What is a Law Enforcement Degree Online Program?
You may be wondering what an online law enforcement degree is. In short, it is a type of criminal justice (CJ) program. If you want to become a police officer, detective, or work in corrections, then this could be a good path for you.
You may find online law enforcement degree at all levels. From Associates to Bachelors, to Masters and above. In these programs, you will look into crime, violence, policing and investigations.
Some programs, you will find, take a broad view, while others may explore narrower themes. So, you could study civil rights, homeland security, domestic violence, constitutional law, police ethics and management.
Along the way, you may gain vital workplace skills. So, you could focus on things like how to communicate, problem solve, reason and make decisions. These human interaction skills are often crucial for you in forming community police relations.
TYPES OF ONLINE CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEGREE PROGRAMS
A.S. in Law Enforcement
This program introduces you to the U.S. criminal justice system. You will learn about its ideas, theories and practices. At the same time, you may learn about ethics, communication and making decisions.
Course Examples:
- Research Methods for Criminal Justice
- Juvenile Justice System
- International Criminal Justice
B.S. in Law Enforcement Administration
In this program, you will learn about how to lead and manage in law enforcement agencies. So, you may learn many basics. You could cover how to maintain social order and protect individual rights. Also, you will cover how to uphold the laws.
Course Examples:
- Policing Models for the 21st century
- Investigations Management
- Emergency Planning
M.S. in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement
In this program, you will look at how criminal justice organizations work. So, you will cover ways to manage people, programs and issues. You may also learn how to build policies with community support and team work.
Course Examples:
- Restorative Justice
- Criminological Theory
- Applied Research for Criminal Justice Professionals
Law Enforcement Degree Online Programs
If you pursue an online degree program in law enforcement, you put yourself on a formal path of study. So, it isn’t the same as going to the police academy. On that track, you would learn how to fire a gun or make an arrest. Instead, if you pursue a degree in law enforcement, you will study the criminal justice system. It may help you pursue a wide range of career options when you graduate.
Most programs help you understand the court, judicial and prison systems. This means you will be learning about criminal law and specific kinds of crime. You could cover fraud or drug trafficking. Some programs also walk you through police procedures and policies. So, you will learn about what happens to a criminal from the point of arrest until sentencing.
Other topics you may study are psychology and sociology. Getting acquainted with these topics may help shed light on why people commit crimes. This is important if your goal is to solve them. You may even go deeper to understand the mob mindset. Or, you could study how people’s behavior changes in a group. You could also learn ways to control crowds.
Learning how to communicate with others is also important in many programs. There are tactics you must understand when you are dealing with witnesses, suspects or victims. Your program may go deeper into police and community relations and other administrative duties.
Depending on which degree you pursue, you may also learn to conduct research. If you step into a leadership position, it often entails backing up your decisions with data. In these programs, you often cover police administration in depth. This means you may learn a few business focused topics. So, you could learn about budget, project control and human resources.
Associate in Criminal Justice Law Enforcement
Earning your A.S. degree in law enforcement may entail 60 credits. On average, if you are a full time student, you may need 2 years to complete these requirements. Apart from degree specific courses, you may also take college level English and math.
Most A.S. degree programs in law enforcement cover general CJ subjects. So, you will cover things like police management, firearms, juvenile delinquency, and crisis control.
In doing so, you will learn about a wide range of ideas, theories and practices. Some of these you learn about may look at the nature, scope and impact of crime. Others may help you become familiar with criminal law, court systems and corrections.
If you earn an A.S. degree, it may help you complete a B.S. degree in less time. It might also serve as an entry point to a range of jobs for you. You could work in private security or crime scene investigation. Or, you could work in probation, or court administration.
B.S. in Law Enforcement
Earning your degree in law enforcement may entail obtaining 120 to 180 credits. On average, as a full time student, you may need 4 years to complete these requirements. But, if you have an A.S. degree, military or police academy training, you may be able to transfer credits. Or, you could test out of some courses.
Most programs aim to provide you with a strong foundation of criminal justice knowledge. In a B.S. program, you will cover general topics, but it will be more in depth than the A.S. degree. For instance, you may learn about techniques used in policing and national security. You will often emphasize criminal law, the U.S. justice system, the constitution and civil rights.
Taking courses in applied research methods will often help you build your professional skills, too. You will find these courses may have a technical element to them. You will find that science and computing are tools of law enforcement. Thus, you may learn how to use current police technology to gather data or make sense of findings.
A B.S. degree may enable you to pursue career paths in CJ, forensics, federal agencies (e.g. FBI) and more.
Master’s in Law Enforcement
Earning your M.S. degree in law enforcement may entail obtaining 30 to 39 credits. If you are a working student, you may opt for a part time program. But, you could also pursue full time options, too. The time it takes you to complete an M.S. program may thus range from one to two years or more.
Masters programs may appeal to you if you are a mid career professional who wants to climb the ladder. As such, you will find these programs often go into more detail than the B.S. program. This means you will be taking a deeper look at theory, ethics and proven managerial practices.
You will find that some course plans look at how crime impacts society, and how well the CJ systems work. They may do this to help you learn to develop and analyze policies. At the same time, you will build your skills in making data driven decisions.
You may also find that schools offer concentrations in law enforcement. You will find popular areas to be fraud management, IT, corrections and Intelligence Analysis. If you choose a focal point, it will often anchor you to research for a thesis. Also, it will build your career skills.
