This post should once and for all answer these emailed questions:

• Can cops carry guns on planes?
• Can police officers fly armed?
• Can Federal Agents carry weapons on planes?
• Can law enforcement officers carry guns on airplanes?
• Can FBI Special Agents carry guns on planes?

Ever since 9/11 the public has been made aware that on some flights a Federal Air Marshal (a.k.a. FAM) may be present and armed. But, more and more people are wondering if police officers can carry guns on planes – the same law enforcement officers that hail from Local, County, Tribal, State, and Federal agencies.

The short answer is: Yes, but there’s a “BUT”…

To get to the root of all this speculation I got in touch with a very helpful gentleman who works directly with the Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed (LEOFA) program, under the oversight of The Office of Law Enforcement / Federal Air Marshal Service. Hopefully his input will help answer some of your questions.

Some Cool Facts About Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed

• Most commonly, police officers carry guns on planes to facilitate prisoner transport, dignitary protection and other official police business.
• There are 90+ Federal Law Enforcement Agencies flying armed at one point or another.
• On average, 38,500 law enforcement officers are flying armed per month through approximately 450 federalized airports.
• When you first look at this number, you sense that it is an awful lot. In reality, there are over 850,000 law enforcement officers in over 18,000 departments, including Federal, Military, State, County, Local, Territorial, Tribal, and authorized Railroad LEOs – when you do the math, only about 4.53% of all law enforcement officers fly armed.
• Of those flying armed, approximately
• 70% are Federal law enforcement officers
• 30% are State, Local, Territorial, Tribal and Railroad law enforcement officers

* These statistics are only kept for flights to which screening is mandated (per 49 CFR 1544.219). If an officer is flying armed on a general aviation aircraft they would not be tracked (like the USM ConAir flights).

Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed Program in a Nutshell

The Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service maintains oversight of the Law Enforcement Officers flying armed program under Title 49 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) § 1544.219 Carriage of Accessible Weapons.

To qualify to fly armed, Federal Regulation states that an officer must meet the following basic requirements:

• Be a Federal Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) or a full-time municipal, county, or state LEO who is a direct employee of a government agency.
• Be sworn and commissioned to enforce criminal statutes or immigration statutes.
• Be authorized by the employing agency to have the weapon in connection with assigned duties.
• Have completed the training program, ‘‘Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed.”

In addition to the above requirements, the officer must need to have the weapon accessible from the time he or she would otherwise check the weapon until the time it would be claimed after deplaning. The need to have the weapon accessible must be determined by the employing agency, department, or service and be based on one of the following:

• The provision of protective duty, for instance, assigned to a principal or advance team, or on travel required to be prepared to engage in a protective function.
• The conduct of a hazardous surveillance operation.
• On official travel required to report to another location, armed and prepared for duty.
• Employed as a Federal LEO, whether or not on official travel, and armed in accordance with an agency-wide policy governing that type of travel established by the employing agency by directive or policy statement.
• Control of a prisoner, in accordance with Title 49 CFR § 1544.221, or an armed LEO on a round trip ticket returning from escorting, or traveling to pick up a prisoner.

State, Local, Territorial, Tribal, and approved Railroad LEOs flying armed must submit a National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS) message prior to travel. The NLETS message replaces the Original Letter of Authority, commonly referred to as the “Chief’s Letter.” Failure to use the NLETS message will result in denial to the sterile area for failure to comply with the “Letter of Authority.” More information on this procedure is contained in the training program.

The Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed training is a 1.5 to 2 hour block of instruction that is comprised of a structured lesson plan, slide presentation, FAQs, NLETS procedures, and applicable codes of federal regulation. This material is provided to Federal, State, Local, Territorial, Tribal, and approved Railroad Law Enforcement agencies and departments to properly instruct their officers on the subject of flying on board commercial aircraft while armed. The training includes protocols in the handling of prohibited items, prisoner transport, and dealing with an act of criminal violence aboard an aircraft.

