Since this blog has been in existence, I received countless emails and comments asking whether a criminal justice degree is a waste of time. The questions were usually similar, but came with slew of different meanings:

• Is a criminal justice degree worthless?
• Is a criminal justice degree really worthwhile?
• Is a criminal justice degree a good degree? a bad degree?
• Is a criminal justice degree a waste of time?
• Should I take a criminal justice degree in college?

I even tackled a question on whether a criminal justice degree is good for law school candidacy – and probably the most common one: is a criminal justice degree program hard or easy? But, we’re here to find out if it’s worth it.

Is a Criminal Justice Degree Worthless or Worth It?

Answer: Yes, it’s worth it!

There seems to be a perception out there that those pursuing a criminal justice degree are spending their hard earned money on a degree that’s going to be worthless. The truth is that it’s a desirable degree when coupled with a quality program at a reputable college or university.

So why all the negativity out there? Simply put, many not so reputable schools, and especially those with deep advertising budgets, are giving the industry a bad name. The drive-thru effect of graduating students ill-equipped for the real world job market leaves much to be desired.

The reality is that most popular degree programs – not only criminal justice – fall under this presumption and the advent of online learning has its many critics.

Suggestion: Aim higher. Don’t just apply to the first school you saw on TV or in your search results – look deeper for the best fit. Even if your grades sucked in high school or college, aim higher and apply to at least several schools. And probably the biggest thing of all, pick a reputable school that is properly accredited. Yes, reputable online colleges and universities, like some of the ones listed in Best Criminal Justice Schools in America are just fine.

Just like when you were a kid, when you wanted that sweet cherry or extra sprinkles on top of your ice cream, the recruiters are looking for the best and often with “a cherry on top.” Who really wants a person with a questionable academic record, a shady character, or a total slacker-like attitude working in the criminal justice system; enforcing laws and protecting people, of all things? No one.

But is it worth it financially? Will I make big $$$?

It can be fairly lucrative when used in conjunction with your education, size of the organization you want to work for, and overall time on the job. For example, in terms of law enforcement job opportunities, like those of a police officer, a Sheriff’s deputy, a detective, or a FBI Special Agent, those applying in mid to large municipal, county, state or federal agencies are often required to have a college degree at the time of application.

These mid to large-size agencies usually pay much better than smaller ones and can pay significantly for each level of education above the standard requirement. There’s a big push for four-year college grads, so, those taking an Associate’s degree, may want to think about upgrading to a Bachelor program.

Keep in mind that entry level salaries may seem low, but they are ENTRY LEVEL. After you go through your probationary period, thus increasing your seniority, your salary should go up (oftentimes significantly) and advancement opportunities should become more available (keeping in line with the law enforcement example above). Small departments, like those located in villages and townships may require as little as a high school diploma or a GED, but you get pay that is commensurate with that minimum educational requirement.

It’s not uncommon to see law enforcement officers making high five-figure salaries when performing duties at larger agencies.

I’m not done, yet. Read on… You probably want to know if it’s good or bad for your purposes.

Is a Criminal Justice Degree Good or Bad?

Answer: It’s definitely bad if you are planning on becoming a Marine Biologist, or a Chemist, or a Pre-school Teacher… Or, you know, one of those people who is taking a degree just to have one, but has no TRUE intent of working in the field the degree mostly applies to.

If you are interested in working within the criminal justice system; for example, in correctional or law enforcement fields, then you picked the right degree, but be mindful that even when a college degree is a requirement in order to apply or obtain the job, you don’t have to take criminal justice – degrees in business, accounting, and law are very desirable, too (amongst others). My rule of thumb, if a degree has substance / real world application to the criminal justice system (even if just a little), and YOU LOVE that field, then I think you should pursue what you love. It’s much easier going to work when you like what you do rather than when you despise each day you clock out.

Also, USE YOUR COMMON SENSE: if the NSA needs a computer specialist, it probably wants someone with a computer programming or information technology (IT) educational background – OR – if the State Police wants to solve crimes through bullet trajectory analysis, lift latent prints, get a definite photo or video enhancement, or DNA test materials you should probably look closer into the field of Forensic Science; where, degrees like Physics, Chemistry, Digital Photography, and Biochemistry will play a huge role.

