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Getting a Bachelor's Degree

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Do I have to enroll for an associate's degree before pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree? Also, do you know if online colleges accept military credits for criminal justice studies?

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You don't need to earn an associate's degree before beginning a bachelor's or a master's program, although some people choose to do so. An associate's degree can be a good place to begin, especially for:

  • Students unsure exactly how far they want to go with school. Earning an associate's degree in criminal justice could facilitate entry to a police academy or directly into the workforce as a corrections officer or security guard.
  • Those who know they want to pursue a bachelor's or master's degree, but aren't sure which direction to take. If you earned an associate's degree in criminal justice, you could enter the police academy and continue earning a bachelor's degree to qualify for work as a probation or parole officer, juvenile probation officer, private investigator, or forensic scientist.
  • Students whose high school transcripts and/or SAT scores bar entry into a bachelor's degree program. Earning an associate's degree often provides the student a fresh start. This is positive as long as the associate's degree GPA is strong.
Most colleges with online and on-campus programs accept military credits, although there may be conditions, including a maximum number of credits accepted and a required minimum GPA-per-class for accepted credit.

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