Criminal Justice Careers - Choosing a Criminal Justice Degree
The criminal justice system includes a vast body of courts, prisons and other agencies that all staff hundreds of people throughout the nation. Many criminal justice jobs do require prior upper level education, such as an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree. If you are thinking of improving your career, consider going back to school or taking some online courses to learn more about the criminal justice system.
Some popular types of criminal justice degrees are:
Types of Criminal Justice Careers
Careers in criminal justice have a wide range of responsibilities. For example, a court reporter is a person who records legal proceedings, discussions and speeches that take place inside a courtroom. He or she has to accurately record every word so that the court will have the proceedings in writing as a reference if ever necessary.
A court reporter needs to have excellent listening and typing skills. Court reporters may need training that lasts from one to three years, depending upon the type of court reporting they are interested in. Court reporters are always needed in the criminal justice system, and they can generally earn an average of $41,550 a year.
Another criminal justice career to consider is being a judge. Becoming a judge may seem like it would require long years of education, however, judges are only required to have a Bachelor’s degree and work experience. Still, many judges do hold law degrees.
Judges are expected to oversee the legal proceedings in their courtrooms. They must adhere to the laws and be sure that each side gets a fair trial. They are also required to read briefings and do prior research on cases. The average yearly salary for a judge is $94,070, and the need for the profession is growing at a slow rate.
If you are interested in law enforcement but do not want to be a cop, consider becoming a probation officer. In order to become a probation officer, an applicant must have a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice or some other relatable field. Some employers may even require a Master’s Degree in Psychology for advanced probation officers.
A probation officer stays in contact with criminals who are put on parole. The officer is required to keep the parolee on track and coordinate their drug and substance testing as needed by the court. Probation officers earn an average salary of $38,360. While the profession isn’t growing at a fast rate, there are expected to be more job opportunities for probation officers in the next few years.
Earning a Criminal Justice Degree
Since there are a variety of Criminal Justice jobs, the length and type of education needed for each may differ. However, most of criminal justice jobs require either an Associate’s or a Bachelor's Criminal Justice Degree.
An Associate’s degree can be obtained from a community college or a state university. A full-time student can generally finish an Associate’s Criminal Justice Degree in two years at an average cost of $4,500 to $8,000 per year for tuition. Online courses and programs are generally cheaper, as you don't have to pay for using the school's facilities.
A Bachelor’s degree can be earned at a state or private university. There are also a number of schools that offer a Bachelor’s Criminal Justice Degree through online programs. The program is also comparable to a regular Bachelor’s degree and can cost $15,000 to $20,000 to complete.