To help current professionals who wish to advance their education, schools are expanding the number of degree programs that are offered through online education. By providing more specializations via distance learning, these institutions give individuals the opportunity to earn a degree on a flexible schedule, and be able to improve their professional value.
East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) has launched several online criminal justice courses that can help nontraditional students who are interested in earning a bachelors degree in this field. Students can take advantage of around-the-clock access to course materials, training from faculty and staff as well as additional support tools.
Like many degree programs offered at ETBU, this bachelors degree program integrates Christian perspective into its curricula that include law enforcement, probation, parole and related studies.
This degree program "capitalizes on a rich collaboration between criminal justice and forensic science," said Lyn New, dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences at ETBU. She added that students will learn about "forensic techniques used in crime labs to analyze evidence collected at crime scenes from DNA, drugs and firearms, and [receive training] in the CSI methods and techniques utilized in criminal investigations."
By 2018, the employment of forensic scientists is expected to grow by 20 percent, a trend that will create approximately 2,500 new job opportunities, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.
