If you're eager to make a positive difference to society by contributing to public safety and advocating for the innocent, then a career in criminal justice might be your calling. With a criminal justice degree, you can dive deep into the topics that matter most in the United States' criminal justice and corrections systems while building transferable skills that may be applied to any number of criminal justice career paths.
A criminal justice degree provides the necessary skills for a confident entry into the field, whether your interest lies in law enforcement, victim advocacy, cybercrime, or related areas.
What Can You Do With a Degree in Criminal Justice?
So, what can you do with a degree in criminal justice? No matter where your specific interests lie, there's likely to be a destined path for you. Before choosing among the various criminal justice career paths, it’s important to reflect on whether you’re more drawn to investigative work, advocacy, or public policy.
Police Officer
When many people think about careers in criminal justice, police officer or law enforcement officer are among the first job titles that come to mind — and for good reason. Police officers play an integral part in our society, working to keep communities safe in a number of ways.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) clarifies that the role of the police officer is to "protect lives and property." This may be done by responding to emergency (and nonemergency) calls, conducting traffic stops, executing search warrants, and arresting people who are suspected of committing crimes.
Correctional Officer
Correctional officers are another important component of the criminal justice system, working exclusively with inmates in jails, prisons, and even courtrooms. The primary responsibility of a correctional officer is to maintain order in correctional facilities. This may be done by carefully supervising inmates, conducting regular searches to check for rule violations, and transporting inmates between jail/prison and other locations (such as court). These professionals play an important role in keeping jails and prisons safe while ensuring inmates remain in custody.
Probation Officer
If you're more interested in a role that focuses on rehabilitating offenders, then you might consider launching your criminal justice career as a probation officer. Probation officers work with convicted offenders serving probation sentences outside of jail or prison. These individuals must adhere to specific requirements, such as remaining drug-free or avoiding contact with particular people.
Probation officers, then, meet with offenders regularly to ensure that they are staying out of trouble and following the terms of their probation. In some cases, probation officers may use GPS monitors to track a client's location and ensure that they are staying within the community per the terms of their probation agreement.
Parole Officer
Similar to a probation officer, a parole officer also works with criminal offenders to ensure they are staying out of trouble, providing valuable resources and guidance along the way. The primary difference between a probation officer and a parole officer is that the latter works exclusively with offenders who have been released from prison after serving a sentence. Often, individuals on parole need assistance re-integrating into society. Parole officers can help by providing substance abuse resources or even opportunities for job training as part of their rehabilitation.
Crime Scene Technician
Crime scene technicians, also known as forensic science technicians, are responsible for gathering and analyzing evidence of crimes. Aside from police officers, these professionals are among the first to respond to a crime scene, ensuring that evidence is properly collected and preserved. After collecting evidence, crime scene technicians must ensure that it moves along the proper chain of command for further testing and analysis — playing a critical role in helping to solve and prosecute crimes.
Criminal Investigator
Another role to consider within the realm of criminal justice is that of criminal investigator, also known as a detective. These professionals are responsible for investigating crimes and identifying potential suspects through evidence, surveillance, witness interviews, and other strategies. Criminal investigators are often law enforcement officers, and thus may also be responsible for apprehending and arresting suspects, as well as testifying in court.
Border Patrol Agent
If you're interested in applying your criminal justice knowledge and skills to protect the nation's borders, then you might consider a career as a border patrol agent. Border Patrol agents work to "prevent the entry of terrorists and their weapons of terrorism; and to enforce the laws that protect America's homeland by the detection, interdiction, and apprehension of those who attempt to illegally enter or smuggle any person or contraband across our Nation's sovereign borders." Most often, border patrol agents work within the U.S. Customs and Border Protection or the U.S. Border Patrol under the Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. Marshal
Established in 1789, the U.S. Marshals Service serves as "the first federal law enforcement agency in the United States." Today, U.S. Marshals serve as the enforcement arm of all federal courts, carrying out such critical responsibilities as running the Witness Security Program, apprehending federal fugitives, and housing federal prisoners. Working as a U.S. Marshal can be a rewarding job with plenty of opportunities for advancement or specialization in federal law enforcement, aviation enforcement, and beyond.
Court Clerk
If you're less interested in the law enforcement side of criminal justice and more intrigued by the legal side of things, then you might want to explore a career as a court clerk. These professionals take on more of an administrative role within the criminal justice system, carrying out important tasks that keep courts running as smoothly as possible. Court clerks may be responsible for maintaining court records, helping with court proceedings, and keeping case files up-to-date at all times.
Legal Assistant / Paralegal
Other criminal justice career paths on the legal side of things that may be worth exploring are those of legal assistant or paralegal. These professionals provide valuable guidance and support to lawyers, including both prosecution and defense lawyers. They may be responsible for researching laws relevant to a case, gathering facts surrounding a case, and even drafting some legal documents to assist lawyers in building a case for their clients. This is a broad field with ample opportunities for specialization and advancement, making it a great entry-level role for criminal justice graduates to consider.
Fraud Investigator
Interested in the investigations side of criminal justice? If so, there are plenty of options to consider outside of detective/criminal investigation. Many government agencies and even financial institutions regularly hire fraud investigators to detect and even prevent fraudulent activities.
More specifically, the work of a fraud investigator entails gathering evidence of fraud (including financial statements or other documentation), reporting findings, and potentially helping to build a case against the person committing it. In some cases, fraud investigators may even be called in to testify in court.