Transporting Guns on Planes Resources:

Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed (LEOFA) Program: http://www.tsa.gov/lawenforcement/programs/traveling_with_guns.shtm

TSA’s Traveling with Special Items, Firearms and Ammunition Guide: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1666.shtm

I’m wondering if I can become a Police Officer with a DWI? DUI? OVI? OUI? DUID?– 27 emails and comments later, time to write this post…

The answer to whether you can be a law enforcement officer with a DWI or DUI hinges on many factors. First, let’s quickly go over the meaning of each offense.

DWI vs. DUI vs. OVI vs. OUI vs. DUID

• DWI — Driving While Intoxicated
• DUI — Driving Under Influence
• OVI — Operating Vehicle [while] Intoxicated
• OUI — Operating Under Influence
• DUID — Driving Under Influence [of] Drugs

Don’t they all mean the same thing? Yes and no…

1. There are those that say that, except for DUID, all other are often classified as one and the same, but vary because of regional differences / legislature
2. Or some who state that many police departments qualify a DUI, DWI, and so on as either an alcohol or drug related offense (sometimes both, if you were drinking while high or high while drinking)
3. And then, there are some that say that a DUI means driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, prescription pills, etc.; while a DWI means driving while intoxicated with alcohol
4. Also, a more realistic explanation of the difference between DUI and DWI is the BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) in your system:
   • if your BAC was 0.8 or below, it’s a DUI (in most cases resulting in a fine, jail for the day/night, and car being impounded)
   • if your BAC was 0.8 or more, it’s a DWI (in most cases resulting in a stiffer fine than of a DUI, possible prison time, and car being impounded)
   • this explanation varies from state to state; while some states and jurisdictions may not acknowledge the difference

Classification of whether it was an alcohol or drug related offense is one of the factors that may determine if you are eligible to become a police officer.

It Was Alcohol

If it was an alcohol related DWI / DUI stop, then you still may have a chance of becoming a law enforcement officer, like a Police Officer, Sheriff Deputy, or State Trooper.

How recent was the offense? Was this your first DUI? Did you cause bodily injury or death to others while intoxicated? Did you damage property other than your own? Did you have car insurance? Did you pay for the damages? Do you find yourself needing a drink often / once in a while?– These are only some of the questions you may have to answer during the interview; granted, the police agency will even invite you thus far.

Your chances of becoming a police officer with an alcohol related DUI or DWI, even when expunged, are statistically lower than of a person without such offenses or minor traffic violations. That’s still better than having to explain this…

It Was Drugs

On top of the questions in the alcohol section, you may be asked: What drug(s) were you on when committing the offense? Are you still using? – Of course, there may be way more questions.

Your chances of becoming a police officer with a drug related DUI — DWI — DUID, even when expunged, are way lower than of a person with an alcohol related offense and exponentially lower than compared with an individual without such offenses or minor traffic violations.

Your Life is NOT OVER

While in reality you may get drilled more about your DWI / DUI / OVI / OUI or DUID, than those without such offenses, you still have a shot. Yes, the chances are lower, but don’t write yourself off just yet.

• Some police agencies are much more lenient than others – they will consider all the circumstances surrounding your offense
• Others may be strict, but in dire need of police officers – usually they would deny your application, but this time they may give you a shot after diligent scrutiny
• And, of course, there are the absolutist police departments – zero tolerance policy for all applicants

All this varies through foreseeable factors, like the State the police agency is located in or simply legislature, to the not-so-foreseeable ones, like: individual perspectives and decisions of the panel on the day of your review

No matter what department you apply to, even the one borderline-lenient, you will be asked questions and will be scrutinized. Remember that all law enforcement agencies want the best applicants, so other factors will come into play such as your morals, character, social skills, physical fitness, health, academics, and more.