So, besides the common sense thinking and my wholehearted optimism, a degree in criminal justice has its limitations… It’s for those that want to pursue one of the many careers in criminal justice. I covered the possible speed bumps in my What Jobs Can I Get with a Criminal Justice Degree article. Check it out.

Last one… for all the marbles.

Is a Criminal Justice Degree a Waste of Time?

Answer: No, especially if you have aspirations to work within the criminal justice field, have a good credit history and a clean criminal record.

You may find taking a criminal justice program imprudent:

• if you have a criminal record that’s filled to the brim with domestic violence and felony convictions
• if you have DUIs that are recent or repetitive. I covered law enforcement employment and DUIs already.
• if your credit sucks (collections, judgements, bankruptcies). Still, those with recovering credit, showing significant improvement may still be considered.
• if you’re nearing the national average cut off age of 36
• if you have little interest in the field
• if you only want a desk job / office job – other degrees are more suitable
• if you don’t want to carry a fire arm

Saying that, a graduate degree in Criminal Justice or Criminology may be of some help for those interested in research and teaching opportunities; where restrictions on age, work environment and lethal accessories are a non-issue. Remember, that even if you get your shiny Master’s or a PhD degree, real-world experience is often preferred as an accompaniment to your education.

Should you take criminal justice in college?

This post should once and for all answer these emailed questions:

• Can cops carry guns on planes?
• Can police officers fly armed?
• Can Federal Agents carry weapons on planes?
• Can law enforcement officers carry guns on airplanes?
• Can FBI Special Agents carry guns on planes?

Ever since 9/11 the public has been made aware that on some flights a Federal Air Marshal (a.k.a. FAM) may be present and armed. But, more and more people are wondering if police officers can carry guns on planes – the same law enforcement officers that hail from Local, County, Tribal, State, and Federal agencies.

The short answer is: Yes, but there’s a “BUT”…

To get to the root of all this speculation I got in touch with a very helpful gentleman who works directly with the Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed (LEOFA) program, under the oversight of The Office of Law Enforcement / Federal Air Marshal Service. Hopefully his input will help answer some of your questions.

Some Cool Facts About Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed

• Most commonly, police officers carry guns on planes to facilitate prisoner transport, dignitary protection and other official police business.
• There are 90+ Federal Law Enforcement Agencies flying armed at one point or another.
• On average, 38,500 law enforcement officers are flying armed per month through approximately 450 federalized airports.
• When you first look at this number, you sense that it is an awful lot. In reality, there are over 850,000 law enforcement officers in over 18,000 departments, including Federal, Military, State, County, Local, Territorial, Tribal, and authorized Railroad LEOs – when you do the math, only about 4.53% of all law enforcement officers fly armed.
• Of those flying armed, approximately
• 70% are Federal law enforcement officers
• 30% are State, Local, Territorial, Tribal and Railroad law enforcement officers

* These statistics are only kept for flights to which screening is mandated (per 49 CFR 1544.219). If an officer is flying armed on a general aviation aircraft they would not be tracked (like the USM ConAir flights).

Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed Program in a Nutshell

The Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service maintains oversight of the Law Enforcement Officers flying armed program under Title 49 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) § 1544.219 Carriage of Accessible Weapons.

To qualify to fly armed, Federal Regulation states that an officer must meet the following basic requirements:

• Be a Federal Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) or a full-time municipal, county, or state LEO who is a direct employee of a government agency.
• Be sworn and commissioned to enforce criminal statutes or immigration statutes.
• Be authorized by the employing agency to have the weapon in connection with assigned duties.
• Have completed the training program, ‘‘Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed.”

