What Can You Do With a Criminal Justice Degree?

Think a career in criminal justice is limited to law enforcement roles? Think again! While it’s true that a criminal justice education could open pathways into law enforcement, the field itself extends far beyond that to include the court system, corrections, rehabilitation, victim advocacy, and much more.

Explore the range of potential career paths you could pursue with a criminal justice degree to gauge whether a bachelor’s in criminal justice is right for you.

What Is Criminal Justice?

At its core, criminal justice is a broad field that encompasses all practices, institutions, and policies used to mitigate crime and hold accountable those who commit crimes. Central components include law enforcement, the court system, and the corrections/rehabilitation system.

As Johnson & Wales University’s (JWU) own criminal justice professor Paul Sylvestre explains, a criminal justice program is “almost like a Swiss army knife” in the sense that “the field offers diverse career opportunities in areas such as forensics, psychology, law, and more.”

Criminal Justice vs. Criminology: What’s the Difference?

Another key distinction to keep in mind when it comes to studying criminal justice: This field is not synonymous with criminology. While both areas involve some understanding of criminal activity, criminal justice is more about the systems that aim to mitigate crime and hold criminals accountable for their actions. Criminology, on the other hand, is about understanding the root causes of crime.

In this sense, criminology tends to be more theoretical, whereas criminal justice has more practical applications. Both disciplines are important, as criminology research can inform criminal justice practices — but understanding the distinction between these two fields is crucial if you’re considering a career in either.

What Can You Do with a Criminal Justice Degree?

Why pursue a degree that limits you to a narrow career path? A criminal justice program maps to a wide variety of rewarding roles in areas such as law enforcement, homeland security, victim advocacy, corrections, and more. The following sections offer just a sampling of potential career paths with a criminal justice degree.

Law Enforcement

Among the most popular job titles in law enforcement for criminal justice graduates are:

Police officer
Sheriff’s deputy
Detective
Criminal investigator

For these types of roles, academy training is typically required, and a formal degree may be either required or highly preferred. Even in departments where a college degree isn’t a strict job qualification, having one could support advancement into leadership roles (like lieutenant or sergeant).

Corrections and Rehabilitation

For those wanting to help keep correctional facilities safe, maintain a sense of order, and/or assist in the rehabilitation of offenders, some potential roles to consider with a criminal justice degree include:

Correctional officer
Probation/parole officer
Correctional counselor
Juvenile correctional officer

Victim Advocacy

What if you are less interested in working with offenders and want to focus more on the victims whose lives are impacted by crime? Victim advocacy is a steadily growing area of criminal justice, with the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projecting a 6% increase in demand for such social and community service managers from 2024 to 2034.

Victim advocates are responsible for providing critical support to victims of crimes while helping them navigate the complexities of the criminal justice system. In a criminal justice bachelor’s degree program, students complete dedicated coursework in victimology to prepare for this exact type of work.

Community Justice and Restorative Justice

Meanwhile, aspiring criminal justice professionals looking to explore the intersection of social work and policy may consider career opportunities in community and restorative justice. Specifically, community justice and restorative justice encompass such titles as:

Restorative justice coordinator
Restorative practices facilitator
Youth advocate coordinator
Victim-offender mediator

Professionals in this essential area of criminal justice are responsible for facilitating meaningful dialogue, coordinating diversion programs, and working with nonprofits or government agencies to support justice for all.

Crime Analysis and Homeland Security

Do you thrive working with numbers and statistics? These interests converge with criminal justice in criminal analysis roles like:

Records criminal intelligence analyst
Strategic crime analyst
Crime analysis technician

In these positions, professionals leverage modern tools and technologies to identify patterns and extract valuable insights from raw crime data. Over time, those with a strong crime analysis background may also advance into Homeland Security roles where they can apply their skills to navigate national and global threat responses.

Forensic Science Careers

For those fascinated by the science behind criminal investigations, a career in forensic science could be a suitable fit. A criminal justice degree program could help you prepare for such relevant roles as:

Forensic science technician
Crime scene investigator

These professionals collect and analyze evidence of a crime to support criminal investigations and prosecution. In some scenarios, they may even testify as expert witnesses in court — playing a pivotal part in bringing criminals to justice.

Legal Support Roles

Another potential career path to consider with a criminal justice education is legal work. You don’t necessarily need a law degree to make a difference in the legal and court system, as jobs like paralegal and legal assistant do not require an advanced law degree. Instead, an undergraduate degree in criminal justice can build the valuable legal knowledge and skills necessary to conduct legal research, communicate with clients, and prepare for court trials.

Federal Criminal Justice Careers

For more specialized criminal justice jobs, you might consider pursuing opportunities through federal agencies such as the:

Oftentimes, roles in these types of agencies require a minimum of an undergraduate degree, along with several years of experience in a related criminal justice capacity.

Private Security and Investigations

Not all criminal justice careers are in the public sector. Many organizations hire private security professionals and investigators with criminal justice backgrounds. These roles often draw from the same investigative skills as “traditional” public sector jobs but involve working for private businesses or even individuals.

According to the BLS, there is a need for private detectives and investigators, with these roles showing a projected growth of 6% between 2024 and 2034. That’s faster than the national average for all occupations.

What Will You Learn in a Criminal Justice Degree Program?

No matter where your specific interests in criminal justice may lie, many employers prefer (or require) a formal degree — even for entry-level work. Even in areas of the field that are less likely to require a degree, such as law enforcement, those with a college education often garner higher earnings and may have more opportunities for advancement into leadership roles.

At JWU Online, the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program is specifically designed with a career-ready, versatile curriculum that prepares students for any number of roles — not just in law enforcement but also in corrections, rehabilitation, victim advocacy, and beyond.

The Interdisciplinary Advantage

Studying criminal justice at JWU Online, students make connections between their chosen field and related disciplines, including:

Psychology
Public health
Social work
Public policy
Sociology

Establishing these interdisciplinary connections can serve as a foundational career asset, helping future criminal justice professionals better understand their work through different lenses. Equipped with this comprehensive insight into the intricacies of criminal justice, graduates may develop their own sense of professional ethics that, in turn, helps enhance future decision-making, promote fair outcomes, and prevent misconduct.

Criminal Justice Skills You’ll Build Along the Way

Working in the criminal justice realm calls for a broad skill set comprising both technical expertise and soft skills. Some examples of the most valuable criminal justice skills students can expect to develop in JWU Online’s criminal justice bachelor’s program include:

Research and policy analysis
Extensive legal knowledge
Written and verbal communication
Ethics and professional judgment
Cultural competency
Conflict resolution
Empathy
Interpersonal awareness

Through dedicated coursework and hands-on experiences, JWU Online’s program presents the opportunity to refine these core competencies and prepare for the challenges and opportunities of working in the field.

Take the Next Step With JWU Online

Regardless of whether you envision yourself working in law enforcement, corrections, community justice, or homeland security, a formal education serves as a solid foundation on which to build your future career.

At JWU Online, we take pride in our Bachelor of Science – Criminal Justice program — offered with the convenience of a 100% online curriculum. Courses are taught by experienced faculty who have real experience in various areas of criminal justice. As part of this program, you also have the opportunity to choose from elective courses in subject areas that interest you most, ranging from juvenile justice and restorative justice to ethics and victimology.

For more information about completing your degree online, complete the Request Info form, call 855-JWU-1881, or email [email protected]. Eager to take the next step toward a degree in criminal justice? Get started with your application today.