• The more polished your resume is, the more of a chance you have obtaining a criminal justice career
• The more improved you and your life circumstances are, the higher the chance you may be considered
• The older the DUI / DWI is, the better
• You may need to consider moving to a city, county, or state that has more lenient policies — Don’t worry! You won’t need to move or commute until you get the final offer in writing, granted you pass everything else; including the panel Q&A.
• Some agencies may take candidates with a DUI / DWI offense only on a case by case basis and consider further – more positive – attributes of the potential recruit (like some listed above). There are no guarantees.

Find Out About DUI / DWI Hiring Policies

1. The best and probably the most anonymous place to start is the website of the law enforcement agency. Many medium-sized, or larger, police agencies provide tons of info to potential recruits. DUIs and DWIs criteria may be explained there.
2. Request a recruiting brochure from the agency. Usually you can find one on the website or by calling the agency.
3. You might be able to find out by going to a career fair where the police agency has presence. You can ask a representative on the policies and still remain fairly anonymous. These career fairs or open houses do not happen often (once a year, usually) and are very often located at colleges and universities, police departments, although they may be convening in larger convention centers, too.
4. Call the agency in question and try asking over the phone — don’t dial 911, like one of my readers did — you may also try contacting the human resources department of the agency if the general info line doesn’t pay off
5. Ask a police officer next time you see him or her at a local diner; or next time you try to explain yourself from a speeding ticket; also consider going to the police department itself and flat out asking.

If you don’t find out, you won’t know!

If you work for a law enforcement agency and know how alcohol and drug related DUI / DWI offenses are handled in your city, county, or state, — and how they may affect potential police officers — please shed some light in the comments section below. Thanks.

And.. Criminal Justice Degree, College, and Career Blog gets a warm welcome on the “20 Blogs Criminal Justice Students Will Love” at spot #1. It’s an honor to be on Rasmussen College’s list featuring some of the best criminal justice blogs.

Please check out their informative post and see other great criminal justice resources.

Thank you Rasmussen College. The list looks terrific.

What are the top criminal justice schools in America? It’s a question I get in my mailbox at least once a week. The truth is, it’s not University of Phoenix, Everest College, or Westwood College as you probably found other sites claiming a list of “10 Best Criminal Justice Schools” to be. Come on! Here’s the real deal.

In my opinion, some of the best criminal justice colleges in the US include:

• CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Michigan State University
• Northeastern University
• Pennsylvania State University at University Park
• University of Albany (SUNY)
• University of California at Irvine
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Maryland at College Park Campus

These are just my recommendations, and rightfully so, as USNews.com has it’s own list of Top Criminal Justice Schools in America. Many of the schools I had in mind they listed, too.

Best Criminal Justice Schools in America for 2012

• American University
• Arizona State University
• CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Florida State University
• George Mason University
• Indiana University
• Michigan State University
• Northeastern University
• Pennsylvania State University (University Park)
• Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Newark campus)
• Temple University
• Sam Houston State University
• Washington State University
• University of Albany – SUNY
• University of California (Irvine campus)
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Delaware
• University of Florida
• University of Illinois (Chicago campus)
• University of Maryland (College Park campus)
• University of Missouri (St. Louis campus)
• University of Nebraska (Omaha campus)
• University of Pennsylvania (Ivy League School)

sources: US News and Criminal Justice Degree, College, and Career Blog

This is a list of the Top Criminal Justice Schools in America without the fluff.

More than half of these best Criminal Justice universities have online Criminal Justice degree programs – a great alternative to on-campus education.

No matter what you’ve heard before, be aware that the name of the school and/or program ranking matters; it can make a big difference between being accepted for a career position or getting promoted. We, as society, have preconceived notions, expectations for high standards, and the understanding of what’s real and what’s not – the people and organizations that will be hiring you or looking over your grad school application will look at the program and the school your graduated from.

And one more thing… your college grades and GPA matter, especially when applying for highly sought after career positions, and of course, graduate study. Just thought you should know.

