Aside from its multi-disciplinary study framework that is beneficial to beginning online learner, online degrees in criminal investigation also prepare career shifters who already have baseline majors but want to pursue a different career path. Give it a few years and it will become one of the most popular learning degree programs. Here’s a list of the most interesting forensic science degrees online:

Forensic Degree #1: MSc/MA in Forensic Science

Directly schooled with the competencies required for evidence collection, analysis, and preservation, students of forensic science are the experts that you see in the frontline of any criminal investigation. They are usually the first on the scene, and are charged with the responsibility to reconstruct the contributing events and elements of a crime scene. Although they are trained to investigate every nook and cranny, they also have the capacity to discriminate which type of evidence they need would need to further analyze. Graduates in forensic science will be trained in evidence collection and preservation, applications of physics, chemistry, and biology to forensics, law enforcement and legal procedures, and forensic equipment. They would also need to specialize in different aspects of forensics should they want to further their career in the field, an opportunity that’s also covered in some online forensic science courses. If you want to live out your dream as a CSI, then there’s no better way to do it than forensic science degree.

Forensic Degree #2: MA in Forensic Psychology

Also one of the hottest online psychology degrees today, forensic psychology is the application of forensics to human behavior. Forensic psychologists are trained in the expert testimony, deception detection, analysis of non-verbal behavior, psycholinguistics, profiling and counseling. Their major responsibility is the finding ways to project and profile what a particular person would do next, and the necessary strategies to alleviate the situation should it run a less than ideal course. Forensic psychologists may also be trained as police negotiators and interrogators who – though they may focus on different things – implement various degrees of persuasion. If you’re very interested in the field of forensics as applied in psychology, then you’re welcome to give this course a go.

Forensic Degree #3: MS/Certificate in Forensic Nursing

Included in our list of interesting online nursing degrees, a major in forensic nursing puts you at the helm of healthcare support as applied to law enforcement. Forensic nurses are usually in charge in the collection of blood and tissue evidence, and are usually called in for cases concerning sexual assault, abuse, and violent crimes. Given their supportive nature, they also give on-the-spot treatment for victims and provide basic counseling and support should there be a need. This course is designed for registered nurses who want a sub-discipline connected with law enforcement.

Forensic Degree #4: MA in Criminal Justice

Though not an online forensic science degree in the strictest sense, a degree in criminal justice prepares students not only in the basics of procurement, collection, and the preservation of evidence but in executing different investigative procedures that help lead to the successful resolution of cases. Sub-disciplines in criminal justice may vary, but basically all students will be trained with basic forensics, law enforcement and legal procedures, security issues, and physical health. This degree is a good choice for those who want to strike out a new career path in criminal justice, or for law enforcement officers who want to upgrade their skills.

MS/Certificate in Forensic Nursing – Registered nurses who are interested in working with law enforcement agencies or who want to expand their skills in the field of forensics would be well comfortable with taking an online nursing degree majoring in forensics. As you may very well know, the study of forensics involves the re-enactment of physical evidence to counter criminal activity and to catch offenders. Forensic nurses are then trained in the collection of tissue and blood samples, and the necessary analysis that is required to be performed on the gathered evidence. They need to master forensic terminology, injury assessment, law enforcement policies, investigation procedures, and legal policies. Those who specialize in forensic nursing will be called upon on cases with sexual assault, abuse, violent crimes, or other offenses with sensitive circumstances. It may not be one of the most popular online learning degree programs out there but well worth a look if you have the passion for the field.

MS/Certificate in Nursing Informatics – Combining the fields of computer science, database systems, information technology, and healthcare, a nursing informatics is all about the study of information technology and its applications in medical care. Since immediate and accurate diagnostics is needed to provide proper health care management, it is important that an optimized system for the storage and retrieval of patient information is in place, and as you may have guessed, students who studied nursing informatics would be at the forefront of such a system. The program intersects with that of biomedical engineering (a sub-field of engineering that deals with the medical applications, itself one of the top five online engineering degrees), in the sense that both fields came as a result of a blend of their respective specialties and technology. If you’re a registered nurse who want to delve into the world of database management and computer technology, or is a technology professional who wants to focus on healthcare applications, then an online degree in nursing informatics might be a good choice for you.

MS/Certificate in Nursing Education – Designed for registered nurses who want to take up teaching positions, a degree in nursing education trains students in nursing pedagogy (i.e. teaching and learning), curriculum design and implementation, and educational evaluation. There will always be a need for nursing faculty in undergraduate programs, and such an online nursing degree is just the ticket for the position. Students will undergo training in adult education, and the design and use of teaching strategies that are effective in clinical and classroom settings. Nursing professors will also be trained to do action research, and the use of educational applications to further their teaching competencies.