Careers With a Criminal Justice Degree: Paths for Graduates

Police officers and federal agents may be the first to come to mind when thinking about criminal justice careers, but a range of other choices — from the legal profession to support services — are available. Explore the wide variety of potential careers with a criminal justice degree.

To learn more, check out the infographic created by App State Online’s Bachelor of Science Criminal Justice (BSCJ) program.

Infographic explaining the careers one can get with a criminal justice degree.

Law Enforcement and Investigations

Jobs in law enforcement and criminal investigations offer an array of choices for criminal justice majors across multiple jurisdiction levels, including:

5 federal law enforcement agencies
50 state-level agencies
258 tribal agencies
18,000 local agencies

Overall job growth in law enforcement and investigations is expected to remain steady at 4% between 2023 and 2033 — the same growth rate as the job market as a whole — according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Law Enforcement Officers

These include the following:

Correctional officers

Correctional officers oversee individuals incarcerated in prisons and jails, as well as during transport.
Key skills for success include negotiation, decision-making, interpersonal and self-discipline skills.

Probation officers

Probation officers guide formerly incarcerated individuals through probation by developing rehabilitation plans and helping them find work and services, as well as administering drug tests.
Key skills for success include organizational, interpersonal, critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Police and detectives

Police officers prevent crimes and protect people and property.
Detectives collect evidence and gather facts after crimes have been committed.
Important skills and attributes include physical strength and stamina, perceptiveness, good judgment, empathy, and communication and leadership skills.

Special agents

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) works to prevent crimes related to alcohol, tobacco products, firearms, explosives and arson.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) aims to reduce controlled substance availability and enforce U.S. controlled substance laws.
The FBI enforces federal law and prevents and responds to national security threats.
The director of Interpol Washington, the U.S. National Central Bureau, serves as the representative to Interpol on behalf of the U.S. attorney general.
U.S. marshals support the federal justice system by securing federal courts and personnel, making arrests, and protecting government witnesses and their families.

Investigations

These include the following:

Criminal investigators

Criminal investigators investigate various types of crime, including robbery, homicide, cybercrimes, fraud, and financial and civil offenses, for law enforcement, insurance companies and attorneys.
Important skills include analytical thinking, attention to detail, problem-solving, critical thinking and communication skills.

Homicide investigators

Homicide investigators exclusively investigate murder cases and work only with law enforcement.
Key skills include empathy, good judgment and communication skills, as well as physical stamina.

Legal

Professionals in the legal field help others using their thorough understanding of the law and court proceedings. Overall employment growth in the legal field is expected to keep pace with the national average.

Below are some legal careers with a criminal justice degree as a foundation.

Lawyers

Assist people navigating the legal process by taking depositions, constructing cases, attending hearings and arguing cases in court
Important skills include organizational, problem-solving, analytical and communication skills

Judges

Oversee trials, decide the admissibility of evidence, determine guilt or innocence and set punishment
Skills for success include attention to detail, decision-making, analytical, critical thinking and communication skills

Paralegals

Support lawyers by collecting evidence, researching relevant laws and regulations, assisting during trials, filing legal documents with the court, and writing legal documents and contracts
Needed skills include attention to detail, research, organizational, interpersonal and communication skills

Support

Criminal justice graduates who take a broader view of the system or who want to support those impacted by crime may consider one of these crucial roles. The BLS doesn’t provide data for victim advocates, but they’re likely to see similar job growth as social workers and psychologists — 7% between 2023 and 2033.

Victim Advocates

Guide and support crime victims through the legal process by providing mental health counseling, explaining the process and sometimes serving as case managers
Important skills include compassion, organization, understanding of the system and patience

Support people in the system, both perpetrators and victims, by explaining the process and by educating law enforcement officers, lawyers and others about the social and psychological effects of crime on those involved
Helpful skills include problem-solving, communication, time management, organizational and analytical skills, as well as patience and empathy

Criminal Psychologists

Assist law enforcement through criminal profiling, counseling, examining crime scenes, explaining criminal behavior and testifying in court
Key skills include analytical and communication skills, as well as objectivity and attention to detail

Find the Path for You

Careers with a criminal justice degree are all about helping people in one way or another. Students focusing on criminal justice can choose from many avenues to decide which best suits their goals and how they want to make an impact on the world. Sources

Bureau of Justice Statistics, Tribal Law Enforcement

EBSCO, State Police

Indeed, Criminal Psychologist Responsibilities

Indeed, “How to Become a Homicide Detective”

Indeed, Learn About Being a Lawyer

Indeed, What Criminal Justice Career Is Right for Me?

Indeed, Working as an Advocate

National Association of Social Workers, Forensic Social Worker Job Description

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Correctional Officers and Bailiffs

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Judges and Hearing Officers

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Legal Occupations

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Paralegals and Legal Assistants