Wait… When picking schools that have multiple locations be aware that a program from one campus location – for example – may be OR may not be better than the program from the other campuses. Take University of California (a.k.a. UC). This educational system has quite a few university campuses, but UC Irvine reigns supreme in Criminal Justice/Criminology over UC Davis (example).

Even if you can’t get into a great college or university, which doesn’t hurt to apply, remember that when researching your criminal justice schools make sure to take the accreditation, tuition, and time investment into consideration. Now, go share this great resource with someone! Thanks for reading.

Do you think there are criminal justice schools that should make the list, but didn’t? Share them with us and tell us why your picks should belong among the best criminal justice schools in the United States.

Email from Ryan: What is the difference between a homicide detective and a crime scene investigator (CSI)?

A homicide detective and a crime scene investigator are often thought of as one profession. The media, TV, and movies often portray a crime scene where a detective takes a pen out of his pocket and starts poking around the body. You’ll see them lifting a piece of key evidence while there are some other people with cameras and measuring tools all around. Awkward…

The truth is, most detectives and first respondents know very well not to contaminate the crime scene by poking their noses around. The only time you should see a detective around the body is when he or she makes sure if the victim is alive or after the CSI clears them for access. This point will probably be disputed by some in the law enforcement community, but with precious evidence in a form of a foot print or a microscopic particle taking the chance can ultimately demolish the case.

So what is the difference?

For the most part, homicide detectives and crime scene investigators are two different professions, from two different departments. In order to become a detective, you must first be a police officer and pass the detective exam. To become a CSI, you don’t necessarily have to be a police officer. However, there are many departments who train their police officers and detectives to be crime scene investigators, and vice versa. This depends heavily on geographic location and needs of a particular agency.

Smaller municipalities may have a handful of police officers and even fewer detectives. Some of them are trained to process crime scenes when needed, but when a murder case springs up in their community they [should] utilize other impartial law enforcement agencies, like: Sheriff’s Office or State Police.

Why so many professionals?

One big reason of why detectives handling a murder case do not sweep the crime scene for finger prints, hair follicles, and DNA particles is because of the need to have a system of “checks and balances.” Imagine if the lead detective had the responsibility of processing a crime scene:

1. It is way too much work for one person to do. As the time ticks away so do the leads that can result in an arrest, or no arrest, of the perpetrator.
2. In an event of a mistake an invested investigator can unintentionally or intentionally manipulate the evidence and tests, thus squashing any chance of the case legitimately going to trial.
3. His or her career, as well as personal well-being, can be adversely affected through means of corruption and threats.

These are hypothetical examples, but years ago, detectives had a hard task of dealing with crime scenes all by themselves. There were no elaborate CSI units or departments. Detectives did all the leg work, and then some. As praiseworthy as these efforts were, they often were not successful at catching the right suspects, and at times, lead to wrongful convictions and executions. Corruption was common as well.

Crime Scene Investigation units started growing in numbers with the advent of scientific methods for preserving and processing the crime scene. As the number of methods grew, so did the need for well qualified personnel. This way, the detectives could start focusing on the complexities of solving the crime by piecing ALL the pieces together, including those provided by CSIs. Now, many of the CSI careers have components of Forensic Science in them and those have separate sub-fields which further require training and education.

So, to wrap up…

So, if you see  a person in a suit and a person in a Crime Scene Unit jacket you can be sure they are working together, but doing completely different work. Although some people may be both a detective and a CSI, you can assume that they are working only one side of the case. A detective collects information processed by the crime scene investigators which is supposed to help them apprehend the perpetrator of the crime. There is much more a detective does behind the scenes that does not include forensic anthropologists and latent print examiners. Both the detective and the crime scene investigator (CSI) careers fall under the criminal justice system umbrella, even the law enforcement field, but should not be considered one and the same.

If you’ve ever read any other law enforcement blogs, criminal justice job descriptions, or specialized articles you may have come across LEO. So what does LEO mean? Is it just an astrological sign? A name? Or, as you may have figured already, it means Law Enforcement Ooooooooo.

