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What a Degree Can Mean for a Criminal Justice Career?
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What a Degree Can Mean for a Criminal Justice Career
So you've decided criminal justice, in one of its many
forms, is the career for you. Congratulations. Few
careers can be as rewarding, demanding and varied
as criminal justice. And then there's also the fact
that most jobs within criminal justice have terrific
job prospects through at least 2010 (the furthest
out the U.S. Department of Labor forecasts). The
field is further interesting because not all positions
within it require a college degree (be it an associate's,
bachelor's or higher). But as with most jobs, having
a degree in the field definitely gives you a leg
up.
"A criminal justice degree will always be beneficial whether you're working in a two-man shop or for the FBI," says Chuck Kenyon, National President of the American Criminal Justice Association. (By the way, the FBI-along with most other branches of federal law enforcement-won't even look at a candidate who doesn't have at least a four-year degree; the FBI even prefers candidates who have graduated from law school.) "It's true there are areas within criminal justice you don't need a degree to open doors for you, but, advancing through those areas and definitely within the larger criminal justice world, there are some doors that are closed to you without one."
Do you really need a degree?
Before we examine the closed doors your criminal justice degree can open, let's take a look at the options for aspiring criminal justice careerists without a degree. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, only one percent of local police departments require new officer recruits to have a bachelor's degree. Eight percent require an associate's degree and six percent require some college. Entry-level detentions and corrections positions don't require any college, and some states don't even require such officers to have a high school diploma. You "just need you to be vertical 95 percent of the time and able to breathe on your own," Kenyon says.
So, that makes two criminal justice jobs you can jump into right after high school, right? Wrong. "The one thing you have to remember is that almost every type of sworn agency requires you to be 21 at the time you're hired," Kenyon says. "I see that as just another reason to get the criminal justice degree as soon as you can, while you're young. How better could you invest those years?"
But if you are over 21, you can become a local law enforcement, detentions or corrections officer without a college degree. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational handbook, however, if you're looking to make your way up the ranks-in both pay and responsibility-a college degree is "highly important."
Dozens of other criminal justice careers also require little or no college education for entry-bailiff, paralegal, airport security officer, game warden-but you run into the same problem with all of them: Promotion most often depends on some sort of college degree.
Open closed doors with a degree or professional certificate
Now let's assume you have your criminal justice degree and open those closed doors. With a bachelor's degree, nearly every branch of federal law enforcement is ready for you: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms; U.S. Border Patrol; postal inspector. It also sets you up nicely for organizations like the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency and jobs in social services, victim services, and law (court administrator, court clerk, law clerk). If you're looking to go into criminology or penology or become a lawyer, a bachelor's degree in criminal justice can be the first step.
An associate's degree teaches fundamental criminal justice skills that prepare you well for a successful career-promotions included!-in local or state law enforcement. And if you ever decide to go back to school, you're already halfway to a bachelor's degree.
In addition to the traditional associate's and bachelor's degrees, criminal justice certificates are available in various disciplines-crime scene technician or terrorism management, for example. Students going for certificates usually use them as building blocks for a future criminal justice degree. Criminal justice certificates are also handy for those who already have an associate's or bachelor's degree in an unrelated field and want to make a career change into criminal justice.
It's never too late to start
If you weren't fortunate enough to discover your interest in criminal justice while still in high school, don't worry. Kenyon says he sees plenty of untraditional students in criminal justice programs. "Anyone who has the drive and desire to get this degree while working full time and balancing a family is going to do well," Kenyon says. "And when they finish they'll be well on their way to a great career."
The "real" value of a criminal justice degree
A criminal justice degree is so important because, unlike many other types of degrees, it actively prepares you for a very specific type of work. A degree in English, history, or economics teaches a solid liberal arts background and way of thinking that you can then apply to any number of careers. A criminal justice degree-like engineering and accounting, for example-includes practical coursework that provides you with the technical and analytical skills required by the profession.
Expect courses in political science, legal studies, social studies, and government; the goal is to familiarize you with the criminal justice system. Of course, like any undergraduate degree, criminal justice also includes generalized coursework that, if you ever decide to leave the field, will come in handy when looking for a second career. Many criminal justice degree programs also emphasize communication and teamwork skills that are integral once you're working in the field.
But even with everything a criminal justice degree can do for you in the field, Kenyon says it is not the most important thing. "Absolute and total honesty and integrity are what you need more than anything," he says. "Nothing will get you out of criminal justice faster than lying."
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