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Criminal Justice Degree Specializations

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Although a degree in criminal justice encompasses wide ranging fields and your first two years of study has exposed and trained you in a variety of challenging topics, it is important to develop further specialized competency in a specific sub field of criminal justice you have great interest in. This allows you to differentiate yourself and achieve a greater competitive advantage over other potential applicants during employment search in the future. Having specific specialization relevant to the job at hand can mean additional appointment bonuses or even mean having a job or floating around in today's highly attritional job search market.

Criminal Justice Degree Specialization in Law Enforcement
Students choosing this law enforcement specialization will focus on studying important United States Supreme Court law cases over the years that fully demonstrates how the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights apply in upholding criminal law in the country. The course will also introduce students to the policies and functions of various law enforcement and justice organizations such as US Department of Homeland Security, Departments of Social Service etc. Electives that are studied under this specialization include: Introduction to Homeland Security, Understanding Domestic and Family Violence, Introduction to Crime Scene Analysis, Organizational Behavior in Criminal Justice Organizations.

Criminal Justice Degree Specialization in Homeland Security
Homeland security is now a top priority in United States and the need for homeland security professionals is growing rapidly which have to deal with emergency services, risk assessment of communities, managing public security, domestic and international terrorism; cross borders diplomatic approaches, security policies in multinational corporations etc. Students will also be introduced to the specifics of the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) and the National Standard Exercise Curriculum (NSEC). Electives that are studied under this specialization include: Introduction to Homeland Security, Crisis Negotiation.

Criminal Justice Degree Specialization in Forensic Psychology
The field of forensic psychology within the criminal justice system assists in the upholding of justice for people with psychological illnesses, emotional suffering, inability to make coherent decisions etc. The work involved can be both clinical and forensic in nature. For example, the treating and counseling of emotionally traumatized crime victims versus the evaluation of the extent of trauma damage caused for court hearings. Electives that are studied under this specialization include: Psychology for Law Enforcement, Understanding Psychological Disorders, Crisis Intervention.

Criminal Justice Degree Specialization in Juvenile Justice
Juvenile justice is the area of criminal law applicable to persons below the age for criminal culpability (18 years for most states) whose main goal is rehabilitation rather than punishment. Students will focus on theories and measurements of juvenile offending and understand the sentencing governed by the juvenile code enacted by state law, case management for juvenile offenders, juvenile probation and parole as well as the psychology counseling, school violence, crime prevention and education programs in schools. Electives that are studied under this specialization include: Introduction to Juvenile Justice, Understanding Domestic and Family Violence, Juvenile Court Case Management, Understanding Psychological Disorders.

Psychology for Law Enforcement
Students are prepared for the application of practical clinical psychology techniques during the daily execution of law enforcement duties. Fundamental topics include understanding the psychological burdens of criminal justice careers, stress and negative experience management in the course of upholding justice, counseling services available to police officers, psychological on the families of law enforcement officers, etc.

Crisis Intervention
Students will be trained in both theory and practical approaches for effective law enforcement in intervention and mediation of crisis scenarios. This course emphasizes on the role of psychological issues affecting the offender and any post incident trauma damages on the victims, lethality assessment measures and suicide prevention techniques.

Crisis Negotiation
Students are prepared for the role of negotiation in resolving terrorist and hostage crisis scenarios. Case studies from previous tragedy crises such as the Moscow theater and Beslan school incidents are presented so that students are trained on gathering intelligence, assessment of risk, proposing of tactical intervention and to prevent the escalation of suicide fighters and executions of innocent hostages

Introduction to Juvenile Justice
This module provides an overview of the U. S. Supreme Court decisions relating to juvenile cases including delinquency, neglect, and adoption. Students will be able to understand the procedure involved in juvenile court, interpret juvenile court cases and discuss the effects of juvenile incarceration and identify possible alternative correction and prevention programs.

Juvenile Court Case Management
Students will be trained in juvenile court case management strategies to avoid possible incarceration, propose appropriate alternative rehabilitation and correction programs, and address problematic issues such as recidivism in juvenile offenders. Students will experience the complexities of coordinating multidisciplinary services from the court office, parents and school educators and develop the effective communication and relationship building skills necessary for successful community-based rehabilitation and re-education of juvenile offenders.

Understanding Psychological Disorders
Students will gain multi-perspective knowledge of various abnormal psychology disorders such as depression, anxiety, psychotic behaviors etc and their effects on criminal inclinations. You will be able to identify and discuss potential psychological trauma and damage caused in crime victims using the current classification system, therapeutic approaches used for such treatment, interact with patients and to intervene in crisis situations.

Organizational Behavior in Criminal Justice Organizations
Students examine how human behavior such as individual attitude, emotions, daily work experiences, burnout etc of criminal justice workers can affect organization functions and interactions within criminal justice organizations. Students will learn the theory and application of motivation, stress management and professional ethics essential for carrying out work in criminal justice organizations.

Introduction to Crime Scene Analysis
Crime scene analysis is a critical step in solving and prosecuting crimes. Students are taught methodical and systematic scene analysis to help establish crime scene reconstruction and interpret what had actually happened. They will be trained in carefully searching and documenting the conditions at a crime scene and to bag and tag all relevant physical evidences in order to translate them into a court of law to ensure that justice is always served.