In addition to the above requirements, the officer must need to have the weapon accessible from the time he or she would otherwise check the weapon until the time it would be claimed after deplaning. The need to have the weapon accessible must be determined by the employing agency, department, or service and be based on one of the following:

• The provision of protective duty, for instance, assigned to a principal or advance team, or on travel required to be prepared to engage in a protective function.
• The conduct of a hazardous surveillance operation.
• On official travel required to report to another location, armed and prepared for duty.
• Employed as a Federal LEO, whether or not on official travel, and armed in accordance with an agency-wide policy governing that type of travel established by the employing agency by directive or policy statement.
• Control of a prisoner, in accordance with Title 49 CFR § 1544.221, or an armed LEO on a round trip ticket returning from escorting, or traveling to pick up a prisoner.

State, Local, Territorial, Tribal, and approved Railroad LEOs flying armed must submit a National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS) message prior to travel. The NLETS message replaces the Original Letter of Authority, commonly referred to as the “Chief’s Letter.” Failure to use the NLETS message will result in denial to the sterile area for failure to comply with the “Letter of Authority.” More information on this procedure is contained in the training program.

The Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed training is a 1.5 to 2 hour block of instruction that is comprised of a structured lesson plan, slide presentation, FAQs, NLETS procedures, and applicable codes of federal regulation. This material is provided to Federal, State, Local, Territorial, Tribal, and approved Railroad Law Enforcement agencies and departments to properly instruct their officers on the subject of flying on board commercial aircraft while armed. The training includes protocols in the handling of prohibited items, prisoner transport, and dealing with an act of criminal violence aboard an aircraft.

Transporting Guns on Planes Resources:

Law Enforcement Officers Flying Armed (LEOFA) Program: http://www.tsa.gov/lawenforcement/programs/traveling_with_guns.shtm

TSA’s Traveling with Special Items, Firearms and Ammunition Guide: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1666.shtm

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.

I’m wondering if I can become a Police Officer with a DWI? DUI? OVI? OUI? DUID?– 27 emails and comments later, time to write this post…

The answer to whether you can be a law enforcement officer with a DWI or DUI hinges on many factors. First, let’s quickly go over the meaning of each offense.

DWI vs. DUI vs. OVI vs. OUI vs. DUID

• DWI — Driving While Intoxicated
• DUI — Driving Under Influence
• OVI — Operating Vehicle [while] Intoxicated
• OUI — Operating Under Influence
• DUID — Driving Under Influence [of] Drugs

Don’t they all mean the same thing? Yes and no…

1. There are those that say that, except for DUID, all other are often classified as one and the same, but vary because of regional differences / legislature
2. Or some who state that many police departments qualify a DUI, DWI, and so on as either an alcohol or drug related offense (sometimes both, if you were drinking while high or high while drinking)
3. And then, there are some that say that a DUI means driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, prescription pills, etc.; while a DWI means driving while intoxicated with alcohol
4. Also, a more realistic explanation of the difference between DUI and DWI is the BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) in your system:
   • if your BAC was 0.8 or below, it’s a DUI (in most cases resulting in a fine, jail for the day/night, and car being impounded)
   • if your BAC was 0.8 or more, it’s a DWI (in most cases resulting in a stiffer fine than of a DUI, possible prison time, and car being impounded)
   • this explanation varies from state to state; while some states and jurisdictions may not acknowledge the difference

Classification of whether it was an alcohol or drug related offense is one of the factors that may determine if you are eligible to become a police officer.

It Was Alcohol

If it was an alcohol related DWI / DUI stop, then you still may have a chance of becoming a law enforcement officer, like a Police Officer, Sheriff Deputy, or State Trooper.

How recent was the offense? Was this your first DUI? Did you cause bodily injury or death to others while intoxicated? Did you damage property other than your own? Did you have car insurance? Did you pay for the damages? Do you find yourself needing a drink often / once in a while?– These are only some of the questions you may have to answer during the interview; granted, the police agency will even invite you thus far.

Your chances of becoming a police officer with an alcohol related DUI or DWI, even when expunged, are statistically lower than of a person without such offenses or minor traffic violations. That’s still better than having to explain this…

It Was Drugs

On top of the questions in the alcohol section, you may be asked: What drug(s) were you on when committing the offense? Are you still using? – Of course, there may be way more questions.

