Criminal Investigation Degree

A criminal investigation degree will be essential for you to have if you have the desire to get into any type of law enforcement. There are various degrees available, and you can choose just how far you want to progress in your education depending on how high of a position you are interested in obtaining. The higher of a degree you acquire, the more opportunities you will have for career advancement.

If you would like your career to concentrate on criminal investigative work, the proper education will help you to reach your goal. A few of the degrees that are available are listed below.

• Associate of Criminal Investigations: With this degree, you will be able to obtain a position in law enforcement or as a security guard for a public establishment or a private employer. You would also be able to do private investigative work. Instruction will include the proper treatment of suspects, how to apprehend suspects and hold them for detainment and the proper protocol for investigative work. It will take you two years to complete this degree. You may opt for obtaining a position right away, or you may want to go on to a higher degree. Some of the courses you might be taking would include an introduction to the criminal justice system, ethics, psychology, the use of firearms, defense strategies, the proper protocol for making arrests and computer forensics.
• Bachelor Degree in Criminal Investigations: Acquiring this degree will take you even farther into the world of criminal investigative work. You will learn about crime scenes and how to secure them if you are the first officer on the scene. You will also learn the proper procedure in producing crime scene evidence in a courtroom. Your coursework will include an introduction to criminal justice along with criminal investigations and criminal law. Your instruction will also include training on the tools of the trade, such as database usage and the technology that is involved. A Bachelor Degree will train you in finding background information on suspects and how to analyze forensic evidence that was collected at the crime scene.
• Master’s Degree in Criminal Investigations: You will acquire quite a bit of knowledge with a Master’s Degree that will enable you to go on to a crime scene investigation position. There is a certain technique to collecting evidence at a crime scene, and you will learn it with this degree. You will be instructed on the proper procedure when compiling the evidence that turns up at a crime scene, such as blood and hair samples, fingerprints, fibers from clothing and any other evidence that can be found. Photographs must be taken and sketches are often done of the crime scene and the immediate surrounding area. Crime scene investigators must work with other officials, such as law enforcement officers, medical examiners, lawyers, judges and detectives. You will be trained on the proper protocol for communicating effectively with these individuals in order to help with the progression of the case. When you are a crime scene investigator, you must be ready to work at any time as crimes do not just happen during business hours.
• Doctorate in Criminal Investigation: You may want to further your education and receive a Doctorate that specializes in criminal investigation. Criminal Justice schools or establishments that have Criminal Justice programs usually offer this type of degree. Your coursework may include such topics as Cyber Crime, Criminal Evidence, Crime Scene Analysis and Computer Forensics.