A criminal justice degree can be obtained from colleges or from another criminal justice school that offer programs in criminal justice. A criminal justice degree is a way for interested persons to get involved in improving communities.
Whether a student plans to work in law enforcement, corrections, the courts system, or as a security specialist, a degree in criminal justice will prove valuable. Work in the criminal justice field is rewarding and satisfying, and this field provides a means of contributing to society in a positive way. Whether one decides to work in the public sector or the private sector, work in the field of criminal justice is available and is not expected to decline.
- Crime prevention, law enforcement, and security administration are all well-paying, highly respected jobs for those interested in a career in criminal justice.
- One effective way to enter this career field is through a degree in criminal justice, which can be obtained through criminal justice schools, or through a major in criminal justice at other schools.
- Armed with this degree, a student can enter the workforce ready to support his or her family as well as have a positive influence on society.
Criminal Justice Associates Degree
An associate’s degree in criminal justice can be obtained from criminal justice schools or from other schools that offer programs in criminal justice. If a student decides to pursue an associate’s degree, his or her course work will usually last about two years. During these two years, a student will be required to take other courses besides criminal justice courses, including communications classes such as speech and composition, ethics, math and science, government and history, and social sciences such as psychology and/or sociology. The associate’s is the entry level criminal justice degree.
A student who graduates from a criminal justice school or another program with an associate’s degree in criminal justice will be able to enter the workforce in an entry-level capacity. If a student is eager to enter the workforce as soon as possible, a two-year (or sometimes shorter) degree program such as an associate’s degree is a good option. While a student may require more education in order to advance his or her career, at least he or she will be initially able to work in the field of criminal justice. A criminal justice degree could prepare a student to work as a security guard, as an entry-level law enforcement officer, as a legal assistant, or as a correctional officer. Although more skilled careers in criminal justice will require more education, the completion of an associate’s degree program is a viable way to enter the field.
Aside from being able to enter the workforce in a short amount of time, other advantages of an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice include lower tuition costs and a shorter commitment to a student schedule. Disadvantages include less education, which may prohibit someone from being qualified for certain jobs and careers. However, a student with an associate’s degree can find work and attend school on a part-time basis while working toward his or her bachelor’s degree. Also, some employers contribute to the cost of education within one’s field, so working in the criminal justice arena may be a good way to find funding for future educational pursuits.
Criminal Justice Bachelors Degree
A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice can be obtained from a criminal justice school or from other schools that offer programs in criminal justice. If a student decides to pursue a bachelor’s criminal justice degree, his or her course work will usually last about four years. During these four years, a student will be required to take other courses besides criminal justice courses, including communications classes such as speech and composition, ethics, math and science, government and history, and social sciences such as psychology and/or sociology.
A student who graduates from a criminal justice school or another program with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice will be able to enter the workforce in an entry-level capacity. A graduate could work in security, as a law enforcement or patrol officer, as a legal secretary or legal assistant, as a forensic technician, as a law clerk, as a correctional officer, or as a legal support worker. A graduate with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice may also decide that he or she would like to pursue more education in the form of law school. A degree in criminal justice can provide a potential law school student with good background for studies in criminal law at law school. Students interested in law school should determine schools they would like to attend and make an appointment to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) to begin the process of applying to law schools.
Advantages of a criminal justice degree include being rigorously educated in the field and being qualified to pursue positions that are better paying and require a higher level of responsibility than other entry-level jobs. Disadvantages include four years of tuition costs and four years of commitment to a student schedule, which can seem like a long time, especially if a person is eager to enter the workforce. A graduate with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice will be well-prepared for a wide variety of positions in the criminal justice field.
Criminal Justice Masters Degree
There are two graduate level criminal justice degrees available, and the first one is the master’s degree. A master’s degree in criminal justice can be obtained from criminal justice schools or from other schools that offer graduate programs in criminal justice. If a student decides to pursue a master’s degree, his or her course work will usually last about two years. During these two years, a student will not be required to take many other courses besides criminal justice courses. Schools may require courses outside the criminal justice department if the courses will aid the graduate students in their studies. For example, a school may require a graduate student to take a statistics course so he or she can better understand research relating to his or her field of study. A school may also require a graduate student to take a research methods or writing course to help the student prepare for writing his or her master’s thesis.
A student who graduates from a criminal justice school or another program with a master’s criminal justice degree will be able to enter the workforce or continue working in the workforce at a higher level. A master’s degree in criminal justice may qualify a graduate to teach at the undergraduate level; to work in the legal arena as an investigator, assistant, paralegal, or clerk; or to serve in the government as an administrator of correctional facilities or a federal-level law enforcement agent. Graduates who have a master’s degree in criminal justice can also pursue higher-level job opportunities in local law enforcement, such as superintendent of police. A graduate may also decide to pursue a career as a lawyer.
While advantages of a master’s degree in criminal justice are that a graduate will have more lucrative and higher-level job opportunities available, disadvantages include the time required, the commitment to a student schedule, and, of course, the cost of graduate education.
Criminal Justice PhD
A PhD in criminal justice can be obtained from criminal justice schools or from other schools that offer doctoral level criminal justice degrees. If a student decides to enter a doctoral program in criminal justice, he or she will commit to about four years of course work, which will most likely be exclusively classes offered in the criminal justice department or independent study classes guided by a faculty member.
A student who obtains a PhD in criminal justice can enter the workforce as a professor of criminal justice; an advisor to law enforcement; an employee of federal law enforcement agencies; an administrator of various correctional facilities, law enforcement agencies, or federal agencies; or any other number of upper-level positions.
An advantage of a PhD in criminal justice is that a graduate will have more upper- level and lucrative job opportunities available to him or her. In addition, the PhD graduate will most likely have developed research and theories in the field of criminal justice and will be considered an expert in his or her particular research field. If the PhD graduate’s dissertation has been published, he or she can enjoy the esteem and other benefits that accompany being a published author. Disadvantages of the PhD degree in criminal justice include the amount of time that a person must devote to his or her research and the potential cost of the education. However, by the time a student reaches the PhD level, he or she is often considered expert enough to work at the school as an undergraduate lecturer or teaching assistant, which helps offset tuition costs and other expenses.