Your chances of becoming a police officer with a drug related DUI — DWI — DUID, even when expunged, are way lower than of a person with an alcohol related offense and exponentially lower than compared with an individual without such offenses or minor traffic violations.

Your Life is NOT OVER

While in reality you may get drilled more about your DWI / DUI / OVI / OUI or DUID, than those without such offenses, you still have a shot. Yes, the chances are lower, but don’t write yourself off just yet.

• Some police agencies are much more lenient than others – they will consider all the circumstances surrounding your offense
• Others may be strict, but in dire need of police officers – usually they would deny your application, but this time they may give you a shot after diligent scrutiny
• And, of course, there are the absolutist police departments – zero tolerance policy for all applicants

All this varies through foreseeable factors, like the State the police agency is located in or simply legislature, to the not-so-foreseeable ones, like: individual perspectives and decisions of the panel on the day of your review

No matter what department you apply to, even the one borderline-lenient, you will be asked questions and will be scrutinized. Remember that all law enforcement agencies want the best applicants, so other factors will come into play such as your morals, character, social skills, physical fitness, health, academics, and more.

• The more polished your resume is, the more of a chance you have obtaining a criminal justice career
• The more improved you and your life circumstances are, the higher the chance you may be considered
• The older the DUI / DWI is, the better
• You may need to consider moving to a city, county, or state that has more lenient policies — Don’t worry! You won’t need to move or commute until you get the final offer in writing, granted you pass everything else; including the panel Q&A.
• Some agencies may take candidates with a DUI / DWI offense only on a case by case basis and consider further – more positive – attributes of the potential recruit (like some listed above). There are no guarantees.

Find Out About DUI / DWI Hiring Policies

1. The best and probably the most anonymous place to start is the website of the law enforcement agency. Many medium-sized, or larger, police agencies provide tons of info to potential recruits. DUIs and DWIs criteria may be explained there.
2. Request a recruiting brochure from the agency. Usually you can find one on the website or by calling the agency.
3. You might be able to find out by going to a career fair where the police agency has presence. You can ask a representative on the policies and still remain fairly anonymous. These career fairs or open houses do not happen often (once a year, usually) and are very often located at colleges and universities, police departments, although they may be convening in larger convention centers, too.
4. Call the agency in question and try asking over the phone — don’t dial 911, like one of my readers did — you may also try contacting the human resources department of the agency if the general info line doesn’t pay off
5. Ask a police officer next time you see him or her at a local diner; or next time you try to explain yourself from a speeding ticket; also consider going to the police department itself and flat out asking.

If you don’t find out, you won’t know!

If you work for a law enforcement agency and know how alcohol and drug related DUI / DWI offenses are handled in your city, county, or state, — and how they may affect potential police officers — please shed some light in the comments section below. Thanks.

Is a Criminal Justice Degree a requirement if you want to work in law enforcement?

Several years ago, when I first started researching law enforcement careers, I was under the impression that a criminal justice degree is a mandatory requirement. Heck, I thought any 4-year degree had to be a mandatory accomplishment. After countless hours of research, interviews, and reading emails I learned more about how a lot of police departments in the country work when it comes to applicants with or without a degree.

First of all, contrary to the popular belief, a degree in criminal justice is not a requirement to be a police officer. In most departments, which require a degree to be completed prior to the application process, the applicants can have a degree in any discipline they got it in. Plain and simple. If you have a degree in Business, or a degree in History, you are a successful college graduate and you are past the educational hurdle, at least for now. This is for those “hard-to-get-into” police departments and Federal law enforcement agencies, like: FBI, DEA, or ICE.

Secondly, did you know that a criminal justice degree is not always a requirement? Better yet, did you know that any degree from an accredited academic institution in not always required? Yes, it’s true. Many police departments across the country will hire a high school graduate or a person who’s completing their college. However, within X number of years, the completion of at least 60 semester credit hours, or a full 4-year degree, is mandatory to keep your job. So, for example, the state of Wisconsin is trying to implement a 5-year term from hire to the time the educational requirement has to be completed – I think it’s 60 regular semester credits / 90 quarterly credits, or an equivalent of an Associates degree in 5 years. Each state has its own rules and time frames, some don’t have any at all – at least not yet.

