Criminal Justice is a broad field that is concerned with the detection, apprehension, prosecution, adjudication, release, detention, correctional supervision or rehabilitation of persons accused or convicted of a crime. There are many certificate and degree programs to consider when preparing for a career in Criminal Justice, from Associate to Bachelor, and even Doctorate degrees.
Students of Criminal Justice may focus on a myriad of specialties, including law enforcement, forensic psychology, crime scene investigation, prosecution, incarceration, private security, and others. In addition, there is a great need for Criminal Justice administrators to help identify criminals, and to collect, maintain, store and disseminate criminal histories.
Criminal Justice careers can cover just about any activity associated with reducing and detecting crime. Some jobs in Criminal Justice include police investigator, prosecutor, defender, judge, prison guard, administrator, security guard, and probation officer, to name a few. Employers will favor those with a background in criminology, sociology, psychology, social work, political science, or law.
