As some of you have seen I have made changes to The Criminal Justice Online Blog, and I am still making them in 2009. The first few days of the year have finally sunk in and I got going to work.
My mission is to provide an online resource that is unmatched. This project will aid many many people for decades to come, who just like you, are interested in law enforcement and online criminal justice courses and online degree programs.
For the month of January I am planning on starting a significant criminal justice online school list. This will include every possible college and university that is serving up education in online academia. The schools will have a rating system that will look somewhat like this:
Regional accreditation for any college and university is one of the top things a school and/or a program strives for. Online schools are no different. Read this post on criminal justice online accreditation as it applies to any U.S. based higher-learning institution online and off.
This rating is very important for those that are strapped for time. Life has so many unexpected twists and turns and thus requires many to go into online education. An asynchronous criminal justice online course or program is one that you can complete at your own leisure, but within an allotted time frame set for turning in your assignments, discussions, and quizzes.
Synchronous online programs are those which you have to attend at a specified time. Such programs defeat the purpose of distance learning programs and are recommended for those that can make it to a lecture or a discussion at, for example, 7pm consistently. But in the end, synchronous criminal justice programs online are very very rare… just like Yeti.
Going to an online college or an online university for many rests on this final point. Does the school have a traditional, or a campus based, presence? It makes a tremendous difference if the school is purely online or the online program is an extension of a brick and mortar college or university. Even so, there are some online only schools that offer accredited criminal justice degrees, certifcates, and courses that do make an impression on the potential employer. I’ll be sure to mention that when the right time to do so comes.
Simple… The school and/or the program are highly respected. I am looking for the WOW factor, good praise, and chances for further learning in a graduate academic setting. Whenever you see me use this rating rest assured that the online school and/or program is golden. You just need to keep an A average. Look at the resources and essays to help you get some ideas.
This is obvious as well. The rating represents that the school or the program is good enough, even for me. It might not make the heads turn, like coveted “Highly Respected” rating, but it is worth pursuing.
Umm… this one is easy. The online school or the online program doesn’t meet my high standards. But in all likelihood, the school, program, or both are not properly accredited; may represent a scam or a “quick” online diploma promise; maybe it is going out of business. If you see this rating, you’ll also see my reasoning behind it.
In a meanwhile check out this eye-opening post on criminal justice online schools — it’s a must read.
So with the many changes at the Criminal Justice Online Blog we will start seeing an index of online schools and programs that pertain to the criminal justice field. Let me know how I can make this blog better for law enforcement professionals and those who aspire to be one. Hope to have you along for the ride.
You might also like:
- Everest University Online Masters in Criminal Justice
- Coming Soon… The Best Criminal Justice Colleges by State
- How Long Does it Take to Get a Law Degree?
- How Long Does it Take to get a Degree in Forensic Science
- Virginia College Online Associates in Criminal Justice
- Not All Criminal Justice Schools Are Created Equally
- Virginia College Online Masters in Criminal Justice
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I am in the process of looking for schools for an online Homeland Security bachelor degree. A useful rating system can definitely help.
Excellent Opportunity to Study
Many people still think of online education as a way to take an extra class to supplement their brick & mortar education. However, online education, or distance learning, is becoming an increasingly popular way to complete an entire degree. More people are turning to distance learning to complete associates, bachelors and masters degrees
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