Overview

Criminal justice programs focus on systems of law and correction, ethical standards, behavioral research, and philosophies on crime prevention and response. Their purpose is to prepare you to serve the public by addressing the problem of crime.

Course Work & Learning Outcomes

As a criminal justice major, you’ll learn to identify patterns in criminal behavior, understand what drives it, and examine ways to control it on a societal level. Common specializations include:

• Policing
• Forensics
• Emergency management
• Corrections
• Cyber crime

Typical courses in this type of program include courts and the prosecution process, physical education (phys ed), criminal law, alternatives to incarceration, cyber crime, statistics, and psychology.

Career Outlook

With a criminal justice degree, you could get a job as a police officer, probation officer, or correctional officer. You could become a detective, security guard, or warden. Best-paying jobs include titles like forensic science technician, criminologist, criminal investigator, and customs inspector.