When looking out for colleges or universities that offer degrees in the shortest possible time, those universities definitely stand out that offer life experience degrees. Through a life experience degree program you can get the degree of your choice in the shortest possible time and how short do you think this really could be? Well, did you ever dream of getting a degree in a week’s time or even less – yes, that’s right – in just 5-7 days, a degree could be yours!

The point, however, is that these life experience degrees are not worth the paper on which they are written. Entities such as Rochville University or Belford University that offer such degrees are really scams and should be avoided.

Properly accredited colleges and universities do offer online degrees that can be obtained quickly. These colleges take into account any training that you may have undergone while working and have methods to evaluate various training programs and allow transfer of credit for such training but this is always within a specified limit of say a total of 18 credit hours or 16 credit hours and so on.

But all properly accredited online colleges and universities specify more or less the same credit hour requirements for each type of degree that is applicable for traditional degrees. For example, to get an associate’s degree you have to complete 60-64 semester credit hours, which is equivalent to 2 years course work in a traditional college or university. For a bachelor’s you have to complete 120-128 semester credit hours, which is equivalent to 4 years course work in a traditional university and so on. There is really no free lunch available anywhere.

So don’t fall for any hype about getting online degrees in the shortest possible time. The chances are that the shorter the program the less valuable it is. But because online degrees allow you the opportunity to work at your pace it is certainly possible for bright and hard working students to complete their degree requirements somewhat faster than what is possible in traditional colleges or universities as traditional schools offer much less flexibility with regard to time.

Some schools such as Kaplan University has programs designed for non-traditional students who are already employed and working in some organization. Some of these programs though accredited and well recognized take somewhat less time than other degrees offered by other schools simply because they allow some transfer of credits earned through on the job training. But such transfer of credits follow rigorous guidelines and have nothing to do with life experience degrees that are nothing but scams.

Hence, to really get value for money, it is a bad idea to look for the quick and easy route to a degree. Hard earned degrees are always a lot more valuable!

Candidates for the Faculty of Science degree with a major in Criminal Justice must meet the following requirements.

1. Hours for the Degree: Completion of a minimum of 124 total semester hours, with 24 of the last 30

hours completed at UNT; a minimum of 42 hours must be advanced, with at least 12 hours of advanced work in the major and 24 of the 42 advanced hours completed at UNT.

2. General University Requirements: See “General Degree Requirements” in the Academics section of this catalog.

3. General Academic Requirements for Degree (including University Core Curriculum): Minimum of

52 hours. See “Summary of Degree Requirements” for exact hours.

4. Major Requirements: Major of 57 hours, including 45 hours of criminal justice courses and 12 hours of supporting courses.

5. Electives: 15 hours.

6. Other Requirements:

• All students entering the criminal justice program must have a cumulative grade point average of at least

2.0 or otherwise be in good academic standing.

A career in Criminal justice offers an individual numerous challenges, opportunities and room for growth. The latter paper is a rough draft of what it entails to follow such a line. This information was obtained through a personal interview between myself and a Sergeant in the Department of Corrections. The interviewees name was Sergeant B. Harris. He has been with the Department of Corrections for a number of years and was also my supervisor during my term of service within the force.

Physical fitness was another important milestone in this process. He was required to demonstrate that he could run for long distances, do long jumps, push ups, bench presses and even vertical leaps within a short span of time. As if these were not enough an officer in that line is required to demonstrate their mental capabilities through a series of interviews. Here, one is required to show that they are capable of making good decisions under high stress situations since police work my subject one to choose between life or death. Also, high levels of discipline, respect for authority and passion for police work had to be demonstrated.

Having a online degree and was given extra points for doing a post graduate diploma in accounting. It took a lot of patience for him to enter the force because he was rejected three times. The reasons given were that there were no vacancies within the Department of Corrections at that time and that he had no prior experience.

After gaining admission into the Department of Corrections, the Sgt. warned that all is not over. In fact, this is where the real challenge begun. First of all, he had to maintain his level of physical fitness because any sloppiness in the job could result in a very big repercussion. Additionally, the officer was challenged to lead a clean life because members are subjected to random checks and trials every now and then. On top of these, there was a need to have multitasking abilities since officers are required to make frequent reports of everything that they have done within any given day. The Department of Corrections was a particularly interesting one owing to the fact that one has to come in contact with some dangerous criminals. In certain circumstances, the Sergeant explained dealing with these cases was the most challenging aspect of his career. He added that the situation was particularly tricky owing to the fact that one could not be able to predict another’s reaction within a high stress scenario. In this regard, he asserted that it was indeed difficult for him to handle such situations because if he demonstrated bad judgment, then he would be answerable for it.