MBA Law Enforcement and Corrections
Getting an MBA in law enforcement is a sure way to get a professional degree. Some programs, you will find, consist of 36 credits. If you are a military or a full time student, it may take you one year to complete.
On this track, your courses will usually revolve around a business core, which makes the M.B.A distinct from the M.S. degree in law enforcement. This may mean you will be studying operations, marketing, finance and analytics first. Then, you will take a handful of law enforcement classes. The aim is to build an understanding.
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Southern New Hampshire University
- Take advantage of some of the nation’s most affordable tuition rates, while earning a degree from a private, nonprofit, NEASC accredited university
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- Multiple term start dates throughout the year. 24/7 online classroom access.
Popular Programs
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University of Arizona Global Campus
- 99% of University of Arizona Global Campus students study online
- University of Arizona Global Campus offers affordable tuition, so college is accessible to many students.
- he University of Arizona Global Campus (formerly Ashford University) is accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
Available Programs
Accounting and Finance, Information Technology, Political Science…
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Western Governors University
- Award-winning programs created to help you succeed.
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COURSEWORK FOR AN ONLINE LAW ENFORCEMENT DEGREE
As you can see, there are different kinds of online law enforcement degree programs available. This means, the classes you take will depend as much on your program level (A.S., B.S., M.S., M.B.A.), as it will depend on the program’s focus.
Below, we will take a look at some of the complex terms. Here, you can see which types of courses suit your goals and career interests.
Criminological Theory: This type of class looks at theories of what causes crimes. It may thus touch on psychology, biology and sociology. Students may also look at how these theories apply to policy and crime control.
Psychology for Law Enforcement: This type of class may help students understand how to use psychology in the field. This may include two areas. One may look at issues like crisis and hostage negotiations. Another, what services police officers may have access to for themselves.
Homeland Security: This type of class may introduce students to the field of national security. It often looks at federal, state, and local agencies and how they prepare for and respond to threats. These range from gun violence in schools to cyber terrorism.
Crime Scene Investigation: This type of class may provide a basic understanding of how to process crime scenes. Students may also learn about different types of evidence. Also, how to process evidence in a proper manner to assist crime laboratory experts.
How Long Does It Take to earn a Law Enforcement Degree?
If you are a full time student, then on average, you may need 4 years to earn a B.S. degree in law enforcement online. If you enter with a two year A.S. degree under your belt, you will need less time.
As a law enforcement student pursuing an M.S. or MBA online, you may need one to two years. But, if you are studying part time, you may need longer. If you are in an accelerated program, you may be given credit for military or academy training.
Online Law Enforcement Degree Program Examples
| School | Degree Level | # of Credits Required | Start Dates | Minimum Months to Complete |
| Ashford University | B.S. | 120 | Multiple | 48 |
| Purdue University Global | B.S. | 180 | 4 | 48 |
| American Intercontinental University | B.S. | 180 | Multiple | 48 |
What is the Cost of a Law Enforcement Degree Online Program?
If you are a Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Administration major, then your average tuition cost for in state public colleges is about $6,930. If you pursue an out of state private college, then you can expect to pay $27,760.
| School | Degree Level | # of Credits Required | Cost Per Credit | Total Tuition Cost |
| Ashford University | B.S. | 120 | $485 | $58,200 |
| Purdue University Global | B.S. | 180 | $371 | $66,780 |
| American Intercontinental University | B.S. | 180 | $325 | $58,500 |
Top Schools that offer Law Enforcement degree programs
According to DataUSA, you can see there were 764 schools that offer law enforcement degrees or programs. From those schools 31,754 law enforcement degrees were awarded to students. The majority of these programs were B.S. degrees.
| School | 2022 degrees awarded | 2023/24 Tuition (Out of State unless *) |
| University of Phoenix Arizona | 810 | $9,552* |
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | 1436 | $15,420 |
| Colorado Technical University Colorado Springs | 141 | $12,760* |
| Arizona State University Immersion | 349 | $13,625 |
| University of Phoenix California | 41 | $9,552* |
| CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College | 439 | $8,050 |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | 633 | $19,939 |
| Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix | 398 | $32,193 |
| Columbia College (177065) | 166 | $24,326* |
| Western Illinois University | 225 | $14,952* |
Choosing an Accredited Law Enforcement Degree Program
Accreditation is a type of rubber stamp. An outside agency checks to see if a school meets their standards. Usually, the status lasts a certain amount of time.
Many online colleges with law enforcement degrees have regional accreditation. Studying at one of these schools may allow you to apply for financial aid. You are only able to do this at institutions that the U.S. Department of Education recognizes.
Attending a school with regional accreditation may be important for other reasons, too. Such schools often have transfer credit policies in place. Also, if you want to go to grad school, you need to furnish transcripts from an accredited college.
Once approved, many institutions put individual programs up for review too. One agency involved in this process is (CALEA®). The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.
Created in 1979, CALEA® is a main credentialing authority. It is also a joint effort of law enforcement’s major executive associations. The way it works is that a school first enrolls. Then undergoes a self study. The agency then assesses it against its own criteria. After a review and achieving status, the school must maintain standards. Then, it must reaccredit. You can check where a school is in this process on CALEA® website.