LEO is an acronym often used by police officers, law enforcement industry professionals, bloggers and writers, and those who forget to tell us before hand that LEO stands for Law Enforcement Officer. Simple! Duh! Well, not quite… I’ve noticed that many who are not part of the industry, but are seeking some good info, seem to find random pages on the Internet with blog posts and forum discussions that ramble on and on about LEO this and LEO that. In the end, you end up searching for what LEO means because you’re not sure what the “O” stands for.

A law enforcement officer (LEO) is any individual who is sworn in as a police officer, sheriff deputy, state trooper, or a federal agent to enforce the laws of the jursdiction he or she serves. Some other careers that are considered LEO positions include:

• Air Marshal
• ATF Special Agent
• Border Patrol Agent
• Detective
• FBI Special Agent
• ICE Special Agent

Most corrections positions, such as prison guard or prison warden, are not considered law enforcement officer positions. Most crime scene investigation careers are also non law enforcement officer positions, although many crime scene investigators (CSIs) are sworn in LEOs and can utilize the powers of arrest. These and many other, including any of the LEO positions, are part of a bigger career spectrum: criminal justice careers – where law enforcement, legal, corrections, forensic, and private careers are all sub-fields of criminal justice.

Email from Jake in Illinois: What’s the difference between Criminal Justice and Criminal Law?

I can’t believe I didn’t think of answering this age-old question back when I started my blog. However, it’s never too late to tackle this one so I’ll give it my best shot.

Criminal Justice vs. Criminal Law

So you’re thinking about majoring in something. Criminal Justice, Criminal Law, and other criminally interesting degree programs come to mind. So what the heck is the difference between Criminal Law and Criminal Justice? They both have “criminal” in them and they both pertain to the criminal justice system. Yes, but they are totally different from one another.

Criminal Justice refers to the universal and policy aspects of the field, including the exploration of policing, courts, corrections, and other daily applications. For example when I studied Criminal Justice at Boston University, I had the opportunity to explore the criminal justice system from the perspective of a victim and the criminal ( Victimology ) or the historic relevance of the death penalty. I learned how today’s police departments have to adhere to the demands of the communities they serve and how terrorism and the proliferation of the Internet changed the policing landscape. You can pick a Criminal Justice major at any academic level. Whether it is an Associate’s, a Bachelor’s, or a graduate degree, you’re sure to find a program you like.

Criminal Law can be studied in depth at the graduate level (after completion of a Bachelor’s degree). It is a concentration that is available at most law schools in the United States and mainly leads to a career as a lawyer. Criminal Law is not as versatile as Criminal Justice, although both majors are applied to the criminal justice field. When taking Criminal Law you’ll be focusing on the legal ramifications of crime rather than on the social aspects of it. You will be immersed in a research intensive environment where pristine writing skills are very important and a keen eye to detail is a must. Besides a law degree – aka JD or Juris Doctor degree – you can study Criminal Law from a historical standpoint on any academic level, but such programs are seldom seen.

Criminal Justice and Criminal Law Careers

With a degree in Criminal Justice you can gear your career seeking efforts towards law enforcement (Police, Sheriff, Federal Agent – FBI, DEA, CIA, Diplomatic Security Special Agent, ICE, and etc.). If you have an advanced degree, like a Master’s or a Doctorate in Criminal Justice or Criminology, you may seek consulting and academic careers.

A Law Degree with the Criminal Law concentration is most definitely going to propel you towards a career as a lawyer, perhaps even a judge, but since it is an advanced degree, you will be able to obtain jobs in the law enforcement, consulting, and academic fields as well.