Private Investigator
If you're interested in putting your investigation skills to work outside of law enforcement, look into the possibility of becoming a private investigator after completing your criminal justice degree. Rather than working for a police department or other law enforcement agency, private investigators are hired by independent clients to gather evidence and even find missing persons. Because private investigators can work on such a wide range of cases, no two days are exactly alike in this line of work.
Victim Advocate
What if you're looking for a career path that allows you to work directly with victims of crimes, making a positive difference in their lives? As a victim advocate, you can do just that. In this type of role, you'll be responsible for providing victims of crimes with much-needed emotional support, resources, and other guidance needed throughout the criminal justice process. Often, victim advocates are hired by private organizations, although some courts may also employ them.
Youth Correctional Counselor
When juveniles end up on the wrong path, the juvenile justice system is in place to address individuals under the age of 18. Within the juvenile justice system, youth correctional counselors play an important role in helping young people reshape their futures to avoid repeat offenses and additional troubles. Typically, these counselors are employed by juvenile justice centers to meet with juveniles who have been accused or convicted of crimes, offering critical guidance and support for reintegration with society.
Transportation Security Officer (TSO)
Transportation Security Officers work directly for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and are "responsible for the screening of passengers, baggage and cargo at airports to ensure [...] transportation system[s] stay safe and secure." On any given day, these professionals may work with different types of security screening equipment, perform searches on passengers, and ensure that no unauthorized individuals are permitted past security checkpoints.
Emergency Management Coordinator
Meanwhile, some criminal justice graduates end up going into emergency management, often starting out in roles as emergency management coordinators (EMCs). These professionals are responsible for helping communities prepare and respond to emergencies ranging from natural disasters to man-made ones. This type of role can be an excellent choice for those who enjoy problem-solving and preparing for worst-case scenarios. Knowing that you're doing your part to prepare communities for emergencies can be extremely rewarding work. And with enough experience, it may even be possible to advance into an emergency management director role.
Compliance Officer
Businesses in different industries are governed by different sets of laws and regulations. In healthcare, for example, businesses and entities must operate under the terms of such laws as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The role of a compliance officer, then, is to ensure that businesses and individuals are operating within the confines of these kinds of laws and regulations. Frequently, they're hired by organizations or businesses to lead internal compliance programs, but some may work for enforcement agencies as well.
Cybercrime Analyst
As cybercrimes continue to be a major problem across the globe, the need for cybercrime analysts is clear. Specifically, cybercrime analysts (also known as information security analysts) work to protect businesses and individuals from cybercrime, usually by making changes to security frameworks and checking for vulnerabilities in networks. In the event of a data breach or similar crime, these professionals may also be responsible for incident response and recovery to get things back on track as promptly as possible.
Security Manager
Within the field of criminal justice, many businesses and organizations also hire their own private security to keep individuals or assets safe. If you're interested in working in private security, you might explore roles in security management with your criminal justice degree. In this type of leadership role, you may be responsible for overseeing teams of security officers, providing training to security guards, and taking other calculated measures to prevent illegal activity. Depending on where your interests lie, you might even decide to open and manage your own security company.
Insurance Investigator
While working in insurance may not seem like a natural progression of a criminal justice degree, the reality is that many graduates do end up working in the private sector — and insurance is a common path because insurance companies regularly hire professionals with investigative experience to help them evaluate and research claims. As an insurance investigator, for instance, you might conduct research to spot fraudulent claims or even criminal activity (such as arson or staged incidents).
This type of work can be very rewarding, especially when you're able to provide evidence that leads to criminal prosecution for fraud or another crime.
Learn More About CCO's Criminal Justice Program
What can you do with a degree in criminal justice? You can pursue roles that allow you to protect, investigate, support, and rehabilitate, making a tangible impact in countless communities. With so many potential career paths in criminal justice, the next step towards finding your calling requires you to assess your own unique interests and strengths. Maybe you'll wind up making a difference as a law enforcement officer, or perhaps you'll transform lives as a youth correctional counselor.
Wherever your aspirations lie, the right degree program can make all the difference. At Champlain College Online, we offer a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice degree that can be completed entirely online. Covering courses in such essential criminal justice topics as criminal law, corrections, conflict management, and restorative justice, you'll have the opportunity to build your knowledge and skills on your own schedule. Get in touch to learn more about this program or get started with your application for admission today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Whether criminal justice is a "good" major depends significantly on your individual interests, strengths, and career aspirations. Generally, criminal justice can be a good major for those who are interested in working in law enforcement, corrections, public safety, or a related field. The coursework covered in this type of degree program may help prepare students for future work in these kinds of roles.
Students in a criminal justice degree program can expect to gain a number of both technical skills and core competencies as part of their educational experience — many of which may be readily transferable to roles in the field. A criminal justice degree program may be designed to help students sharpen their communication, critical-thinking, analytical, and conflict resolution skills. Other skills developed may include research, investigation, ethical judgment, and collaboration.
Typically, yes, it is possible to work in federal law enforcement with a bachelor's in criminal justice and the right amount of relevant experience. That said, it is worth noting that some more advanced roles for agencies like the FBI or DEA may require a more specialized degree, such as a master's in criminal justice or similar. Qualifications can vary greatly from one federal law enforcement role to the next, so it's important to read job postings carefully before you apply.
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