Introduction to Homeland Security
The module introduces students to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and how it deals with pressing national security threats from both domestic and international terrorism. Students will develop an understanding of how the DHS work and provide operational assistance for federal, state, and local agencies with homeland security management such as immigration and customs enforcement, airport and border security, emergency preparedness and national threat framework etc. Students will also be trained in practical skills in response methods to terrorisms, crisis management and conflict resolution.

Understanding Domestic and Family Violence
This module deals with how criminal justice is involved in Departments of Social Service in prevention of domestic and family violence, child neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, intimidation, economic deprivation, legal intervention, victim counseling, child abuse, etc. Students will gain an insight on how criminal justice, research, and social service agencies work together to resolve this growing social problem at the basis of the society in this country. They will also be involved in practical training on psychology, relationship building with offenders and victims, and case management for violence offences.

Criminal Justice Career Introduction

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Degrees in Criminal Justice will prepare students for entry-level employment opportunities in the many sub fields of criminal justice to uphold justice and law within communities. These include law enforcement, corrections, probation, security services, homeland security, forensics etc in both public and private sectors. The degree programs are designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the United States criminal justice system and as well as impart knowledge on social and behavioral sciences that are essential for the future undertaking of criminal justice careers. Some example of starting positions include forensic scientist, law secretary, private detective, social counselor, federal agent, uniformed patrol, probation, parole and corrections officer etc. If the protection of people and upholding their rights is your calling, a criminal justice degree can equip you with the proper knowledge and training needed for this exciting career. A bachelors degree is now considered the minimum entry requirement for professional progression in this industry, and there are further upgrading training and education opportunities leading to a doctorate in criminal justice and related programs. There may be some entry-level positions that comes with on the job or in-house training, such as security officers. However, it is expected on your part to continue further and upgrade your qualifications in order to be considered for career advancement.

Although many criminal justice graduates work in the police force and federal agencies, there are also many opportunities in courts, law firms, rehabilitation etc. There are many people who have confused criminal justice with the field of criminology. Specialists of the latter are responsible for scientific investigations of crime acts while criminal justice professionals withhold justice within the community and ensure the law is used rightly.

How much money do criminal justice professionals earn?

In face of rapid globalization and the poor economy outlook, crime rates are not likely to go down and criminal justice employment opportunities are expected to be recession proof. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts an increase of more than 29% in the demand for federal agents, police and immigration officers, etc over the next few years. The starting salary for criminal justice graduates is generally above average and certain genre do offer significantly higher pays. For example, law enforcement officers such as police, sheriffs, prison correction etc starts with a median annual pay of $45,300 while social counsellors starts off with around $40,300. The difference is due to the nature of work as well as shift duty allowances. FBI agents also enjoy a special overtime allowance of 25% due to the more demanding work schedules. Career progression prospects are very good, and for example, senior police officers in managerial positions command around $90,200 per annum.

Get information on online criminal justice programs

The US government has been investing heavily on homeland security and many law and justice departments have increased academic requirements for entry level positions requiring at least an associate degree in criminal justice. Online criminal justice programs offered by many reputable schools include associate, bachelor and master degrees. As the enrollment requirements for these schools vary a lot, it is best to request for more information from the school of choice in order to make the most appropriate decision. Click here to select and request online for more information about enrollment procedures.

Criminal Justice Career Earnings

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Are you thinking about pursuing a degree in criminal justice? Being a wide encompassing field of study, there are many careers to choose from upon graduation, depending on your criminal justice degree specialization such as law enforcement or forensic psychology, juvenile justice etc. The first job that comes to mind is to join the police force, federal agency or national security positions. Although these justice jobs can be dangerous at times, the renumeration is pretty good and you can expect a rather high starting salary compared to your peers fresh from the college. Careers in criminal justice are not narrow ended and as you earn more experience and academic qualifications, you can progress up the corporate scale and increase earning potential. There is also many opportunities for mid career changes.

According to the US Department of Labor and US Department of Justice, the median annual earnings in 2006 for law enforcement officers such as police and sheriff is around $50,330 at the local level and $55,780 at the state level. The median annual earnings for new FBI agents is $60,199 with overtime. Nonsupervisory FBI positions are paid around $94,268 while management and executive positions are paid about $131,033 per year with overtime. Note that federal law provides a special 25% law enforcement availability pay (LEAP) for special agents and inspectors because of the large amount of overtime work expected from them.

Mediators with a Juris Doctor degree can earn between $82,780 and $109,490. New paralegals are paid a yearly median salary of $50,000 including bonuses while senior paralegals can expect $80,000. Legal secretaries earned a median yearly salary of $40,550. Private detectives and investigators are paid a median salary of $42,660. Forensic criminologists, scientists and psychologists earn a median annual salary of between $45,781 and $78,000. Correctional officers earn a median salary of $42,500 per year while those in managerial positions earn $56,510.

Note that geographic location will influence the career renumeration due to differences in the cost of living. The salaries will be slightly higher in certain states and larger cities. Competition will also be stiffer for criminal justice jobs with state or federal agencies and police departments as these tend to pay more compared to equivalent jobs at the local government level or in the private sector.