Criminal Justice & Legal

Online Criminal Justice & Legal Degrees

Uphold the law and save the day. Without putting on a cape.

Criminal justice and legal degree programs teach students to apply the theories, practices, and enforcement of the law. From there, Criminal Justice graduates can move into careers in law enforcement, corrections, homeland security, counter-terrorism, and private protective services. Legal students enter careers as attorneys, paralegals and legal assistants, court reporters, and mediators. With associate to doctoral degrees available, degree program lengths vary.

If you are interested in earning a degree in Criminal Justice & Legal, click here to request more information.

Outlook for Criminal Justice & Legal Careers

Police and detective jobs are expected to increase by 11 percent over the next ten years, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

Demand for paralegals and legal assistants, however, will grow by 22 percent, far above the average. To reduce costs and make legal services more widely available, employers will hire more paralegals to perform tasks once done by lawyers.

Criminal Justice & Legal Salaries

Starting off, police officers make an average of $49,000 per year. Paralegals start at $45,000 average per year but can quickly advance to make $70,000 or more annually on average.

A Day in the Life of a Criminal Justice & Legal Professional

Police work is known for irregular hours and high-stress situations. Combine late hours with encounters with some of society's more undesirable elements, and you have a career that can be fascinating, exhilarating, and exhausting, all at once.

Jobs in homeland security and private security often combine some of the more fascinating aspects of police work with the comfort of an office job.

Paralegals and legal assistant often find themselves in the thick of things. In larger firms, 90 hour weeks are not uncommon. The larger the stakes, the more your boss will ask from you. Impeccable organizational skills and a tough skin are the key to survival in most law firms.