You need to consider your career goals when you decide whether or not to earn an online bachelors degree in criminology. For instance, if you are pursuing this degree in order to advance your career in social work or law enforcement, earning a bachelors degree in criminology online is a viable option. For these careers, you do not need to develop lab skills or research methods, so an online program will provide you with valuable knowledge.

On the other hand, if your goal is to go to graduate school so that you can work as a criminologist, an online bachelors degree in criminology may not be a good idea. Masters degree programs in criminology are competitive and the best applicants have solid research skills and experience with applied sociology. If you want to go to graduate school in criminology, you should only pursue a bachelors degree in criminology online if the program includes an internship component where you can develop hands-on skills.