Some departments, like the Chicago Police Department, requires that the applicant has 60 college credits at the time of application.

So, keep in mind that although you may need no education, some education, or a full 4-year degree at the time of application, you are still going to see those that have their degrees completed get the better pay and perhaps faster/better promotions. In my opinion, no matter if you work for a small/rural police department or a large/metropolitan police department, education is key.

Now, about Criminal Justice Degree as the absolute requirement. Despite what I said about a degree in Criminal Justice not being required, it is wise to take such a degree if you know that you would like to become a LEO. Think of a degree in Criminal Justice as a strong background for law enforcement and administrative duties while working for a Police Department, Sheriff’s Office, State Patrol, of Federal Government.

In any case, consider that there are many incentives for those completing college, with completed Bachelor degree, or an advanced degree, like: Master’s or Doctorate. Many medium and large law enforcement organizations give a percentage of salary increase per educational level completed. That can be substantial if you have a Bachelor’s degree or above. Also, certain positions within the organization require certain educational requirements, which can mean a move to a better position and a salary increase as well.

To recap:

1. In many cases, you don’t need a degree to start, but you may need one after X number of years
2. A degree in Criminal Justice is not the only degree accepted, but is often preferred in law enforcement agencies (see agency’s website / brochure for more info as there are some agencies that may prefer a Business or a Law Degree)
3. Usually, smaller departments start you off with a high school degree, medium departments with high school or 60 credit hours or Associate’s, big departments 60 credits / Associate’s or Bachelor’s
4. In the long run, a Bachelor degree is better than no degree
5. Education pays more and positions you for better promotions
6. Bonus: there’s a growing trend amongst law enforcement agencies to reward those who embark on a quest towards a degree, or advanced courses, with tuition assistance. Often the assistance can cover your college costs 100% and will most likely be based on the grades you get.

I always recommend to see more details about hiring information and application requirements from the agency in question. Most law enforcement agencies have websites or an information hotline for interested candidates.

Email from Ryan: What is the difference between a homicide detective and a crime scene investigator (CSI)?

A homicide detective and a crime scene investigator are often thought of as one profession. The media, TV, and movies often portray a crime scene where a detective takes a pen out of his pocket and starts poking around the body. You’ll see them lifting a piece of key evidence while there are some other people with cameras and measuring tools all around. Awkward…

The truth is, most detectives and first respondents know very well not to contaminate the crime scene by poking their noses around. The only time you should see a detective around the body is when he or she makes sure if the victim is alive or after the CSI clears them for access. This point will probably be disputed by some in the law enforcement community, but with precious evidence in a form of a foot print or a microscopic particle taking the chance can ultimately demolish the case.

So what is the difference?

For the most part, homicide detectives and crime scene investigators are two different professions, from two different departments. In order to become a detective, you must first be a police officer and pass the detective exam. To become a CSI, you don’t necessarily have to be a police officer. However, there are many departments who train their police officers and detectives to be crime scene investigators, and vice versa. This depends heavily on geographic location and needs of a particular agency.

Smaller municipalities may have a handful of police officers and even fewer detectives. Some of them are trained to process crime scenes when needed, but when a murder case springs up in their community they [should] utilize other impartial law enforcement agencies, like: Sheriff’s Office or State Police.

Why so many professionals?

One big reason of why detectives handling a murder case do not sweep the crime scene for finger prints, hair follicles, and DNA particles is because of the need to have a system of “checks and balances.” Imagine if the lead detective had the responsibility of processing a crime scene:

1. It is way too much work for one person to do. As the time ticks away so do the leads that can result in an arrest, or no arrest, of the perpetrator.
2. In an event of a mistake an invested investigator can unintentionally or intentionally manipulate the evidence and tests, thus squashing any chance of the case legitimately going to trial.
3. His or her career, as well as personal well-being, can be adversely affected through means of corruption and threats.

