What Is a Criminal Justice Degree?

A criminal justice degree can open the door to a wide range of careers centered on public safety, law and making a real impact in your community. Whether you’re interested in law enforcement, corrections, policy or legal support, programs like these are designed to help you understand how the system works and how to make it better.

To learn how to strengthen the criminal justice system, future and working professionals alike turn to Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (BSCJ) degree programs, such as the one offered at App State Online. Focused on helping students develop both fundamental and advanced problem-solving skills, these programs are the bachelor’s degree of choice for everyone from policymakers to frontline enforcement professionals.

Exactly what is a criminal justice degree, and how can earning one help new and early-career professionals accelerate their career paths?

What Does a Criminal Justice Degree Cover?

Criminal justice is a complex field. To understand and work in it, professionals must have a firm grasp of not only criminal laws and legal processes but also the many social and psychological issues that influence behavior. As such, the uniquely diverse curricula they offer define criminal justice degree programs.

While each program is somewhat different, criminal justice degree programs typically offer classes on the following topics:

Policing: Examines the historical and social role of the police, including career paths, police organizations and police culture
The Court System: Covers the preadjudication and adjudication stages of the criminal process in depth
Criminal and Criminal Justice Theories: Studies the root causes of crime and the criminal justice response to understand the factors that drive criminal behaviors and how criminal justice policy can protect society
Crime and Culture: Explores the role that film, literature and music can have on public perception of crime and criminal justice
Juvenile Delinquency: Studies juvenile justice and corrections
Wealth, Power and Privilege: Studies the theories surrounding the systemic imbalances between people with affluence, connections and influence and those without that access.

In addition to classes on these fundamental topics, criminal justice degree programs offer electives on more specific topics, such as social deviance and cybercrime. These types of classes can help students learn the unique skills needed to work in various sectors of the justice system.

Is a Criminal Justice Degree Worth It?

After defining what a criminal justice degree is, prospective students face a complex decision. Before enrolling, students want to be sure that their education can help them enter their intended field, make them competitive candidates for career advancement opportunities and give them a solid foundation to build upon later in their careers — whether they are current or future criminal justice professionals.

Dr. Elicka Sparks, professor of criminal justice at Appalachian State University, explains, “I really enjoy working with the adult criminal justice students in our program — both those who are currently working in the criminal justice system and those who want to do so in the future.”

She also highlights how her own experiences inform her approach to educating students in Flight Path Programs: “I truly understand juggling family, work and school because I was a nontraditional student myself. It’s great to have the opportunity to help others navigate that balancing act with empathy. It’s a very satisfying way to help others and give back.”

Fortunately, criminal justice degree programs excel in helping students in all three areas.

1. With a Degree in Criminal Justice, Professionals Can Work in Any Number of Sectors

Students typically enroll in criminal justice degree programs because they feel a calling to work in the criminal justice system. However, the American criminal justice system is made up of more subsectors than many future professionals realize. Also, because a flexible, diverse curriculum is at the heart of what a criminal justice degree program is, graduates can launch careers in any number of these specialties.

Graduates of criminal justice programs often work for:

Law enforcement agencies
Courts system
Correctional facilities
Probation and parole offices
Nonprofit advocacy organizations
Homeland security and counterterrorism agencies
Private security and investigative firms
Social service providers
Fraud detection branches of insurance agencies and financial institutions

Just as important, professionals with criminal justice degrees can work at any level of the justice system. Those who want to support their communities can work at the local or state level, while those who are passionate about big-picture social issues can work at the federal or international level.

2. Criminal Justice Degree-Holders Are Well-Positioned for Career Advancement Roles

Many entry-level criminal justice positions don’t require bachelor’s degrees. Patrol officers, corrections officers and dispatchers in many jurisdictions only need a high school or GED diploma. That being said, degrees are often required or highly recommended for more competitive and advanced positions. For that reason, future and current criminal justice professionals often earn a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice early in their careers.

Special agents at the FBI and other federal agencies, for example, must typically have both experience and bachelor’s degrees. Forensic technicians, criminal investigators and analysts and similar specialists also typically need at least a bachelor’s degree because of their complex technical duties.

While policies vary between jurisdictions, some police departments and federal agencies may require candidates to have completed at least some college coursework. Also, many law enforcement agencies offer incentives, including increased salaries, to officers with degrees.

3. Criminal Justice Degrees Lay the Foundation for Further Studies

For many criminal justice professionals, earning a bachelor’s degree is an important step toward earning a master’s degree or a doctorate. A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice isn’t always required to enroll in a criminal justice-related graduate degree program, but it can form a strong foundation for further studies.

For example, a degree in criminal justice is what many future lawyers, judges and legal consultants earn before pursuing Juris Doctor degrees and taking their local bar exams. Similarly, future psychologists, social workers and other behavioral health professionals often earn a degree in criminal justice before pursuing the advanced clinical degrees their positions require. This is so they can be better prepared to serve inmates, victims and other populations.

What Jobs Can You Get With a Criminal Justice Degree?

A criminal justice degree can lead to a wide range of rewarding careers in the field.

Probation Officer

Probation officers oversee parolees after their release from prison to ensure that they adhere to the conditions of their release. They also help parolees adapt to post-prison life and reduce recidivism. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median annual salary for probation officers was $64,520 in 2024.

Private Investigator

Private investigators collect, examine and report information to clients in personal or legal matters. While they can work independently or for investigative firms — handling cases ranging from missing persons to financial crimes — they can also assist law enforcement agencies. In 2024, private detectives and investigators earned a median annual salary of $52,370, according to the BLS.

Paralegal

Paralegals assist lawyers and legal professionals by gathering, researching and analyzing reports and documents to help build trial cases. They can also help to ensure the integrity of court proceedings by reviewing trial transcripts or overseeing exhibits. The BLS reports that paralegals and legal assistants earned a median annual salary of $61,010 in 2024.

Forensic Science Technician

Forensic science technicians help law enforcement build criminal cases through gathering and analyzing evidence. Crime scene technicians collect evidence and record observations on-site. Laboratory technicians analyze evidence, including biological substances, and often collaborate with specialists in fields such as toxicology. Forensic science technicians earned a median annual salary of $67,440 in 2024, according to the BLS.

Start Your Journey in Criminal Justice

Whether a criminal justice graduate wants to become a force of change in their local precinct or work at the national level, getting there means finding the right program. The BSCJ Flight Path program at App State Online strives to be that program for students of all kinds.

With 30 years of criminal justice education experience, App State Online offers a curriculum that prioritizes career-focused skills, critical thinking and social context. While our flexible eight-week terms and online classes allow students to maintain their own busy schedules, students also get support and professional guidance from experienced criminal justice faculty.

To find out more about App State Online’s dynamic criminal justice curriculum, transfer credit policies and more, contact a member of the admissions team today.

Recommended Readings

Forensic Science Technician: Salary and Overview

A Look at Criminal Investigators: Salary and More

What Can I Do With a Criminal Justice Degree?

Sources:

FBIJobs.gov, Application and Evaluation Process

Gallup, Americans Pass Judgement on Their Courts

Indeed, 11 Jobs You Can Get With a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Forensic Science Technicians

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

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Police and Detectives

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Private Detectives and Investigators