You know you're interested in criminal justice, but you're not sure what your job options are once you graduate from your online degree program. Your possibilities are just about limitless!
Probation Officer
You probably know that some people who are convicted of crimes are put on probation rather than sent to jail. The role of a probation officer (sometimes called a community supervision officer) is to supervise those people on probation to make sure they stay out of trouble and meet other requirements.
Probation officers spend a lot of time in court, researching an offender's background and making sentencing recommendations. As an officer, you will work with either adult or juvenile offenders.
Police Officer
If you want to become a police officer, your duties will depend on whether you are a city or state police officer. A state police officer arrests criminals and patrols highways to enforce motor vehicle laws and regulations on the state level. At the scene of a traffic accident, state police officers may direct traffic, provide first aid to victims and write accident reports.
City police officers deal with some of the same issues, but at the city level. Additionally, they may investigate domestic or noise disturbances, issue parking and speeding tickets, and respond to robbery calls.
Federal Government Jobs
There are dozens of different jobs with the federal government that would make good use of your criminal justice degree. You could work with the FBI to investigate organized crime, or with the CIA to go under cover to exploit international criminals. You could work with the DEA to enforce laws against drug smuggling.
Read further and learn more about some of the career fields within crimnal justice.
If the thought of being stuck in an office all day makes you claustrophobic, you should consider working with the Border Patrol. You get to work outside and enjoy nature every day! With a border patrol degree or homeland security degree, you'll get the education you need to protect the US borders!
Customers and Border Protection (CBP)
The US Customs and Border Protection branch of the Federal government hires individuals who are dedicated to preventing, detecting and apprehending people attempting to illegally enter the United States.
Having the appropriate criminal justice degree will get you to the top of the piles of resumes of people applying to be Border Patrol Agents. Once you're offered a position, you will spend 19 weeks of training at the CBP Border Patrol Academy. In this rigorous training, you will learn a variety of legal laws including immigration and nationality law, criminal law and statutory authority. The training also provides you with knowledge on how to use and maintain firearms, defensive driving and physical techniques, along with informatino on Border Patrol operations.
What it Takes
The first requirement for a good Border Patrol Agent is that you have to be up for both a physical and mental challenge, because being an agent requires stamina. Speaking Spanish is part of the job, so if you already speak it, you have a leg up. If not, you will learn Spanish during your training.
While you are not required to have an education in border patrol or criminal justice, it can help you qualify for a higher salary level.
If you don't miss an episode of CSI (Miami, Las Vegas OR New York!) and have considered a career in crime scene investigation, it's a lucrative and exciting field. While there are several titles within the CSI realm (evidence technician, crime scene technician, forensic investigator, scenes of crime officer, crime scene analyst, and criminalistics officer) essentially, they are all involved in documenting, identifying and gathering physical evidence at a crime scene.
What You'll Do
Just like on television, your career as a CSI will involve working at a lot of crime scenes. You'll be hunting for clues that may solve a case or prove a defendant guilty or not guilty. You will evaluate fingerprints, hair, fibers and bodily fluids, as well as review DNA and blood spatter patterns.
You will need to have a strong stomach, as you will attend autopsies and see a lot of unpleasant things. Additionally, you will probably work long hours and lift heavy equipment, so strength and duration are good qualities to have.
What You Need
A two or four-year degree in Criminal Justice or Forensic Science can get you into the crime scene investigation field, and there are even CSI degree programs that offer more specialized education.
There are online programs that offer degrees and training in CSI. With these programs, you will likely study topics like forensics, forensic investigation and chemistry, criminal evidence and psychology.
If you've always been inquisitive and would like to carry a badge, consider working for the FBI. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the government's own team of detectives. As an FBI agent, you may oversee wiretaps, conduct surveillance, monitor white-collar crime or be part of an undercover sting.
The FBI investigates many things including:
What They Want
The FBI is looking for a few good men and women to fill these important roles. They want job candidates to have a law degree or degree with a major in accounting, electrical engineering, or information technology. Additionally, there are FBI degree programs and criminal justice degrees that will give you the knowledge and training you need to join the ranks of the FBI.
There are online degree programs that will teach you about the US criminal justice system, criminal law and procedure and other topics relevant to your work with the FBI. You can earn an online criminal justice degree in just two years, then start your lifetime career with the FBI!
Do the terms espionage, disguise and world travel excite you? Then you should consider a career with the CIA! The Central Intelligence Agency offers many thrilling jobs for students of criminal justice in Science, Technical and Engineering, National Clandestine Service, Language Opportunities, Analytical Opportunities and Support Services.
What You Need to Know
The CIA requires you to have a four-year degree to be considered for its programs. CIA degree programs that will help you get your foot in the door include:
If you speak another language, especially a Middle-Eastern language, you have an even greater chance of being hired by the CIA.
What You Will Do
We've all seen the CIA agents in movies and TV shows. Their lives look so exciting and fabulous, but you should know that the real-life job will likely be very dangerous. If you are given a field position, you will travel around the world on assignments, and you must keep complete confidentiality on all of your assignments.
Other positions are less dangerous and are office positions. You will support fellow agents with your technology, office or analytical skills.
What You'll Get
CIA agents make generally between $30,000 and $60,000, depending on experience and education, and have good benefits packages.
Additionally, you will get the experience of a lifetime, a chance to see the world, and valuable job skills with the CIA!
