Q: I’m genuinely interested in criminal justice and criminology; nevertheless, i really do not like guns. I wouldn’t feel comfortable in a line of business where a weapon is required. It seems like every occupation in criminal justice calls for a gun (at least in United States). Is this true? Are there any career positions that i could possibly work in with a degree in Criminal Justice, Criminology, or a similar program without having to carry a gun? I am not interested in the legal field (i don’t want to be a lawyer or a paralegal).
A: There is a number of careers in Criminal Justice, Criminology, and similar fields that don’t require you to carry a gun:
- teach – high school with a Bachelor’s degree (plus state certification)
- teach community college and university level with a Master’s degree (a PhD is preferable)
- work in private security as a consultant, loss prevention officer, or private eye (PI)
- work as a researcher at a private firm, university, or a government agency
- work in forensic sciences and crime scene investigation – I would recommend a degree in Criminal Justice with a Forensics concentration, or a degree specifically in Forensic Science
- work as a correction officer – usually no gun is “required”, but gun training may be imposed
- work as a youth counselor – this position is in high demand
- work as a substance abuse counselor
- work as a probation officer
- work in local, county, state, and federal government – or – work in academia or for yourself
Consequently, the question to ask yourself is:
is the Criminal Justice, Criminology, or a similar degree the right fit for me? It may not be, as the criterion — not to carry a gun — may diminish the pool of careers available to you.
Consider the following options while keeping Criminal Justice or Criminology in mind:
- Political Science – there are concentrations like National Security and Transnational Crime which may be of interest to you.
- Forensic Sciences - more science based courses – any background in biology, chemistry, and physics may help.
Note: There are more opportunities for civilian jobs (no gun required) to those who possess a Master’s degree or better.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
One of the few criminal justice careers that doesn’t require the use of firearms is that of Loss Prevention which is one of the fastest growing sub-fields in the field of criminal justice. In essence your mind is the only weapon you will need to carry.
Im just starting to look at what I want to study.
I know i wanna do something in the criminal justice area( forensic psychologist, crime investigator, etc..) and maybe a lawyer.
can you give me few options of what i can do?
I’m a social person,I’m not exactly good at biology, and i dont wanna have to handle a gun either.
check out the careers section – on top. You’ll see that there are more career options.
Maybe you can also consider the field of academics – teacher, professor, researcher. All the other ones you’ve mentioned are great options, but with no science based courses and no guns you have to understand that your role in the criminal justice system would have to be more specialized – one that’s not the norm.
If you speak a foreign language, you can be a translator or an analyst for one of the organizations under the Department of Homeland Security.