Careers in Criminal Justice and Related fields

Criminal justice is a massive sector that encompasses many fields, roles, and specializations. Each person is an important part of the system, no matter what their position is. Moreover, there are even several types of positions within each field, including managerial, administrative, or enforcement.

Our guide provides many details on the various fields of criminal justice and answers other question you may have:

Entering the criminal justice landscape is unique from other fields in that several positions are obtainable by majoring in criminal justice without a concentration. Compare this to industries like nursing or science, where a student may spend years studying a specific field. Specializations do exist and are likely preferable within that line of work, but obtaining your degree is the higher priority.

Popular Fields in Criminal Justice

There are dozens of fields you can enter when pursuing a career in criminal justice. Our guide highlights only the most popular according to employment data, but several other rewarding careers can be found as well. Each guide provides information on possible careers, duties, and available degrees in each field.

The chart created by the Bureau of Justice Statistics below illustrates the general flow of the criminal justice system. As you can see, each field plays an important role through the process and can even be involved in multiple stages.

Corrections

The corrections field covers several aspect and positions found within the penal system. This includes several careers devoted to policing, maintaining, and managing correctional institutions as well as researching theories and practices applied to corrections.

Criminal Investigations

While many people rush to connect forensic science and crime scene investigation with criminal investigation, its application extends far beyond that. Criminal investigations often include working with individuals, families, and communities to assess criminal intent, psychology, and motivation.

General Criminal Justice Studies

General criminal justice studies explore the many facets of the legislative, judicial, and correctional systems, from law creation to law enforcement. Positions in the field include roles in management, administration, litigation, and even legislation.