qualify you for a more senior or more specialized job in law enforcement.

A tremendous variety of jobs exists in police departments and enforcement agencies today, partly because the security fears that arose with the 9/11 attacks led to new job functions and entire new agencies being created, like the Department of Homeland Security. In truth, the criminal justice field is far more complex than it used to be - which can make it tough to choose exactly what type of degree will be best for you. The overload of job choices in law enforcement, private security, federal security and corrections is so great that making a choice can be a bit mind-boggling.

Resources:
Guide to good, low-cost criminal justice degree programs
Career potential with a homeland security degree online
Glossary of courses offered in most criminal justice degree programs

Two good tips to follow when choosing a criminal justice degree program and a career path: 1) Be aware that salaries vary widely in this category. Top-level FBI agents can earn over $65,000 (Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation). and police officers in certain wealthy suburban counties can earn over $85,000, particularly when overtime pay is factored in (Source: Newsday). But there are also many basic security jobs that pay much closer to $25,000. per year (Source: U.S. Department of Labor Statistics). 2) Do some research to find out how future hiring will run in your particular specialty before you start school. Right now, towns, counties and states are very strapped for funds and are not able to hire very many new police officers - a situation that's likely to persist for some time. The federal government, on the other hand, has a tremendous need for homeland security workers and very deep pockets. It's likely that Uncle Sam will be hiring criminal justice degree graduates for some time to come.

Associates Degrees
Associates degrees in criminal justice are designed to accomplish two things: A) to get you qualified for an entry level position with enough training to be considered a specialist who will be paid relatively well and B) to give you the basic course requirements you can use for credit later on, when you want to get a bachelors degree to move up the career ladder.

Associate Degrees
The most widely offered associate-level degree, and the most popular degree in general in this category, is the "associate of applied science." It can give you expertise that will get you a job quickly, but it generally won’t give you the liberal arts credits you can use later on if you want to trade up to a bachelor’s degree. Associate of applied science degrees generally take from 18 months to 2 years to complete, and are offered in a very wide variety of specialties, including:

• Criminal Justice
• Law Enforcement
• Criminal Investigations
• Private Security
• Corrections

Bachelor's Degrees
The bachelor degree in criminal justice can either be used as a door-opener to federal agency jobs (many federal agencies are now taking job applications only from candidates who have a bachelor's degree), as a way to help get promoted into a more managerial position in law enforcement, or as preparation for a highly specialized masters degree in criminal justice. The degree may be offered as a bachelor of science or bachelor of arts, and can cover more managerial, analytic subjects including:

• Organizational Management In Homeland Security
• Criminal Justice In Political Science and Government
• Psychology
• Forensics
• Technology in Law Enforcement
• Homeland Security and Emergency Management

Master's Degrees
A master's degree is work considering if you have gotten your bachelor's done and also spent time working in the criminal justice field. Masters degrees can stream you into the more analytical areas of law enforcement that relate to technology, surveillance, business or law and ethics specialties. It's a degree to pursue if you feel very sure of exactly what type of job you want to do and are willing to take very advanced and potentially challenging courses to get there.

California Coast University With a rock-bottom cost of $150. per credit, a 126 total credit bachelor degree can be completed for less than just about any other school we can find. This 18-year old school offers 100% online courses to about 8,000 students from its headquarters in Santa Ana, CA. A number of cost reductions can be obtained through credit transfer, discounts or fee waivers. School offers:
- Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
- Master's Degree in Criminal Justice
- Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Psychology
Get information on California Coast University Criminal Justice Degrees Online

Liberty University The world's largest evangelical university has programs the cost $295 per credit if you go to school "full time" by taking at least 11 credits per term. Law enforcement personnel can get credit for their time on the job, and military experience can also count toward credit.
- Associate of Arts, Criminal Justice
- Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice
Get information on Liberty University

Penn Foster College Penn Foster's criminal justice programs cost just $1,430.00 per semester. In addtition, textbooks and other costs are included. The school does not offer bachelors degrees in criminal justice, but it certainly provides value in its associate degrees. The school has been operating for well over 30 years and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council.
- Associate Degree in Criminal Justice
Get information on Penn Foster