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| Which specific criminal justice degree do I need for the career I want? |
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Monday, January 7, 2008
Individuals with degrees in Criminal Justice find entry-level job positions in: Probation departments Corporate security firms Financial investigation office Parole agencies Drug and firearms agencies Local, state or federal police and sheriff departments Immigration departments Correctional institutions Secret Services The Department of diplomatic security Private detective companies Federal air marshal agencies Transportation agencies Cyber Crime Cells Customs Department, and many others Given such a wide range of choices you have to decide on what subjects interest you, how adventurous you are and what kind of career appeals to you, whether you like desk work more than field work, whether you want jobs with more safety than with jobs where there is a large element of personal risk and so on. Based on these criteria you should select what type of career you want and then what degree would make you the best qualified for that particular career choice. For example, if you love working with children and juveniles, think of getting a degree that focuses on juveniles. If you are more interested in prison management you should opt for a degree that focuses on correction management, and so on. Main thing is: if you are not already employed you should first zero in on a career choice and then find the right type of degree that will qualify you for that particular career choice. For those already employed, the most important criterion, of course, will be what kind of on-the-job training you have already received so far. You should always pick a criminal justice degree where you will get the most credit for your training. Similarly, if you are already in a job and feel that a particular type of degree will help your career to advance in that particular job, you should opt for that. For example, if you are already working in a forensic lab, getting a degree in forensics should be just right for you. Ultimately your choice of which particular type of criminal justice degree you should get should depend entirely on your choice of career and not on other extraneous factors such as cost or convenience or whatever. Jim Greenberg recommends you visit the Online Criminal Justice DegreeGuide for more information on criminal justice degree . What different types of criminal justice degrees exist? If you are interested in pursuing a criminal justice degree with a specific focus, you have to first know the various types of degrees available. Within the broad field of criminal justice you can get degrees in various specific fields. Some of these fields are: Corrections, Court Reporting, Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Justice administration, homeland security, Economic Crimes, Forensic sciences, Law, Law Enforcement, Legal Studies, Paralegal & Legal Assistant, Public Safety Management and Security & Loss Prevention. You should collect information about the various online degrees being offered by various schools and pick the one you find most suitable. Following is a list of some of the more important types of criminal justice degrees available: • Degrees in Criminal Justice These degrees prepare students for a career in law and criminal justice: Forensics Justice administration Legal services Court reporting • Degrees in Law Enforcement These degrees prepare students for careers in policing and investigation: Crime scene investigations Law enforcement Legal services Paralegal & legal assistant • Degrees in Correction Management Prepares students in the management of prisons and other correctional institutions Correctional management and administration Urban management and administration of probation and parole Probation and parole • Degrees in Security Management These degrees prepare students for managing the security needs of corporate and public institutions. Technical systems and planning management Corporate security management Corporate crime prevention Assets protection management Administrative law Homeland security • Degrees in Juvenile Justice These degrees prepare students for careers dealing with juveniles. Urban juvenile justice Juvenile counseling theories • Degrees in Economic Crime These degrees prepare students for careers dealing with economic crime and fraud. Economic crime management Fraud management Forensic accounting Economic crime investigation • Degrees in Public Safety Management These degrees prepare students for careers dealing with public safety. Emergency response policy Public safety management Jim Greenberg recommends you visit the Online Criminal Justice Degree Guide for more information on criminal justice programs . Which colleges offer career placement for criminal justice students? Almost all accredited for-profit private colleges offering online degrees in criminal justice have good placement services. Although it is very difficult to say which offers the best, some of the colleges that have a good placement record and reputation are University of Phoenix, Kaplan University, Bakers College, Ellis College, Capella University, Florida Metropolitan University, and American Intercontinental University to name a few. But the point really is that if you are going for an online degree it is more than likely that you are already employed somewhere. So, for those seeking online degrees, which college offers the best placement service should hardly be an important factor in deciding which college to choose for one's online degree. This issue may be important to traditional students who will complete a degree and then think of placement but for non-traditional students who are already employed which college offers the best placement services should not be an important consideration at all. But when you are researching the issue which college is best for you please do try to find out the kind of placement services any college or university has. Ask for their placement record and ask for the names and contact numbers of a few alumni who have passed out of that college, get in touch with them and make a determination as to who of these alumni are happy and who are not. Talking to alumni before joining a particular college is therefore always very important. Also make it a point to check with your target employers. For example, if you are keen on a job with the FBI do try to get in touch with them and find out what they think of degrees from a college that you are keen to join. The online college degree market – yes, that's right – it's a market just like any other. As a consumer you have to find out about various products before you buy any. That minimum market research is must if you want a bargain or more importantly if you don't want to find yourself short-changed or a victim of fraudulent marketing tactics that many colleges offering online degrees have gained a reputation for. Jim Greenberg recommends you visit the Online Criminal Justice Degree Guide for more information on which online criminal justice college is best for jobs . |
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