Online Justice Administration Degrees

Formal training is a requirement for most justice administration careers, particularly those in the federal government. These are three of the most common career training paths:

1. Associate degree: Designed to prepare students for entry-level criminal justice careers, such as clerks, police cadets and correctional aides. This two-year degree is commonly used to fulfill prerequisites for a four-year bachelor's degree.
2. Bachelor's degree: Graduates may go on to careers in federal, state and local agencies, working in family services, correctional facilities, customs and more.
3. Master's degree: Considered a requirement for some upper-level management jobs in justice administration, this graduate degree typically requires two to three years of full-time study. Advanced positions in fields like security management and public safety are common for graduates.

Justice administration education usually consists of a mix of criminal justice, administration and psychology training. Coursework typical of online degrees in justice administration usually includes some combination of the following:

• Policy development and evaluation
• Legal and ethical issues in criminal justice
• Organizational behavior
• Human resource management
• Juvenile justice

Related training in public administration, criminal justice or investigation may also be of interest to potential students.

Online degrees in justice administration can offer students a broader perspective on legal issues, as students interact with peers across the country. Students can also gain technology skills that may prove relevant to future careers.

Those most likely to succeed in justice administration training have a strong commitment to social justice, excellent reasoning skills and the desire to follow a complex framework of law.

Wages for graduates vary based on career choice, education level and location. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that police and sheriff's patrol officers earned mean annual wages of $55,620 in 2010, while correctional officers and jailers earned $42,780, and transportation security screeners earned $37,650. Some schools may offer career services departments designed to help match students with careers.

• Industry: Federal and state governments spend about $70 billion each year on corrections facilities.
• Salaries: In 2010, supervisors of police and detectives earned mean annual wages of $80,770.
• Hiring: Border Patrol, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI.
• Jobs: Nearly two million people were employed in the U.S. criminal justice system in 2010.

(Sources: Pew Charitable Trust, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)