These are hypothetical examples, but years ago, detectives had a hard task of dealing with crime scenes all by themselves. There were no elaborate CSI units or departments. Detectives did all the leg work, and then some. As praiseworthy as these efforts were, they often were not successful at catching the right suspects, and at times, lead to wrongful convictions and executions. Corruption was common as well.

Crime Scene Investigation units started growing in numbers with the advent of scientific methods for preserving and processing the crime scene. As the number of methods grew, so did the need for well qualified personnel. This way, the detectives could start focusing on the complexities of solving the crime by piecing ALL the pieces together, including those provided by CSIs. Now, many of the CSI careers have components of Forensic Science in them and those have separate sub-fields which further require training and education.

So, to wrap up…

So, if you see  a person in a suit and a person in a Crime Scene Unit jacket you can be sure they are working together, but doing completely different work. Although some people may be both a detective and a CSI, you can assume that they are working only one side of the case. A detective collects information processed by the crime scene investigators which is supposed to help them apprehend the perpetrator of the crime. There is much more a detective does behind the scenes that does not include forensic anthropologists and latent print examiners. Both the detective and the crime scene investigator (CSI) careers fall under the criminal justice system umbrella, even the law enforcement field, but should not be considered one and the same.

If you’ve ever read any other law enforcement blogs, criminal justice job descriptions, or specialized articles you may have come across LEO. So what does LEO mean? Is it just an astrological sign? A name? Or, as you may have figured already, it means Law Enforcement Ooooooooo.

LEO is an acronym often used by police officers, law enforcement industry professionals, bloggers and writers, and those who forget to tell us before hand that LEO stands for Law Enforcement Officer. Simple! Duh! Well, not quite… I’ve noticed that many who are not part of the industry, but are seeking some good info, seem to find random pages on the Internet with blog posts and forum discussions that ramble on and on about LEO this and LEO that. In the end, you end up searching for what LEO means because you’re not sure what the “O” stands for.

A law enforcement officer (LEO) is any individual who is sworn in as a police officer, sheriff deputy, state trooper, or a federal agent to enforce the laws of the jursdiction he or she serves. Some other careers that are considered LEO positions include:

• Air Marshal
• ATF Special Agent
• Border Patrol Agent
• Detective
• FBI Special Agent
• ICE Special Agent

Most corrections positions, such as prison guard or prison warden, are not considered law enforcement officer positions. Most crime scene investigation careers are also non law enforcement officer positions, although many crime scene investigators (CSIs) are sworn in LEOs and can utilize the powers of arrest. These and many other, including any of the LEO positions, are part of a bigger career spectrum: criminal justice careers – where law enforcement, legal, corrections, forensic, and private careers are all sub-fields of criminal justice.

Email from Jake in Illinois: What’s the difference between Criminal Justice and Criminal Law?

I can’t believe I didn’t think of answering this age-old question back when I started my blog. However, it’s never too late to tackle this one so I’ll give it my best shot.

Criminal Justice vs. Criminal Law

So you’re thinking about majoring in something. Criminal Justice, Criminal Law, and other criminally interesting degree programs come to mind. So what the heck is the difference between Criminal Law and Criminal Justice? They both have “criminal” in them and they both pertain to the criminal justice system. Yes, but they are totally different from one another.

Criminal Justice refers to the universal and policy aspects of the field, including the exploration of policing, courts, corrections, and other daily applications. For example when I studied Criminal Justice at Boston University, I had the opportunity to explore the criminal justice system from the perspective of a victim and the criminal ( Victimology ) or the historic relevance of the death penalty. I learned how today’s police departments have to adhere to the demands of the communities they serve and how terrorism and the proliferation of the Internet changed the policing landscape. You can pick a Criminal Justice major at any academic level. Whether it is an Associate’s, a Bachelor’s, or a graduate degree, you’re sure to find a program you like.

Criminal Law can be studied in depth at the graduate level (after completion of a Bachelor’s degree). It is a concentration that is available at most law schools in the United States and mainly leads to a career as a lawyer. Criminal Law is not as versatile as Criminal Justice, although both majors are applied to the criminal justice field. When taking Criminal Law you’ll be focusing on the legal ramifications of crime rather than on the social aspects of it. You will be immersed in a research intensive environment where pristine writing skills are very important and a keen eye to detail is a must. Besides a law degree – aka JD or Juris Doctor degree – you can study Criminal Law from a historical standpoint on any academic level, but such programs are seldom seen.

