Online Criminal Justice Degree Program Qualities
- Accreditation
- Affordability
- Specializations Offered
- Quality of Education
- Pacing
While there’s no one right school for every student, there are certain qualities you should look for in an online criminal justice degree program. You want to choose a program that is accredited by the right organizations. It needs to be one that offers a great education in your specialized field of study at a great value and at the pace you need.
1. Accreditation
The first quality you should look for in an online criminal justice degree program is accreditation. Choosing an accredited institution can help you avoid troubles. If it’s not accredited you may not be able to transfer credits if you choose to switch schools. Or you might end up with a degree employers won’t value. Make sure that your online school has earned institutional accreditation from one of the seven organizations recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Criminal justice programs generally aren’t required to hold specialized accreditation from programmatic accrediting bodies. However, you can seek out a school that has earned its Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Academic Certification.
Featured Programs
2. Affordability
Cost isn’t everything. However, affordability is one of the qualities you should look for in an online criminal justice degree program. Earning a degree online is an investment in your education and your future. You want to make sure it’s a smart investment by choosing a school that provides a good value for your money. After all, the average starting salary for criminal justice majors is $39,000 – $10,000 lower than the $49,000 average starting salary for all occupations, according to U.S. News & World Report.
3. Specializations Offered
Do you want to protect our nation’s safety by working in homeland security? Maybe you would like to pinpoint the “who,” “how” and “why” of digital crimes. If you have a particular niche in mind, make sure you choose an online degree program that offers the concentration you’re looking for. This way, you can start learning the specialized skills you will need for your career.
4. Quality of Education
There are many ways you can tell the quality of an online degree program. You can start by looking at rankings from authoritative publications such as U.S. News, The Princeton Review and Forbes magazine. Another factor to consider is the quality of your instructors. In the best online degree programs, the teachers instructing online courses are the same professors who teach on campus.
5. Pacing
The pacing of your education is another quality you should look for in an online criminal justice degree program. If you’re eager to graduate quickly and get out into the workforce, you want to look for an accelerated program. If you’re a working professional balancing many responsibilities, you may want a part-time program that allows you to progress at your own pace.
By looking for these qualities in an online criminal justice degree program, you can choose the program that best fits your needs.
Related Resources:
5 Great Specializations for Online Criminal Justice Students
Top 30 Best Online Criminal Justice Degree Programs (Bachelor’s)
Ultimate Guide to Psychology and Counseling Degrees and Careers
What Is the Study of Criminal Justice?
What Jobs Can I Get With an Online Degree in Criminal Justice?