The officer also explained that a good memory was an important part of the job within the correctional department because in certain scenarios, he was expected to testify in the court of law. Therefore a police officer has a lot of responsibility in his hands. If anything like a false accusation is made, then chances are that the individual under trail will miss a chance in justice. Additionally, such kind of conduct could put one’s job on the line after it has been established that there are some problems with the testimony given by a police officer.

Being a sergeant also requires a different set of challenges. First of all, one has to be committed to the job because one can get called at any time of the day be it day or night. On top of these, the needs of the unit are always the most important and sometimes, this may come in the way of one’s personal life. In fact, the sergeant asserted that this was one of the most difficult issues that he had to face in his position.

The police officers in general and sergeants in particular have a wide online criminal degree of job incentives such as health insurance for their family members. Also, one enjoys a relatively high level of security within their job positions in this particular Department. However the Sergeant was quick to add that one’s own security was the major issue within this line of work. He claimed that the hardest point for him was when a close associate was knifed twice in the stomach when trying to capture a suspect that had tried evading this respective officer. Sgt Harris had a hard time recovering from that sight because he was there when the events unfolded. At the back of his mind, he knew that the same thing could happen to him as well. However, he claims that no such thing has happened in subsequent periods.

The sergeant also explained that pressure levels in such a line of duty were extremely high. He asserted that one had to be on their toes most of the time because one could never be sure when or where their services were required. In fact, he claimed that the most important quality within his line of work was having multitasking abilities. One had to be able to respond to another call from their associates, supervise other individuals while at the same time review performance records and job ratings.

Summary of Degree Requirements:

Criminal Justice (and supporting courses): 57

General Academic Requirements (including Core): 52

English 15

History 6

Political Science 6

Laboratory Science 8

Economics 3

Mathematics 3

Visual and Performing Arts 3

Computer Science 3

Oral Communication 3

Wellness 2

Electives: 15

Criminal Justice Major: 57

CJUS 2100, Crime and Justice in the United States 3

CJUS 3201, Criminal Law 3

CJUS 3300, Police Systems 3

CJUS 3400, Correctional Systems 3

CJUS 3600, Criminology 3

CJUS 3700, Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice 3

CJUS 4200, Criminal Procedure 3

CJUS 4500, Administration of Criminal Justice Agencies 3

CJUS 4901, Senior Seminar: Criminal Justice and Public Policy 3

Criminal Justice Electives 18

PSYC 1630, General Psychology I 3

SOCI 1510, Individuals in Society 3

PADM 2100, Diversity in Urban Governance 3

SOCI 4870, Research Methods and Practice 3

There are many online universities that offer online criminal justice and criminal psychology degree programs and they are all over the internet. It is very important that you enroll in a reputable, accredited online university such as Wilson State University. WSU is nationally and internationally, recognized and also accredited by the World Higher Educational Association Services (WHeAS). WSU educational documents can be verified 24/7, from any where around the globe. when a working adult requires such verification, our management sends the required educational documents to his/her employer (s) through postal mail, FAX, or e-mail. If an employer requires verification come directly from the university, our education verification personnel, on your request we will provide that service.

Introduction

The legal field is growing at a rapid pass, one of the encouraging factor for this growth is the investment of government in homeland security. The investment in homeland security has also lead to the increase of demand in public and private safety. Many law enforcement departments now have increased the academic requirements for law enforcement officer, security personnel or other position that requires knowledge in criminal justice, most of them require at least an associate degree for the position or career promotion. This means that in the field of criminal justice, qualified and skilled professionals are always in demand.

Earn Your Criminal Justice Degree Online

To upgrade the skills & knowledge in criminal justice or to enter into this highly demand field without stopping your current work (or simply busy) isn’t as hard as it used to be. The time, distance and financial constraints of higher education have all but disappeared with the arrival of distance learning and now everyone who are interested in this field can earn the criminal justice degree via online technology. Today, many traditional universities and online colleges offer Criminal Justice Degrees and the students can attend the courses online. Among the universities who offers Criminal Justice Degree Online are:

University of Phoenix Online
Kaplan University
Boston University
American InterContinental University Online
Colorado Technical University
Grantham University
Keiser College Online

Career Opportunities A criminal justice degree can put you on a career path in Law Enforcement, Investigations, Courts, Security, Corrections, Law, Forensic Science and Public Safety. Among these careers are:
Crime Scene Investigation Crime scene investigators are responsible for carrying out complex crime scene investigations. They are accountable for the initial evaluation of the scene, and use various types of equipment to cultivate, secure, and package any physical evidence found at the scene. Base on the degree level and experience, the annual salary range for this career may range from $35,000 to $55,000.

