Skip to content

Boost Your Criminal Justice Career in Texas

CSP Offers Online Criminal Justice Programs Ideal for Texas Professionals

Online criminal justice programs from Concordia University, St. Paul give you the unique set of skills you need to protect, serve, and advocate for communities across the U.S. This expertise is especially useful in states such as Texas, which are seeing a rise in demand for law enforcement and human services professionals.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Labor, several criminal justice careers in Texas are projected to grow faster than the national average from 2018 to 2028. For example, jobs for private detectives and investigators in Texas will increase 19%, compared to the national average of 13%.1 Other rapidly expanding careers include detectives, crime scene investigators, police officers, private investigators, emergency management directors, and non-physician mental health counselors and professionals.

Whether you’d like to advance as a police officer, forensic behavioral analyst, criminal investigator, human services professional, and more, CSP’s online criminal justice programs open doors to leadership roles as you continue the important work you’re already doing. Flexible online coursework incorporates a mix of scenario-based learning, skill-building, and reflection, all delivered with our unique multidisciplinary perspective.

Learn More Today

Complete the form to learn more about this program.

Online Criminal Justice Programs: Make a Bigger Difference in Texas

Designed by current law enforcement and human services professionals, CSP’s online criminal justice programs give you highly relevant skills that you can apply immediately. We offer a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, master’s programs in criminal justice leadership and human services, plus a graduate certificate in trauma, resilience, and self-care strategies. You can advance in Texas no matter where you are on your criminal justice career path.

B.A. in Criminal Justice

This program engages students through a foundational and theoretical framework that is relevant to the real-world challenges of the criminal justice system.

View Program

Graduate Certificate in Trauma, Resilience, and Self-Care Strategies

Designed for those working in human services, this online program helps students expand their skillsets to include strategies and techniques that help victims of trauma of toxic stress exposure.

View Program

M.A. in Criminal Justice Leadership

Designed for students of various backgrounds (including law enforcement, military, social service, and corrections), this program enhances professionalism and positions students for leadership opportunities.

View Program

M.A. in Human Services

Prepare to work in specialized careers within the human services field and choose an emphasis in forensic behavioral health or one in trauma, resilience, and self-care strategies.

View Program

Prepare for Career Advancement in Texas

Careers in criminal justice and human services are growing in Texas, fueled by an uptick in crime. The Texan recently reported that all but one of Texas’ five most populated cities experienced substantial increases in violent crime in 2021.2 Only Dallas saw a 13% decline in crime, which the Dallas Police Chief attributed to a more balanced approach to criminal justice that included criminologists and other experts.2

Online programs from Concordia University, St. Paul prepare you to take part in Texas’ changing criminal justice landscape. You could enter or advance in a variety of roles, including:

  • Child welfare and protection worker
  • Correctional caseworker
  • Correctional officer supervisor
  • Crime scene investigator
  • Detective
  • Domestic violence counselor
  • Emergency management director
  • Forensic behavioral analyst
  • Police officer
  • Probation officer
  • Psychiatric rehabilitation specialist
  • Security manager
  • Sheriff
  • Trauma-informed policy advisor

Recognized for Excellence in Criminal Justice

CSP’s online criminal justice programs are backed by national rankings and professional associations. No matter which program you choose, you can trust that your education will boost your career, whether you’re in Texas or across the nation.

  • In the 2021 SkillSurvey Career Readiness® rankings, CSP was ranked in the Top 10 “Career Ready” Institutions and Top 10 “Career Ready” Feedback for First-Generation College Students.
  • College Choice ranked CSP’s bachelor’s degree among the best online criminal justice programs.3
  • CSP’s Trauma, Resilience, and Self-Care Strategies master’s degree emphasis and certificate include specialized, Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)-approved coursework.
  • Our Forensic Behavioral Health master’s degree emphasis is approved by the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS).

Learn from Criminal Justice Experts Without Leaving Texas

You’ll have support from expert faculty members at CSP, who will be there to answer your questions and guide you throughout your online criminal justice program. It’s yet another way that the online format mimics the experience of studying on campus.

Thrive in Texas with Your Criminal Justice Degree

Now is the perfect time to consider furthering your education since careers in Texas are some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying for those in criminal justice. Here are some criminal justice careers that are growing faster than the national average.

OccupationProjected National Growth from 2018 to 2028Projected Growth in Texas2021 Average Annual Salary in Texas
Detectives and criminal investigators43%7%$81,170
Emergency management directors56%9%$80,170
Supervisors of police and detectives67%9%$98,850
Private detectives and investigators113%19%$52,540
Police and sheriff’s patrol officers77%9%$63,800

If you’re interested in these types of careers, learn more about CSP’s B.A. in Criminal Justice and M.A. in Criminal Justice Leadership.

Move Forward in a Rewarding Human Services Role

Texas is also a lucrative state for human services professionals with expertise in trauma-informed care, resilience training, behavioral health, and mental health counseling. The Texas education system, in particular, is seeking non-physician mental health professionals to help its school districts build awareness of mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders.

Data from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services8 showed that, from January to September 2021, non-physician mental health specialists:

  • Shared 916 mental and substance use prevention resources with approximately 858 public school districts
  • Facilitated 462 initiatives addressing mental health and substance use and misuse with approximately 858 public school districts
  • Trained 5,756 community members in mental health first aid
  • Trained 16,498 community members in the effect of grief and trauma
  • Trained 2,783 community members in substance use prevention and interventions

Take part in these impressive initiatives in Texas with CSP’s M.A. in Human Services, which has two specializations: Forensic Behavioral Health, and Trauma, Resilience, and Self-Care Strategies. We also offer a graduate certificate in trauma, resilience, and self-care strategies.

Sources

  1. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localtrends/33-9021.00?st=TX
  2. https://thetexan.news/homicides-in-texas-largest-cities-increase-in-2021-except-in-dallas/
  3. https://www.collegechoice.net/law/criminal-justice/best-online-bachelors-degrees/
  4. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/33-3021.00?st=TX
  5. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/11-9161.00?st=TX
  6. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/33-1012.00?st=TX
  7. https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/33-3051.00?st=TX
  8. https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/annual-report-outcomes-non-physician-mental-health-professionals-jan-2022.pdf