A common term for a lawyer that specializes in Criminal Law is a defense attorney. Defense attorneys are lawyers who represent clients in court in exchange for money. Some defense lawyers work on a pro bono basis, which in layman’s terms means for free.

pro bono publico – a.k.a. pro bono -  is derived from Latin and literarilly means for the public good

A prosecutor most likely studied Criminal Law in college as well and is the proverbial adversary of the defense attorney. Prosecutors go after the criminals by preparing cases which most often don’t go to trial. In most court cases, the defense attorney and the prosecutor present the case in front of a judge who will subsequently make the decision on the outcome of the case. If a criminal case goes to trial, you can expect the usual charade that you see on Court TV and your local news, but mostly without all the drama.

For more information on the different careers available to you please see the criminal justice careers page where there are many more interesting jobs that didn’t get listed here. As always feel free to comment and ask questions. Till next time, take care.

Q: I’m genuinely interested in criminal justice and criminology; nevertheless, i really do not like guns. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in a line of business where a weapon is required. It seems like every occupation in criminal justice calls for a gun (at least in United States). Is this true? Are there any career positions that i could possibly work in with a degree in Criminal Justice, Criminology, or a similar program without having to carry a gun? I am not interested in the legal field (i don’t want to be a lawyer or a paralegal).

A: There is a number of careers in Criminal Justice, Criminology, and similar fields that don’t require you to carry a gun:

1. teach – high school with a Bachelor’s degree (plus state certification)
2. teach community college and university level with a Master’s degree (a PhD is preferable)
3. work in private security as a consultant, loss prevention officer, or private eye (PI)
4. work as a researcher at a private firm, university, or a government agency
5. work in forensic sciences and crime scene investigation – I would recommend a degree in Criminal Justice with a Forensics concentration, or a degree specifically in Forensic Science
6. work as a correction officer – usually no gun is “required”, but gun training may be imposed
7. work as a youth counselor – this position is in high demand
8. work as a substance abuse counselor
9. work as a probation officer
10. work in local, county, state, and federal government – or – work in academia or for yourself

Consequently, the question to ask yourself is:

is the Criminal Justice, Criminology, or a similar degree the right fit for me? It may not be, as the criterion — not to carry a gun — may diminish the pool of careers available to you.

Consider the following options while keeping Criminal Justice or Criminology in mind:

• Political Science – there are concentrations like National Security and Transnational Crime which may be of interest to you.
• Forensic Sciences -  more science based courses – any background in biology, chemistry, and physics may help.

Note: There are more opportunities for civilian jobs (no gun required) to those who possess a Master’s degree or better.

Verbal Advantage is the best vocabulary builder, bar none. While in college, I was looking for vocabulary building tools, specifically a GRE vocabulary builder. After a few failed attempts at using different programs, Verbal Advantage came into my sights through a good friend of mine who got me the CD program as a gift.

Lets just say I was very skeptical at first, but at the request of my friend, a Harvard graduate, I was bound to give Verbal Advantage a try.

At that time, the program came on 24 CDs, and I think it still does. I really liked having those CDs in MP3 format so I can listen to them on my Ipod. I used one of the many free CD to MP3 converters (Google it to get one) to accomplish this. Peace a cake.

I started to listen to the first level of Verbal Advantage, written and narrated by: Charles Harrington Elster, when I was in the midst of my business degree at Colorado Tech. 5 years later, and successfully completing a Master level criminal justice degree program at Boston University, I still listen to Verbal Advantage and feel very empowered by being able to communicate with virtually anyone. Next, a PhD.

Originally, Verbal Advantage was going to be used as my LSAT vocabulary builder, but after much needed soul searching, the program proved to be an invaluable tool for my GRE vocabulary building needs. Law School wasn’t for me, as I am more of an explorer by nature.

Verbal Advantage is a great tool for anyone who wants to:

• attend grad school and needs to take the GRE, or Graduate Record Exam
• attend grad school and needs to take the MAT, a.k.a. Miller Analogies Test
• attend law school, where the LSAT, or the The Law School Admission Test, is a requirement
• attend graduate business school where the GMAT, or the Graduate Management Admission Test, is needed in 99% of cases
• improve their overall vocabulary
• improve their academic advancement
• improve their career options
• improve their ability to confidently use the English language

Remember all these wants can only be accomplished with diligent use of the self-paced program. I am not saying that you will instantly improve in all the deficient clusters of your written and spoken life, but the program is designed to  exponentially improve your vocabulary, and theoretically, improve your lifestyle. It’s really up to you.

