Choosing a Career in Criminal Justice.
Careers for criminal justice graduates exist in city, county, state, and federal agencies, centers of research concerned with criminal justice policies and practices, financial institutions, retail business, and international organizations. Other opportunities are in fields which do not require a specific major, but rather a wide range of demonstrated skills and accomplishments, such as for paralegals, security, loss prevention, fraud analysis, and counseling. Employment for law enforcement positions is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2010. A more security-conscious society and concern about terrorist crimes should contribute to the increasing demand for criminal justice graduates.
A degree in Criminal Justice offers students career opportunities in a variety of fields, and should be guided by personal career interests, work values, and transferable skills. For those with no previous work experience in the field, obtaining experiences through internships, part-time jobs, or volunteering is extremely important when pursuing a career in criminal justice. Develop specific knowledge and skills required for your career choice through academic courses, research, papers, presentations, and informational interviews before graduation. Doing so will improve your chances for employment following graduation.
Job Titles:
Police Officer Correctional Officer Private Investigator
Probation Officer Juvenile Justice Counselor Crime Analyst
Court Administrator Security Specialist Custom Protection Officer Criminal Investigator Program Analyst Compliance Officer
Victim Specialist Loss Prevention Fraud Analyst
Criminal Justice majors typically have interests in criminal justice, criminology, sociology, political science, psychology, social work, and other liberal arts and human services. However, the employment possibilities within the traditional police, courts, and corrections areas are being expanded with opportunities in business, particularly those which combine criminal justice with accounting, statistics, and computer science. Criminal Justice coursework is centered around law enforcement, the judicial process, juvenile justice, corrections and criminal law. Since any criminal justice system reflects the structure, ideas and concerns of the society within which it operates, additional courses in sociology, political science, psychology and history are beneficial.
Additional opportunities are available for Criminal Justice majors who pursue advanced studies in law school, graduate school, or a specialized academy. Although many criminal justice graduates attend law school, an increasing number are choosing other areas of graduate work as well. Students with a degree in criminal justice often elect to do their graduate work in criminal or public administration. However, they can also pursue graduate degrees in any behavioral or social science including political science, sociology, counseling, or psychology.
Mercer University offers a Master of Science in Public Safety Leadership.
Marketable skills for Criminal Justice graduates:
complex problem solving critical thinking active listening
critical thinking inductive reasoning quantitative skills
computer literacy interviewing skills research strategies
ethical decision making oral comprehension bilingual language skills
skills in scientific methodology
knowledge of legal structures and criminal justice systems
ability to identify and analyze social problems and develop solutions
Sample Resume 1
Law Enforcement Interviewing
Sample Interview Questions
Criminal Justice Web Sites:
Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) www.acjs.org
American Correctional Association www.aca.org
American Society of Criminology www.asc41.com
American Academy of Forensic Sciences www.aafs.org
Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement www.calea.org
International Association of Crime Analysts www.iaca.net
International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training www.iadlest.org
National Association of Legal Assistants www.NALA.org
National Criminal Justice Reference Service www.ncjrs.org
National Institute of Corrections www.nicic.org
National Sheriffs Association www.sheriffs.org
Law Enforcement Jobs www.lawenforcementjobs.com
Law Enforcement Jobs in Retail www.retailspy.com
Copnet for Criminal Justice Careers www.copnet.org
Law.com www.lawjobs.com
Officer.com www.officer.com
Official Directory of State Patrol & State Police www.statetroopersdirectory.com
The Corrections Connection www.corrections.com
The Police Guide www.policeguide.com
Police Employment www.policeemployment.com
U.S. Courts www.uscourts.gov/employment.html The Riley Guide www.rileyguide.com
911HotJobs.com www.911hotjobs.com
USA Jobs, official website of the U.S. Federal gov't http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov
Government Jobs Database of Criminal Justice www.govtjobs.com/crim/index.html
Federal Job Search www.federaljobsearch.com
FBI www.fbi.gov/homepage.htm
Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division www.irs.gov
Customs & Border Protection www.customers.ustreas.gov
Federal Bureau of Prisons www.bop.gov
National Security Agency www.nsa.gov/careers
GA Bureau of Investigation www.state.ga.us/gbi/employ.html
GA Department of Corrections www.dcor.state.ga.us
Judicial Branch of GA www.georgiacourts.org
GA Department of Labor www.thejobsite.org