Types of Criminal Justice Degrees

If crime investigation shows and juried trials fascinate you, then you may be the right person for a career in criminal justice. You may be a perfect match for this type of career. Someone who enjoys researching crime scenes and wants to learn more about criminal profiling will succeed in a criminal justice career. There are so many different types of careers that one can pursue with this type of degree. There are also different degree programs that are available and can be tailored to your ultimate career goals.

Certificate Programs

If you don’t have a couple of years to devote to an associate’s program, then you may want to obtain a certificate in criminal justice. A certificate can allow you to pursue a very specific niche of criminal justice. You may learn how to do fingerprints, or you may learn how to do crime scene photography. It is a good idea to pursue a certificate if you want to work in a part-time job.

Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice

To pursue an associate’s degree in criminal justice, you can expect to take two years to complete the program. You will be able to study areas of criminal justice such as psychology and sociology. You will also be able to transfer the credits that you have earned from an associate’s degree into a bachelor’s degree program. This is one of the main reasons that people will begin in pursuing an associate’s degree in criminal justice.

Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice

A bachelor’s degree gives you the ability to pursue a position as s police officer. You will be provided an in-depth education about the functioning of the law enforcement system in society. You will also be able to learn about the factors that cause people to enter into a criminal lifestyle. You will learn how issues like poverty influence people in low-income parts of the country. One of the other benefits of pursuing a degree in criminal justice is that you can learn more about forensic science. People who want to become forensic scientists may also want to major in criminal justice.

Choosing a Specialty

You may want to choose a specialized field of study while you pursue a degree in criminal justice. A minor in psychology can be helpful if you plan on becoming a police officer. You can learn how people react when they are arrested. You can also learn what causes people to flee the scene of an accident. You may also want to pursue a minor in forensic science. Understanding the methods that are used for gathering evidence can give you an edge if you are involved in a trial. You may even want to pursue a minor in legal writing if you are thinking about eventually obtaining your law degree. People with criminal justice backgrounds will typically enter the legal field after they realize the different ways that laws can impact criminals in an unfair fashion. People may wish to amend these laws.