The criminal justice degree: jobs and colleges

Americans have a seemingly insatiable appetite for true crime, at least based on the constantly proliferating podcasts and TV shows on the subject. And ever since Sherlock Holmes, we have been eagerly consuming stories about brilliant detectives and remorseless killers.

This fascination with crime has affected college students’ choice of major, with 57,044 students graduating from degree programs related to homeland security, law enforcement, or firefighting in 2019-2020 according to the National Center for Educational Statistics.

Criminal justice is an interdisciplinary field that provides insight into why crimes get committed and what we can do about it. However, while it can be an excellent double major, it is not a degree that provides a clear path to a single career, meaning that the road to financial stability post-college may be a winding one.

Before deciding to pursue a degree in criminal justice, keep in mind that careers in law enforcement and crime reduction can be emotionally and physically taxing, not to mention dangerous. But if you feel that making your community a better, safer place could be a rewarding path, then criminal justice may be for you. While it is not the most lucrative college degree out there, it can still lead to a fulfilling career.

What do criminal justice majors study?

The courses in your program will depend on what branch of crime and punishment you focus on. For example, whereas criminal justice majors study the justice system, crime prevention, and law enforcement, criminology is more about the sociological, economic, and psychological reasons behind crime.

Some common courses for criminal justice majors include criminal law, sociology, forensic science, ethics and diversity, theories of crime, statistics, victimology, cybercrime, and white-collar crime.

The associate’s degree in criminal justice

If you really want to work in law enforcement, you may not need a degree at all: you can become a correctional officer, bailiff, or police officer with just a high school diploma, although some districts may prefer candidates with a college education.

An associate in criminal justice can be a good compromise: community college could give you a competitive advantage during hiring, but you won’t have to pay the steep price of a college degree. Below are some criminal justice degree jobs for people with an associate in criminal justice.

The criminal justice bachelor’s degree

While many jobs in the criminal justice system do not require a college education, you are more likely to need a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice for three reasons:

1. You want to work at a federal government agency like the FBI;
2. You’re interested in the more technical side of law and justice, like forensics or financial crime;
3. You want to eventually become a researcher or academic.

Some jobs in criminal justice lie at the intersection of several disciplines, like IT (cybersecurity specialists), social work (probation officers), or finance (white-collar crime investigators). Therefore, depending on what kind of job you want, it could be a smart move to pursue a double major.

The criminal justice bachelor’s degree is also a popular option for students who plan to go to law school. That said, you don’t need to major in criminal justice to get into law school; in fact, you can major in just about anything, although a degree in criminal justice may give you an academic edge over your peers.

»Read: The best colleges for criminal justice by economic performance 

Universities usually confer either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in criminal justice. The exact differences between the two vary from university to university, but the B.S. usually focuses more on hard science and numbers.

Note that this data includes all bachelor’s in criminal justice graduates regardless of their field of employment after graduation.

Think carefully about what branch of criminal justice you aim to work in before pursuing a bachelor’s degree. If you want to be a police officer, it may be best to avoid college debt and enter the workforce a few years earlier. On the other hand, if you want to be an FBI agent or a forensic technician, a bachelor’s is recommended.

If you want to work in law enforcement, pick your school carefully, as not all degree programs will lead to high-paying careers, and the less time you spend paying back college debt, the better. Consider cheaper public universities or an associate degree and aim to go to the college that offers you the most financial aid.

Criminal justice certification

Professional certifications in criminal justice can give you a career boost; however, not all jobs require them. For example, you do not technically need a special license to become a paralegal or a forensic technician, although such certification is fairly common, and some employers may prefer licensed candidates. Investigate job openings in your area before paying to take a licensing course. Certifications can open doors to better-paying jobs by helping you improve your skills but be sure you have a clear goal in mind when considering licensure or certification.

The master’s degree in criminal justice

The criminal justice sector is continuously changing, and topics covered in master’s programs tend to reflect that. For example, students may learn about issues like use of force, police discretion, and racial profiling. Other topics are built into the curriculum as and when they arise, ensuring the subjects covered always remain relevant.

There is also a focus on developing an interdisciplinary perspective, and students are encouraged to explore how and where criminal justice intersects with other subjects. Examples of more specialized, interdisciplinary master’s programs include homeland security, cybercrime, forensic science, and public policy.

»Read: The best master’s in criminal justice programs according to economic performance

Master’s students may have to choose between an M.A. (Master of Arts) and M.S. (Master of Science). The programs are quite similar and, on occasions, interchangeable. Both prepare graduates for leadership and management positions in the criminal justice sector. The program a student decides to pursue usually depends on the curriculum that most appeals to them.

If you are truly passionate about studying crime, and you manage to secure funding for a master’s degree, graduate school could be a good option for you. However, it is not a degree that pays off economically for most graduates, so make sure your career goals are crystal clear before applying for grad school.

However, certain jobs do tend to attract graduates with a master’s in criminal justice. For example, 37% of social workers have a master’s degree. Getting into social work usually involves majoring specifically in social work in undergrad, but a criminal justice master’s degree can help social workers specialize.

Furthermore, some of the most lucrative careers in law enforcement are in management. While only 21% of managers in the law enforcement field have a master’s degree or higher, these positions require significant on-the-job experience and tend to be pretty competitive, so having a master’s degree could give you an edge if you want a desk job.

Beyond the master’s is the PhD in criminal justice, which is best suited to people who wish to pursue a career in academia – conducting research and teaching the next generation of criminologists. Below are some master’s in criminal justice jobs.

Final thoughts

While a criminal justice degree doesn’t set you up for financial success in the same way as an engineering or IT degree might, there will be jobs in this field as long as there is crime in America. Furthermore, the nature of the work is evolving rapidly, as the role of law enforcement in society remains a hotly debated political issue. New, exciting opportunities in criminal justice could open up as local policy makers devise innovative ways of upholding the rights of the public while keeping people safe.