Criminal Justice Jobs – (Inc. Entry Level Roles)
Many students who wish to major in criminal justice wonder about entry level criminal justice jobs and the types of careers they may pursue upon graduation. In truth, criminal justice is a very broad field offering a wide range of career options. Graduates can work at the local level as a police officer, at the state level as a highway patrol officer, or at the federal level as a Marshal.
Specific career opportunities will also depend upon your major. Different programs will focus on varying aspects of the field. For example, some criminal justice programs will focus on criminal investigation and forensics, while others will focus on forensic psychology and prepare graduates to work in the field of counseling and psychology. With this in mind, carefully consider your career goals before selecting your major area of study.
Federal Jobs |
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|---|---|
| FBI Agent | DEA Agent |
| CIA Agent | Secret Service Agent |
| ATF Agent | ATF/HSI Agent |
Common Entry Level Criminal Justice Jobs
Popular entry level criminal justice jobs for graduates include police officers, security guards, correction officers, parole officers, youth counselors, and park rangers. Upon graduation with an associate or bachelor’s degree, you should be able to apply for an entry level criminal justice job in any one of these fields.
Entry level employment may also be found with the Department of Homeland Security which employs thousands of law enforcement personnel in each of its many divisions. Types of jobs you may apply for include Border patrol Agent, immigration official, customs inspector, and Federal Marshal.
Those with an advanced criminal justice degree may be able to become agents with the U.S. Secret Service or Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), as well as the FBI. Many agents with the FBI are former attorneys and accountants. You may find it a bit strange that accountants are FBI agents. However not all agents work in the field and forensic accountants (as these agents are known) review the financial records corporate companies for evidence of financial malfeasance (such as hiding assets by inflating expenses) or confiscate the proceeds from any criminal activity (such as money earned from the sale of illegal drugs).
Related Entry Level Criminal Justice Jobs
You may also use your degree in criminal justice to purse a career in the law or public policy, although you will need to have an advanced degree, JD or MPA/MBA respectively, to enter either field. Job opportunities exist in the courts, public and private law firms, as well as community-based advocacy groups. Specific job titles include criminal law attorney, paralegal, legal researcher, public policy advocate, urban planner, court administrator.
Criminal justice majors may also pursue careers within the social service sector that combine an interest in the law with a desire to help people. For example, those who would like to combine work in law enforcement with counseling may decide on a career as a youth counselor or youth advocate and work with “at-risk” youth.
These positions are in great demand so you can earn a competitive salary with great career prospects upon graduation. Other careers include victim services in which you will provide counseling and support to victims of various crimes. For example, rape counselors work with those who have suffered some type of sexual abuse. Rape counselors often refer these victims to support groups and psychological counseling. Those with advanced degrees in psychology or social work may provide therapeutic services to victims, their families, as well as convicted offenders.
Although some of these careers may not be entry level criminal justice jobs and require advanced study and/or professional certification, a degree in criminal justice provides you with sufficient foundation to purse such study. It also prepares to for work immediately upon graduation in a variety of careers that permit you the opportunity to participate in the legal, social, and psychological aspects of the justice system.
My name is silvano Indio and I have a masters degree in Criminal Justice. I am also pursuing my masters degree in Health Administration. However, my upmost desire is criminal justice. I have a passion to help people but with a family, I have to focus on careers that would provide me with wages conducive to comfortable living. I am a bit frustrated by my indecisiveness and wish to pursue a career in one of the mentioned fields. Please help me to decide on what area of careers I should follow. I have no experience in the health field and have virtually no experience in the criminal justice field, but I have military experience and a masters.
You need to be more specific – What military experience do you have? What is the minimum salary that you require? What areas of criminal justice interest you? What did your masters focus on and how long ago was it and where did you graduate from? Do you have any other relevant experience?