Radek, I’m wondering what jobs can I get with a criminal justice degree? Specifically, Associate’s or Bachelor’s criminal justice degree jobs.
What Can You Do with a Criminal Justice Degree?
There are quite a few jobs available for those with a criminal justice degree. Careers in criminal justice, ranging from local Police Officers to Sheriff’s Deputies to State Police Officers to FBI Special Agents and DEA Special Agents can be obtained with the help of a criminal justice degree.
There are also great opportunities in the correction system, like jails and prisons.
For the sake of this article, “criminal justice field” encompasses sub-fields, like: law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Also, check out this resource with a slew of Criminal Justice Careers.
If you think that criminal justice is the only degree that will get you hired, you might be surprised to find it’s not. Many people are not aware that law enforcement agencies – small, medium, and large – look for a diverse workforce. Can you imagine working somewhere where everyone has only one type of a degree? How innovative and diverse would that be? Right?
Some popular majors sought after in the law enforcement community are: Criminal Justice, Business, Finance, Law (law school graduates), Accounting, Sociology, Forensic Science, Information Technology and Engineering… and that’s just scratching the surface.
A degree in criminal justice will less likely secure a position outside of law enforcement and corrections (sub-fields of the criminal justice field). When compared with law enforcement jobs, one would have to pursue graduate studies in Criminal Justice / Criminology in order to pursue these rarer opportunities:
- Research Assistant
- Teacher
- College Instructor (minimum of a Master’s degree)
- Professor (PhD preferred)
If you’re looking for Forensic, CSI, and medical careers in the criminal justice system you should check out the Criminal Justice Careers page, but be forewarned that a CJ degree will not be the path to salvation when looking for work in these sub-fields.
I hope you’ve noticed that I mentioned the compatibility of a criminal justice degree with law enforcement so much throughout this blog post, as opposed to the whole criminal justice field. The reason is that a graduate with a criminal justice degree will only have a limited potential of obtaining work after graduation; that’s usually in Law Enforcement and Corrections, with limited opportunities across academia and other criminal justice career paths. Unless you have graduate coursework under your belt, the marketability of this degree outside of the criminal justice field is nearly nonexistent.
Bonus: A Criminal Justice Degree May Not Be Needed At All! — I know that got your attention… And, don’t forget to share your thoughts below.
You might also like:
- In Law Enforcement, What Does LEO Mean?
- What Can I Do With an Online Criminal Justice Degree?
- What’s the Difference Between Criminal Justice and Criminal Law?
- 10 Criminal Justice Careers Without Carrying a Gun
- Is a Criminal Justice Degree Worth It or Worthless?
- Is a Criminal Justice Degree Major Hard to Complete?
- Law Enforcement Careers – Jobs for Physically Disabled
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I love this site. Your articles shine truth and are very practical. I appreciate all the help.
i was having doubts with really what can you do with a criminal justice degree.. no more doubts.. thx
Well, now you have me pausing and thinking. I’m basically wondering if it is risky to go ahead and plan on getting a master in criminal justice (now that you’ve said opportunities are very slim outside of the field). What if I have trouble somehow finding a job at a law enforcement agency, knowing that there is very little chance in another industry? It would be interesting to hear your piece of advise. I already hold a Bachelor degree in mass communication with a minor in journalism. So maybe, it wouldn’t be that bad to go for a master in CJ.
My stance still stands. I think it’s a great degree for those interested to work in the field. It’s not as versatile as a Business degree, for example. Thus, allowing fewer opportunities for hire outside of the field.
You seem to have a strong foundation (Bachelor’s), so pursuing a Master’s degree in criminal justice can be a viable option and would make you a stronger candidate. Regardless, it’s still worth considering all the pros and cons before you delve in.
Hey I have a bachelor’s in Agriculture and am almost done with my criminal justice degree. I was wondering if you have any job suggestions for me since I am out of my depth.
Good article. That definitely makes sense that the diversity of the workforce would suffer if everyone had the same degree, but I hadn’t thought of it quite like that before. I’ve recently been researching careers in criminology and it can sometimes get complicated with all the different degree programs out there! Thanks for putting together so much helpful info here on your blog.
I was wondering about a career in corrections. Would a degree in criminal justice help me achieve that goal? Also, what are your suggestions on becoming a corrections officer? Is it a good choice, is that career likely to lay off in the present/future, etc.
Corrections is a great track for those who possess a criminal justice degree. I am working on a killer article on correctional officers, debuting under the “careers” section soon. It will help with your questions and more.
This is a very helpful article and very timely, too, for someone in my family. He’s been asking us for some guidance as to what to do with his life in the near future. Thanks for the info.
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