It’s understandable that people are concerned with their employment prospects out of college. After all, even if the economy is growing, the rate of joblessness for college graduates is incredibly high. Some sources have the unemployment rate for recent graduates at over 50%. This leads to obvious trepidation for graduates, especially those who don’t graduate in the “core” sciences. They may wonder what kind of job availability there is, they may even lose hope of finding a job.
Fortunately, those possessing a criminal justice degree won’t need to concern themselves. While a healthy amount of concern will help drive people to perform at their best, the actual outlook for careers in the criminal justice field is surprisingly pretty optimistic.
Featured Schools
What Are The Best Schools In Criminal Justice?
Everyone can understand that the school graduates attend can mean a lot in terms of employment. A good school does more than just help students discover their academic potential. It also helps them develop connections to others in their field, which can help them land their dream job.
The best schools for the criminal justice (that satisfy all of these elements), won’t be the places like Everest or the University of Phoenix. Unfortunately, their programs don’t measure up to some of the perennial giants that truly deliver great programs. The student preferring online degrees shouldn’t be concerned, many of these universities have components that can be accomplished online. It’s the best of both worlds: the flexibility of online academia and the interpersonal connectivity of a true university. These schools include Florida State University, Penn State University, the University of Florida, and the University of Cincinnati.
What is the Projected Growth for Criminal Justice Careers?
Going to a good school is the best first step, but we have to accept an often cold reality. A great education isn’t as important as the state of the economy. The school can churn out a hundred geniuses a year but if the nation only needs five, that’s ninety-five geniuses out of work.
Criminal justice majors are fortunate in that their major is extremely flexible. They can fit into a number of different occupational niches. A degree in criminal justice can focus on anyone (or several) of the following specialties:
- Corrections
- Cybersecurity
- Paralegals
- Security Management
But the list doesn’t end there. Truth is, there is a vast spectrum of careers that can be suited by a criminal justice degree. And, the best part is, most of them are expecting to see a growth in demand during the next decade.
The BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), composes an occupational outlook handbook every few years or so. Their reports show that criminal justice majors will see increased demand as time goes forward. Corrections officers, for instance, are expected to see an 18% increase in need over the next ten years. This surpasses the 14% seen by all jobs on average. Similarly, paralegals also see that same 18% increase in job outlook.
What Is The Future Like For Criminal Justice Majors?
It means that you have to remember the competitive nature of the market, but not fret about it. With the right education and career path, the fact that jobs will be available after graduation is practically a guarantee.
Related:
JOBS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT OR AS A FEDERAL AGENT
HOW LONG WILL I HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL FOR A CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEGREE?
