Students or job seekers who have an undergraduate online certificate in criminal justice can pursue criminal justice careers. Those who possess this certificate will possess enhanced skills in problem-solving and leadership. Students potentially learn judicial administration, as well as the causes of a crime. There may also be opportunities for concentrations including domestic violence prevention and forensic criminology. Those who possess their online certificate in criminal justice can work jobs on the crime scene, as well as criminal justice careers that include:
- Child welfare
- Community social psychology
- Corrections
- Health policy
- Health service administration
- Substance abuse
About Criminal Justice Careers
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, as of May 2017, over three million people were employed in criminal justice careers. Beyond traditional law enforcement jobs, criminal justice careers include becoming a forensic science technician, criminal law paralegal, and criminal justice administration.
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Forensic Technician: those who are employed in these criminal justice careers are tasked with meticulously collecting evidence and safeguarding it at crime scenes. Working as a forensic science technician could also mean assisting law enforcement in the recreation of crime scenes. It’s necessary for those who are working forensic technician jobs to work in a laboratory to decipher the information they collect during investigations.
A growing specialization alongside forensic science technicians includes forensic nurses. Forensic nurses investigate crimes by treating victims, such as victims of sexual assault. Forensic nurses may need special certification by the state.
Criminal Law Paralegal: those who work as criminal law paralegals have many of the same job duties as a traditional paralegal. These criminal justice careers are some of the best criminal justice certificate jobs for those who like to perform research, draft paperwork, file, interview witnesses, correspond with clients, and help build cases.
Criminal Justice Administration: those working in these criminal justice careers typically have jobs in law enforcement or as a lawyer or detective. A crime victims’ service coordinator, for instance, works to help get support and justice for victims. It’s possible to work in careers like crime victims service coordinator at a local, state, or federal level.
Salary Potential for Jobs in Criminal Justice
The salary potential for criminal justice careers varies not only depending on your career choice, but also on the state in which you reside. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the median pay for a forensic science technician was $56,320 in 2015. The BLS reports that, as of 2017, a criminal law paralegal was earning $50,410 annually. The salaries for criminal justice administration vary depending on the criminal justice careers are chosen and range between $58,320 and $115,820 as of 2015 according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
Criminal justice professionals may be interested in the Highest-Paying Jobs in Criminal Justice.
What is the Job Outlook for Those Working in Criminal Justice?
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there’s expected to a 7% job growth for criminal justice careers between the years of 2016 and 2026. Therefore, for those who are looking for criminal justice certificate jobs, they can find a wide variety of options. When searching, they can use the term, “criminal justice jobs near me” to produce results that include ones that are near their location, and then they can refine their search further by adding their interests in criminal justice careers.
In doing so, they’ll find that there are jobs available in law enforcement, as forensic science technicians, correctional officers, private detectives, fish and game wardens, security guards, state troopers, crime scene investigators, computer forensic investigators, fraud investigators, FBI agents, CIA agents, US postal inspectors, homicide detectives, and DEA agents. By honing in on interests, students and job seekers will be able to see that the job outlook is broad and there are a wide variety of opportunities for criminal justice careers.
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