Criminal Justice Careers

Criminal justice careers can be exciting, rewarding and offer many opportunities for advancement. The field of criminal justice is growing rapidly, but education is key to getting hired or moving up in the field. Whether you want to advance your criminal justice career or find a new job in the field, Criminal Justice Degree Schools is an information resource for researching your education options. Here you’ll find criminal justice schools, criminal justice degrees, job descriptions and criminal justice salary information.

Beyond the facts, we’ll give you a snapshot of some of the current employment trends to decide which criminal justice careers might be right for you. Then just browse our school listings for the right career program, and you’ll be able to contact the criminal justice schools directly for further information or an enrollment application to pursue the career you are interested in. After completing one of the top criminal justice programs in the US, you’ll be ready for an exciting criminal justice career or advancement in your current field. Nearly 2.5 million workers are employed in the criminal justice field according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (2006).

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Criminal Justice Careers Outlook

The criminal justice career sector is one of the fastest growing in the United States. Across the nation, there is a heightened focus on law enforcement, immigration, public safety and security, which has created a high demand for criminal justice school graduates. This growth is continuing into the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which estimates that police and detective employment will grow 10 percent through 2018. The bottom line: high-paying jobs are available now and into the future in the field of criminal justice.

Colleges and universities offer a number of criminal justice degrees and training programs, several of them designed specifically for working professionals. A criminal justice education can conveniently be obtained through online criminal justice degree programs, which provide specialized training and education at your fingertips — complete your classes online, at your own pace, and graduate with the knowledge you need to begin your job search or advance your criminal justice career.

Top Related Degrees for a Career in Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice Career Centers

Visit our criminal justice career centers to learn all about specific careers in criminal justice and access our free informational resource pages. The following career fields offer promising job prospects, competitive pay, and are popular areas of study for college students.

Paralegal Career Center
Visit our career center page for all things paralegal to learn about degree and career information. You’ll find links for all of our different paralegal careers, from Corporate to Immigration, as well as top online paralegal schools, degrees and programs. The Paralegal Career Center has links to more than a dozen topical articles, and lots of paralegal interviews from experts in the field. Learn from them about the best and most challenging aspects of being a paralegal. We’ve also compiled a list of top paralegal blogs, a directory of over 140 U.S. paralegal associations, and free criminal justice lectures. Visit the Paralegal Degree and Career Center.

Police Officer Career Center
Learn about the typical path to becoming a police officer as well as possible exceptions for previous experience. Research popular degrees that can help you get started in your law enforcement career. Visit law enforcement career pages from Homicide Detective to State Trooper to get an idea of what type of law enforcement career is of interest to you and how you might best approach the position. Read our “Best Career Advice” article, which features QA from 35 respected law enforcement officials. We have 17+ law enforcement interviews, from Sheriffs to FBI and Forensics specialists, and Gang Investigators. The Police Officer Career Center features police department requirements by popular metro areas, State Trooper requirements, the top police blogs and more. Visit the Police Officer Degree and Career Center.

Homeland Security Career Center
The Department of Homeland Security was created after 9/11, with the mission of protecting the country’s citizens from domestic and foreign attacks. The Homeland Security Career Center give you more insight into this powerful government department and what career opportunities exist within. We specifically call out the divisions around the country that often lead to opportunities within the department (Immigration Enforcement, US Customs, and Border Enforcement), degrees that could be helpful for those careers, and schools that offer said programs. The Career Center talks about salary and benefits, career outlook, as well as related articles and the Top Homeland Security Blogs. Visit the Homeland Security Career Center.

Forensics Degree and Career Center
Learn about what it takes to start a career in Forensics. This career center has information on all the leading forensics career profiles like Computer Forensics, Forensic Accounting, Forensic Nursing, Forensic Psychology, and Forensic Science Technician. Each career profile also features related degrees from top schools offering programs in that field. Want to know more about Forensic Psychology? Read our exclusive interview with Forensic Psychiatrist Michael Welner, M.D., our other forensics articles, or visit the some of the forensic blogs we’ve compiled in our Top Forensics Blogs list. Visit the Forensics Degree and Career Center.

Corrections Career Center
Interested in a career or degree in the field of Corrections? Read about criminal justice careers that fall under the Corrections umbrella. Careers like Prison Warden, Substance Abuse Counselor, and Forensic Psychologist are featured – as well as more obvious ones such as Correctional Case Manager, Youth Correctional Officer, and many more. There are links to more than a dozen corrections-related articles, an in-depth interview on the state of California’s prisons, and a Q and A video clip with Sheriff Gary Raney. Visit the Corrections Degree and Career Center.