A Different Way to Think About Criminal Justice Careers

What’s the first image that pops into your head when you hear the words, ‘criminal justice’? Is it a police cruiser, sirens blaring while in hot pursuit of a robber? Or, do you see a detective arriving at a crime scene asking witnesses questions, trying to unravel the meaning behind the broken glass, the lipstick on the coffee mug and the other clues?

Television shows reinforce the above scenarios. Earning a criminal justice degree online certainly can prepare you for a career in police and law enforcement; however, there are other ways you can contribute to your community with this degree.

In the last decade, criminals have become much more sophisticated and devious. This in turn, has created opportunities for highly specialized careers in law enforcement. These types of jobs don’t have the visual appeal to play out as a television drama, yet they are just as stimulating intellectually. By combining a degree in criminal justice with a minor in another field of study, you can work in a variety of different levels of criminal justice.

Think CSI

Consider a dual major – criminal justice and biology, chemistry or other sciences – and you could find yourself collecting and analyzing fingerprints, blood, semen, firearms and other physical evidence at a crime scene. Crime scene investigation often results in the scientific support the prosecutor needs to win a case; thus playing a vital role in the entire criminal justice process.

Think Anti-Terrorism

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 have forever changed America. Keeping communities safe has a broader meaning in today’s global society. Criminal justice students who take specialized courses such as local responses to terrorism and legal issues in counter-terrorism can find positions in homeland security. Careers in homeland security can involve everything from analyzing intelligence reports to patrolling seaports to researching and developing the latest security technologies.

Think Cyber Forensics

For some criminals, a keyboard and a mouse can be even more dangerous than a gun. Do you have an interest in computer programming? If the answer is yes, consider combining criminal justice degree with a minor in computer science and a new set of careers options opens up in cyber security. In 2003, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) was established to protect the nation’s Internet infrastructure. This is just one example of an organization that can employ those with a criminal justice and computer science background.

Think Financial Forensics

Did you ever hear the phase, ‘cook the books?’ That’s the term used to describe a company that alters their financial records to manipulate expenses and earnings. When a company does this, it can increase the earning per share of their stock. On paper, it can appear that things are quite profitable when in reality they’re not. This type of white-collar crime poses a real threat to the economy. If you enjoy math, combining a criminal justice degree with a minor in accounting could lead to a career fighting crime in a variety of industries or governmental agencies like the Department of Justice or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

A criminal justice degree offers numerous ways to give back to society and help make the world a little safer. Often people who feel a passion for helping others are drawn to this field. Think about your strengths and weaknesses and you can discover unique, exciting ways to approach a career in criminal justice.

Saint Leo University, the oldest Catholic college in Florida (1889), ranks as one of the top universities in the South, according to U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" list. Saint Leo’s main campus, located 30 miles north of Tampa, educates more than 4,000 online students, part of a total enrollment of more than 15,000. Saint Leo University ranks as one of the nation's ten leading providers of higher education to the military and is a nationally recognized leader in online education.