ATF Agent ATF Agent usually Work for the U.S. Treasury Department and they are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of U.S. laws concerning the possession and sale of alcohol, tobacco, and firearms. Base on the degree level and job grade, base annual salary range for this job range from $30,000 to $130,000. (see example hiring ad for ATF agent at USAJobs – jobsearch.usajob.opm.gov )

CIA Agent The CIA Agent roles include providing accurate, timely, comprehensive, evidence-based, foreign intelligence associated with national security; and conducting special activities, counterintelligence activities, and other functions related to national security, and foreign intelligence, as directed by the President. The annual salary for this job may vary by job functions but this is one of the high income categories in criminal justice field.

Criminologist Criminologist primarily involved in research and teaching, criminologists supply a great deal of knowledge to the study of policing, police administration and policy, juvenile justice and delinquency, corrections, correctional administration and policy & etc. According to a 2002-03 survey by the American Association of University Professors, salaries for full-time faculty averaged $64,455. By rank, the average was $86,437 for professors, $61,732 for associate professors, $51,545 for assistant professors, $37,737 for instructors, and $43,914 for lecturers.
FBI Agent Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents are the Government’s primary researchers, accountable for investigating infringement of over 260 statutes and performing susceptible national security investigations. The average annual salary for a FBI Agent is in range of $40,000 to 100,000.

Forensic Psychology Forensic Psychologists apply psychology to criminal justice. They frequently deal with legal issues such as news law, and public policies, and are asked to determine the mental state and competency of the defendant at the time of the crime, and throughout the legal proceedings. Psychologists earned between $45,000 and $100,000 annually. (see example job ad at (see example hiring ad at USAJobs – jobsearch.usajob.opm.gov)

Forensic Science Forensic scientists help to solve crimes by collecting and analyzing physical evidence and other facts found at the scene. They specifically analyze fingerprints, blood, semen, firearms, saliva, and drugs, and may also reconstruct skeletal bones. Experienced forensic scientists earn an average salary of $55000 per year. Federal salaries are usually higher. (see example job ad at (see example hiring ad at USAJobs – jobsearch.usajob.opm.gov )

Paralegal Paralegals are supervised by licensed attorneys. They offer assistance by completing legal research, preparing notebooks for trial, interviewing clients, helping write legal briefs, reviewing and updating files, and drafting documents. Salary and benefits for paralegals vary according to location, job responsibilities, and the type of law office they work for. Starting salaries usually range from $1,300 to $1,800 per month in smaller towns and law firms. Paralegals employed by the federal government earn an average annual salary of between $20,000 and $25,000, according to their experience and skills.

Summary

The career opportunities mentioned above are not the full job list, there are many jobs related to criminal justice field for you as a graduate major in this area. Please note that the salary figures stated for each job types are for your reference purpose, the figure may vary by hiring locations, degree types, job requirement & etc.

You don`t want accounting online degree? Pick something else!

Before answering this question you have to wonder what particular career in criminal justice you want? There are many to choose one is not easy at all.

You can be inspired by Dirty Harry and wants to be a cop drive. Thus, not only through the police academy, but you may also have a degree in say law enforcement or forensic psychology.

On the other hand, if you’re more inspired by the Discovery Channel and AXN Docu-drama about the investigation of the crime, you dream of expertise in investigating the crime scene or forensic science.

If 9 / 11 has caused concern in his mind as to how important are those that help save innocent lives may be the desire for a degree in homeland security or management of public safety
.
The question is: Before you decide on any measure online the first thing to do is to ask exactly what you want to do with your life – what profession you want to return – that work best for you? And so on ….

This is a substantive issue, because it has several facets to it. First, you must think about what you enjoy doing. Then you must think about what they can do. Then you must think about what kind of income will leave satisfied. Then you must look at what happens to others in the profession of criminal justice, which are increasingly, they are less and less – which should guide the profession – and so on …

You should also ask questions like what my daughter will think of my profession? Would I be comfortable when I have a daughter who can understand and ask questions? Or, indeed, my son? You have a family – not true? Then you should consider aspects of the family also, when you consider a career – must adapt to them!

In fact, there are many questions and do not hesitate to ask. Once you have answered them all and have chosen a particular career of their choice, the rest is easy. Just go to the maintenance of various levels that offer different schools – find one that meets all their needs, and bingo – you get what you want!