Criminal Justice and Criminal Law Careers

With a degree in Criminal Justice you can gear your career seeking efforts towards law enforcement (Police, Sheriff, Federal Agent – FBI, DEA, CIA, Diplomatic Security Special Agent, ICE, and etc.). If you have an advanced degree, like a Master’s or a Doctorate in Criminal Justice or Criminology, you may seek consulting and academic careers.

A Law Degree with the Criminal Law concentration is most definitely going to propel you towards a career as a lawyer, perhaps even a judge, but since it is an advanced degree, you will be able to obtain jobs in the law enforcement, consulting, and academic fields as well.

A common term for a lawyer that specializes in Criminal Law is a defense attorney. Defense attorneys are lawyers who represent clients in court in exchange for money. Some defense lawyers work on a pro bono basis, which in layman’s terms means for free.

pro bono publico – a.k.a. pro bono -  is derived from Latin and literarilly means for the public good

A prosecutor most likely studied Criminal Law in college as well and is the proverbial adversary of the defense attorney. Prosecutors go after the criminals by preparing cases which most often don’t go to trial. In most court cases, the defense attorney and the prosecutor present the case in front of a judge who will subsequently make the decision on the outcome of the case. If a criminal case goes to trial, you can expect the usual charade that you see on Court TV and your local news, but mostly without all the drama.

For more information on the different careers available to you please see the criminal justice careers page where there are many more interesting jobs that didn’t get listed here. As always feel free to comment and ask questions. Till next time, take care.

I recently had a great e-mail conversation with one of my blog readers and I thought this can be helpful for some of you. Just remember, it is a personal e-mail so nothing is scripted. Take it for what it’s worth. Hope it helps some of you.

The Story – The Questions

Hey Radek, I left a couple comments on the blog, but I wanted to say hi and shoot you an email — I’m in a graduate program for Criminal Justice right now at SUNY Albany, and I’m thinking about applying for a PhD (but I have a lot of interests so I’m not sure what my focus would be at all whatsoever!) but I was just wondering if you had encountered doctorate types in the field or knew much about where they fit in?

I’m not really interested in academia yet at my age (and generally it seems like universities and CCs [Community Colleges] prefer people with both credentials AND CJ system experience), I figure I’d be in my mid-late 20s by the time I finish a doctorate, but I would like to work for either my state or the national government in investigation or analysis, is there a danger of over-qualification though? Would it be overburdening myself to get a doctorate instead of just applying away with a master’s degree? I really sorely lack experience, all I have under my belt is a year of non-profit work and a year as an intern/glorified clerk at the local attorney general’s office so I don’t really feel confident that I could get a position at this point.

Anyways, though, thanks for maintaining the blog, I really enjoy checking it out and it was a big confidence boost for me to read your posts about jobs with the alphabet soup of Fed. agencies that like CJ grads!

- Mystery Reader

The Response

Consider yourself a blessed entity in the criminal justice realm. SUNY Albany is one of the best. Kudos!

I understand your questions and confusion that is related to picking out the best PhD program for you. It is the contention that you would go into Criminology after your Master’s. Unfortunately there is no cornucopia of PhD kinds to choose from. One piece of advice is to look for PhD programs that are NOT within the criminal justice direct line of sight (aka PhD in Criminal Justice, Justice Administration, and Criminology).

For example, I am very interested in the studies that are related to terrorism. I love the Criminal Justice and Criminology side of terrorism related issues, but I found that to get my proper fix of healthy education and terrorism information I had to look into the field of Political Science with an emphasis on International Security (check out MIT’s program to see more). Or, search “Australia” on my blog – one of the best transnational crime programs is in AU.

Very often a PhD degree will suffice with higher learning institutions (experience won’t hurt). Academia may be an option, if you would like.

