A criminal justice degree prepares students for a variety of different jobs, both within the criminal justice sector and in other areas. The majority of individuals with this type of college diploma focus on careers within criminal justice. They gain skills relating to research, investigation and writing, areas employers look for in prospective employees. There are some students who use their degree to teach other students basics of the field.

A large number of people with a criminal justice degree work on the police force at the local level. In smaller communities, these individuals handle all areas of policing such as: arresting criminals, booking them and investigating crimes. In larger cities, police officers work in only one area. The individual might work on bike/horse patrol, highway patrol, or work in the station.

Those with a criminal justice degree are qualified to work as probation officers. This type of work involves watching over recently paroled criminals and ensuring they’re acting properly. They might do spot checks, run checks to see if parolees are working or living where they say they are and completing paperwork relating to the case. They often have dozens of paroled criminals under their watch at any given time.

Corrections officers are another area where criminal justice degree holders can be employed. These individuals work in prisons and jails where they handle criminals on a daily basis. They frequently place themselves in danger, based solely on their choice of work. A less dangerous, but related field is security. They typically work in public areas such as shopping malls and private areas as a security guard.

Counseling and victim’s services are open to those with a criminal justice degree. This is a difficult job, but far less dangerous than some of the other options. Workers in this field work with victims of crime, either on a general level or a more specific level. For example, there are counselors in hospitals working with victims of all crimes and others work directly with domestic violence or rape victims. These jobs are sometimes tied to social work, with the individual working for a local social work agency.

The federal government has positions open to those with a criminal justice diploma. These jobs relate to specific agencies working for the federal government such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI requires a four year degree for all of its agents, and those with a criminal justice degree are especially needed. These workers have experience in crime and require less training than individuals who studied in another field. Individuals also have the option of working for the border patrol, the U.S. Marshals and the Drug Enforcement Agency. 

There are many who use their degree as way of pursuing a law degree by going on to law school or a work as private investigator after getting the proper licensing in their state. They have the option of working as a bounty hunter or bond enforcement agent. These trained individuals have a large number of different things they can do once they earn their degree.



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