The Benefits of Getting an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice

The field of criminal justice is exploding with career opportunities. This was brought about by the events of September 11, 2001. The explosion has led a lot of people to be interested in the various careers in the profession. What these people find out after they start exploring for career opportunities in the field is that some form of education is required to get some of the jobs in the profession.One of the degrees anyone interested in a career in criminal justice can get is associate degree in criminal justice. This degree will help a career seeker in criminal justice fulfill the education requirements needed to get a job in the profession. Therefore, in this article, I will explain the benefits of getting an associate degree in criminal justice.In no particular order, they are:1. An associate degree in criminal justice will help you get an entry level job in the profession. While it is not an absolute necessity that you get this degree, there is no doubt that it will give you a leg up on your competition.Let's say you are interested in joining the police department in your town. Who do you think will be given preference in the hiring process, a high school graduate or somebody with an associate degree in criminal justice? I think there can be no doubt that somebody who made the commitment to study criminal justice will most likely get hired over the high school graduate.Why?The reason is obvious. While both candidates will go through the police academy training, the one with the associate degree is better equipped to succeed in such training. This is because the courses taught in the associate degree program will cover some if not most of what will be taught in the training.2. Somebody with associate degree in criminal justice will command more salary than somebody with high school diploma. People with associate degree make about $40,000 per year while high school diploma holders make $26, 000 per year. This is a difference of $14,000 per year. So getting your associate degree in criminal justice does pay.3. An associate degree in criminal justice takes fewer years to complete than a bachelors degree in criminal justice. An associate degree will take you about 2 years to complete compared to a bachelor's degree that will take you 4 years to complete.I can hear you say but the bachelor degree holder will make more money than the person with an associate degree. This is indeed true. But, an associate degree is perfect for those that do not have 4 years before they can start earning a pay. And as I said above, it can get you in the door of a criminal justice career faster than a high school diploma. It is a good degree to start a career.I have covered just a few of the benefits of earning an associate degree in criminal justice. There are other benefits to getting this degree. Covering all of them is beyond what I can do in this short article. I encourage you to continue to expand your knowledge of the benefits of getting associate degree in criminal justice. You can do this by visiting websites that deal with the subject in more detail.Note: You are free to reprint or republish this article. The only condition is that the Resource Box should be included and the links are live links.