Pros of Verbal Advantage

• you will learn new words and the meanings of them, including where they came from (Greek, French, Latin, and etc.)
• it is narrated in such a way that will help you effectively remember, connect, and use the newly acquired words with ease
• the program is designed to sequentially move up in difficulty, thus helping you retain much more when moving up to more challenging vocabulary words
• it offers quizzes at the end of each level to test your skills and engrave the words in your verbal palette
• you can stop and repeat the program at any time (highly recommended)

Cons of Verbal Advantage

• really… only one – the CDs. I wish the program was also offered in MP3 format.

In the category of vocabulary builders, Verbal Advantage stands far apart from the rest. However, this vocabulary building program is not for everyone. It is only for those who really want to increase their vocabulary and develop into eloquent speakers and/or writers. In all honesty, I wouldn’t be as far in life academically, occupationally, and financially if it wasn’t for Mr. Elster and Verbal Advantage. That’s my 2 cents.

One of the fastest growing fields of continuing education and online study is the criminal justice field. Students on every level will profit from the training and experience that comes from criminal justice open courseware classes.

Try On A New Career In Criminal Justice

If you are unsure about making a full investment or majoring in the field, or changing industries, then open courseware classes may be just the thing that you are looking for. This is the ideal way to get the criminal justice education that you so desire without having to pay the full amount that a traditional course or program would cost you to attend.

Enhance A Current Career Track

Perhaps you already have a job working in the field of criminal justice. If so, open courseware classes will provide you with the opportunity to further develop and enhance your skills by taking classes that relate to different aspects of the industry such as law enforcement, politics and human rights.

Free Online Learning & More

A number of colleges and universities provide study material, lecture notes, coursework and syllabi on the Internet to allow professionals and students who are too busy with their daily lives to get the information that they need in order to succeed in the field of criminal justice. Open courseware classes are ideal for the individual that needs an education with a flexible schedule that will allow him or her to study and learn when it is most convenient for them.

It does not matter if you are already a decorated officer in the field or looking to build a career as an expert on security, you will discover a number of different resources that are available to you online. These open courseware classes with assist you as you learn everything from criminal psychology to computer vulnerabilities.

Here are some of the best criminal justice open courseware classes that offer compelling lectures, exciting assignments and information from many number one universities throughout the country.

1. An Introduction To Data And Information – This course will teach you how data can be stored and shared from one computer to another as well as over the Internet.
2. International Law – This is a great course for dealing with security issues that span the globe. It is a perfect reference point for international resource management, human rights and much, much more.
3. An Introduction To Information Security – An introduction to the practices and concepts related to information security.
4. The Database Development Life Cycle – Learn how experts manipulate, maintain, create and troubleshoot the databases.
5. Social Theory and Analysis – Learn about social theory dating back to the 19^th century and continuing on through present time.
6. Law and Society – Here is a challenging course that will help you to see the law as a pop culture feature and social institution and how society and the law relate to everyday life.
7. Ethics and the Law on the Electronic Frontier – Find out how ethics, technology and the law all relate to one another.
8. Justice – A great way to learn about liberty and equality.
9. Ethics Part I and II – In this course, you will learn about the history of ethics, modern theory and moral behavior.
10. Terrorism, Peace and Other Inconsistencies – Learn all about contemporary terrorism, al-Qaeda philosophy and much, much more on the world of terror.

Whether you are just starting out or simply want to increase knowledge in your field, these criminal justice open courseware programs can help—and all without taxing your limited resources of time and money.  Learn at your pace, on your terms, and enjoy all the field of criminal justice has to offer.

Mary Ward writes about various legal career topics, including how to obtain a court reporting degree.