If you’re interested in pursuing an in-demand career that allows you to serve and protect your fellow citizens, then you may have thought about attending courses at a criminal justice school. Those who are able to call themselves protectors possess qualities and criminal justice skills to match the job. And Goodwin College has the courses you need to begin this in-demand career path!

After all, there are a variety of fields open to you if you are looking to enter the criminal justice field. Criminal justice career options are expansive, including: border protection; computer security; corrections; customs; cybercrime investigation; the Drug Enforcement Agency; emergency management; environmental science; fire science; first responders; immigration and customs; law enforcement; public health; and security.

Are you considering a career in criminal justice, but are unsure what types of security certification or degrees are available to you? Have you contemplated the different criminal justice studies programs, but do not know which one best fits your interests? Then let Goodwin college help!

There are many different options when it comes to earning a criminal justice degree, from certificates, to associate degrees, to bachelor’s degrees. You can focus on Homeland Security or Public Safety. You can study the administrative or research side of criminal justice, or learn how to be at the forefront of crime and criminal investigation. You can work in the local, state, or federal criminal justice systems. The choices are all up to you. Understanding the different paths you can take in criminal justice education is an important first step towards your career. Here are four different types of criminal justice degrees that will help you gain a solid foothold in the law enforcement field.

Public Safety and Law Enforcement

Public safety is just what its name infers: a consistent effort to protect the public and keep society safe. A branch of the criminal justice major, public safety is particularly designed for individuals who aspire to further their careers as law enforcement officers and first responders. If you want to be a leader, a hero, and are ready to make a difference, a public safety degree may be for you. With a public safety degree, you can work in a variety of organizations such as emergency management agencies, police agencies, fire departments, or rescue squads. You may also work with private agencies or on college campuses to protect smaller communities against crime.

Homeland Security

Homeland Security is a program with many diverse opportunities for natural protectors. In essence, homeland security professionals safeguard the country and its communities from terrorism as well as natural and man-made disasters. Homeland security majors learn how to protect borders, airports, and seaports against terrorism; prepare for and respond to both natural and man-made disasters; and offer counterterrorism or law enforcement support. If you choose to pursue a homeland security degree, you can work in emergency management, border patrol, private security, or airport security; as well as institutions such as the DEA, FBI, Secret Services, and the military.

Corrections

Corrections is a popular course of study for those interested in criminal justice. Corrections professionals work as prison officers in county, state, and federal facilities. They oversee and manage people who have been convicted of crimes: processing them into the system, preventing assaults and escapes within the facility, and preparing them to transition out of the prison system. If you choose to pursue an education in corrections, you will learn various aspects of counseling and rehabilitation for inmates, probation, parole, and juvenile services. At the end of your degree program, you may land a career as a corrections, probation, or parole officer. According to Discover Criminal Justice, 86 percent of probation officers and correctional treatment specialists have a Bachelor’s degree.

Criminology

Criminology is a sector of the criminal justice major that concentrates on the social aspects of crime: why a crime takes place, how society reacts to crime, and how we can prevent crime as a whole in our society. Criminology, in this sense, is a social science. If you choose to pursue a criminology degree, you will study the ins and outs of criminal behavior and explore the various precursors that lead up to a crime. You will acquire knowledge in other supplementary areas such as psychology and sociology in order to interpret criminal behavior and the criminal mind. If you want to become a forensic psychologist, prison psychologist, or criminal profiler, a criminology degree may be for you.

If you’re interested in learning more about Goodwin College’s safety and security certification programs, call 800-889-3282, or visit us online at www.goodwin.edu/learnmore.