I know that there’s always a risk of over-qualification, but that’s usually on an individual level, not an organizational one. Thus, if you get passed up based on your Doctorate credentials, it is usually the judgment of one, or a few, individuals who are mostly worried about their careers and you passing them by.

Another issue that may present itself is budget. It is not uncommon to hire Master level grads over PhDs, based on salary offers. However, yet again, a professional organization will always offer the position to a PhD grad with the lower salary clause. Most municipalities and government agencies are looking for more qualified individuals, and even if you had to take a pay cut in the beginning, your status as a doctoral grad will propel you further, and surely, will increase your bottom line over time.

Experience is something you are gaining by sitting in on those seminars, and even though you don’t have the proverbial “street cred” you will get it with time. Most government agencies will hire a demonstrated and professional Master level grad. Considering that you’re looking into the government sector, you should have no problem – despite your concerns.

I am sitting on the fence right now, because I would like to get into your school (LOL), Penn State, or MIT (I have a few more I like). My take on it – a PhD by your mid or late 20′s is great, and if you have the will, you should go for it.

Thank you for the kind words and your input.

- Radek

The Response To The Response

Hey, thanks for getting back to me!

That’s a lot of food for thought, I really appreciate your reflections on this for sure!

Interestingly what you said about not getting the direct line-of-sight programs in the criminal justice field in specific interest areas like studying terrorism from the perspective of CJ orgs like Interpol actually kind of reassures me that getting the PhD in Criminal Justice MIGHT actually be appropriate for me… I don’t have any interest in sociology approaches (Criminology, or well except for comparative because it’s really cool to read about the way things are done in Japan and other countries of course…), but Criminal Justice — the system, institutions, and the players — are all very interesting to me.

One nice thing in Albany’s program too might be that I could take the IT concentration to show the “credentials” in GIS, SPSS, and all that sort of buzz-word kinda tech stuff employers like to know about! And I actually wouldn’t mind teaching as much as I mentioned earlier, it would be something I’d prefer doing after some professional experience, but if life thrusts me towards that I wouldn’t complain at all.

You know and it’s funny because — as far as I’m aware — I’m the only person in the program who comes from a humanities background rather than a social science or bio/hard science background, so I feel like a little bit of an anomaly (but in a good way) in the program and feel like I bring and take away completely different things to/from the program as a result. I guess an example would be my more crafted presentation of research, pushing for emotional as well as logical appeals for academic arguments.

And I mean like I said, my interests are pretty wide and I don’t seem to have any specific thing I can point to and say “aha!” I have interest in crime analysis and strategy planning, law enforcement intelligence, white collar crime (it seems like that’s more of a law school thing though?), historical research, field observation (did it once in an adjudication system class — observing court and the like, had a blast doing it), survey design maybe (though I haven’t tried it), legal research, using technology/crime mapping/stat analysis… I honestly haven’t taken a single course in this program that didn’t completely engage me, and that’s really saying something since I was an English major and loved reading and writing, yet hated 70% of my courses as an undergrad!

That’s great to hear you’re looking into the PhD thing too, I really like going to Albany (I didn’t like it at first, but it was a big under-renovation mess and I had a crazy ex-gf trying to kill me on the uptown campus) but it’s grown on me. Albany, NY has got a lot of government agencies to work/intern with, and is a close hop away from NYC and Boston, so it’s also a great place for opportunities, like the internship I had. MIT would be great though since it has your specific interest there, plus Boston is like the nicest city in the east by far if you ask me…

But really, thanks for your response. I feel a lot more encouraged now and I think applying to this thing might be for real even this very week!

- Mystery Reader

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:

1. teach – high school with a Bachelor’s degree (plus state certification)
2. teach community college and university level with a Master’s degree (a PhD is preferable)
3. work in private security as a consultant, loss prevention officer, or private eye (PI)
4. work as a researcher at a private firm, university, or a government agency
5. 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
6. work as a correction officer – usually no gun is “required”, but gun training may be imposed
7. work as a youth counselor – this position is in high demand
8. work as a substance abuse counselor
9. work as a probation officer
10. 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.