OK, So I am 28 years old and want to get out of my everday job. I have a high school diploma no further schooling though. I was going to sign up for online criminal justice courses. I am interested in working in the fish and game department, are there any age restrictions on this or is online courses even the right way to go? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Good for you for wanting to continue your education! First off, do you want to take criminal justice courses online, or would you also be interested in programs that were focused on preserving natural resources? Criminal justice might not be the best program if you ultimately want to work in park services, or a similar field. That is just my two cents! I know there are already some threads that go into CJ programs in full detail. Just type in the search and check out the wealth of information that will come up. Good luck man, and welcome!
This is the point I was coming to make. You might be better served by looking for a degree in a natural/biological science, and then seek out your law enforcement path via a police academy. You might want to check with your state's entry level requirements for that type of position though to make sure you aren't going to take courses or pursue a program that really won't help you. For a reference point, Oregon State University offers a bachelor's degree via distance learning in Fisheries and Wildlife Science ---> Fisheries & Wildlife -- Undergraduate Degrees Online -- Online & Distance Degrees -- Oregon State University -- Extended Campus -- Ecampus Oh and I believe that this program is highly ranked (an arguable statistic though). Hope this helps!
As stated above, if your goal is to become a game warden, park ranger, fish & wildlife officer, environmental police officer, etc., then you're much better off to study wildlife management, natural resource management, etc., rather than criminal justice. Studying the Broken Windows Theory and Social Control Theory isn't going to be of much use to you when you're trying to trap & relocate a nuisance bear, capture a poacher, destroy a bothersome beaver dam, etc.
Why are going to sign up for cj? I'm just wondering because you say you are interested in working in the fish and game department. just got some confusion. If your interest is in nature preservation then go with your interest.
Is attending the local community college (either in person or online) an option? You could earn an associates degree relatively inexpensively, then transfer to a four year school for a natural science degree.
