Education is key to society and gives people the skills to navigate life successfully. For example, if we did not learn to read or write, it would make life very hard. Of course, education is also key in terms of our careers and being able to move into the sector we want. While this is true for most industries now (certainly if you want to progress to senior levels within them), policing is one sector where having the right knowledge behind you can help.
Although gaining a degree or other award in policing might have previously meant studying in person at a university or college, this is not the only option now. Online law enforcement programs have taken off in recent years and provide a new way of learning. But how do you find a course such as this to enroll in, and what benefits do they offer?
How do you find the best online policing courses to study?
You may still be wondering how to access online police courses to study. This is pretty important, after all, if you are looking to pick up a qualification to work in this industry!
The best way is to look online for reputable universities that offer law enforcement courses. The Honors BA in Policing from Canada’s Wilfrid Laurier University is a great example and ideal for anyone looking to enter the industry. A 100% online program taught by experienced law enforcement officers is perfect for anyone looking to move into policing. This is not just for people within Canada either – as an online program, the BA Honors in Policing is also open to overseas students!
Once you have found the course you want at an educational institution you would like to study at, it is a case of applying for the program. If you are accepted, you will then be able to begin your studies and work to gain your new online policing qualification.
You will also be able to start enjoying the unique benefits that online study provides. But what are the main advantages of online research for a policing degree?
Convenient and flexible
One big draw of online study is the convenience it offers. This can be especially true for busy working professionals, who may struggle to fit in studies that require them to attend classes in person several days per week.
If you are already working in law enforcement and are looking to gain new skills to progress your career, then online policing courses are a much better option. This is because they enable you to study when you want and when you are not busy with work. Even for those not working in policing, these same benefits still apply. The convenience of online study, for example, means that you can fit your studies around family life or a job you may be working in another industry.
The freedom that online study brings to policing degrees is simply hard to beat. In addition to the above, it also enables you to study when you feel like it and when you are in the best frame of mind to learn. It also gives you the flexibility to decide how you will study – be it in your PJs on the sofa at night or an early morning session at the desk in your home office.
Access to world-class learning and excellent support
Many also point to these factors as key benefits of studying policing online. If you choose a respected and academically robust university, you will find the online courses in this area full of world-class learning. This can include modules on subjects that are key to modern policing, such as cybercrime, leadership, and ethics.
By picking up this innovative and essential knowledge, you are perfectly placed to move into law enforcement or progress your career within it. Many police officers who are retiring will also study an online policing course, as it gives them new skills to take into civilian life. This can be one of the best career tips to consider when considering leaving policing.
The best online courses also come with awesome support for students. This is very important when studying this way, as you will not be on campus and surrounded by other students/tutors as you learn. The best virtual programs take pains to offer extensive support to students, so you always have the help you need via email, text message, or video call. When you also factor in the world-class tutors who teach top online police courses, their appeal is clear.
Online learning can be quicker.
Although it will depend on the online course you study and how much time you can devote to your learning, it is true to say that this way of picking up new knowledge can be quicker than on-campus programs. But why is this the case?
To begin with, many online police courses are designed with faster graduation in mind and are set up to offer this – without compromising on quality. This is usually due to online courses being popular with working professionals who value gaining new qualifications as quickly as possible.
In addition, some students who enroll in courses such as this can gain credit transfer for prior learning. This can mean you complete fewer modules overall and produce faster results in graduating. You also have to think that the self-directed nature of online study can see students’ progress as quickly as they like to a certain extent. This can mean students complete online courses more rapidly than students in traditional classes who do not have as much control over things.
Greater range of choice
Formal study is great – if you have a university or college nearby that offers the course you need. But what happens if this is not the case? Before online learning took off, many people had to forget about furthering their education or picking up high-quality knowledge to move into policing.
However, remote learning courses have changed all this and offer access to a much wider choice of routes. Those looking at policing qualifications can find the program they want to study online at the university of their choice and apply for it.
This, of course, is regardless of where the university is based and where you might live! Online police courses open the boundaries of education and mean that you can study at top-class universities or colleges worldwide.
Learning online is more accessible.
As well as more choice in what policing program to study or which educational establishment to look at, these courses also make learning far more accessible to people. This is not always the case with traditional on-campus study.
For those already working in policing or who do not want to relocate, moving to a university far away might not be feasible. If, for example, you live in a rural area, you might not have any colleges or universities nearby to attend. Busy police professionals might not have the time or inclination to travel to a far-off campus to study after a long shift.
Online police courses eliminate issues like this and make it much easier, simpler, and more accessible to get the qualifications you want. They can also be good if you find it difficult to socialize with others personally, and this aspect of the on-campus study is tricky. As online research sees you working without distractions and in an environment, you feel comfortable in; it can often produce better results.
Superb value for money
Online policing courses also come with superb value for money. This is a big plus for any would-be student looking to get into law enforcement or progress within it. Although it does depend on the course, you study. Specifically, you should find that course fees are better valued when compared to on-campus study.
In addition to lower course fees, you should also find you spend far less overall when studying a policing degree in this way. This is because you will have no travel costs to get to classes and no extra charges that on-campus studies can come with (such as needing to buy lunch).
Boost for IT skills
Although this might not be the first thing you think of, it is a plus point of studying an online police qualification. As you complete the course via the internet, you will naturally hone your IT skills and get experience with using common IT software/packages. This could be anything from video call tech, like Skype, to software like MS PowerPoint.
It is an increasingly important part of the modern world, which is also true for modern policing. By brushing up on skills such as this via an online program, you will emerge far better set up to meet the demands contemporary law enforcement work brings in IT.
What careers in policing can an online qualification open up?
Undoubtedly, studying in an online policing program also gives you academically sound qualifications employers in the sector are looking for. This is true for those studying this way before moving into law enforcement or those already in policing looking to move up the career ladder.
But what kind of careers in law enforcement could this course lead to?
The most obvious example to start with is a police officer. According to PayScale, the average salary for police officers in Canada is $83,456, and this job is also well-rewarded financially in other countries, such as the US. It is also a very satisfying job in policing and one that allows you to have a direct impact on the community.
Looking at the other end of the scale, deputy chief of police is a job in law enforcement that the right qualification can lead to. The average salary per year for a deputy chief of police in the US is around $107,990, which shows what a top-level position it is. This job involves helping the police chief plan, direct, and organize the entire police department.
Why move into policing as a career?
For those thinking of breaking into law enforcement after completing an online police degree, you may wonder if all the study is worth it. What is it about policing that makes it such a top career choice?
To begin with, this is an in-demand role that will always be needed to keep our streets safe. This makes it a job with great security and also one that has a range of different parts you could move into. Working in policing also enables you to make a difference in society, and many people love this aspect of it. When you also think of the great camaraderie that people working in policing enjoy with colleagues and the decent salary levels, you can see the appeal.
Online policing courses come with many benefits.
As the above shows, online policing courses have many advantages for students. They are an alternative study mode that busy law enforcement professionals value when trying to pick up new skills. They also come in handy for people about to leave policing who want a simple, convenient way to gain new knowledge for civilian life. When you also think of the benefits these courses offer to people looking to break into policing, you can see why they are becoming so popular now.
