Choosing a specific study area can be difficult as the possibilities are numerous. However, the decision becomes much simpler if you have a goal or understand what motivates you. For instance, a career in the police force is ideal for someone with a strong sense of justice and who wants to impact society positively. Accordingly, it would be best if you studied criminal justice because the degree makes it easier for you to pass the various stages of becoming a police officer, detective, and criminal investigator.
Here are the advantages of studying for a criminal justice degree.
- Multiple Career Paths
Criminal justice degrees can help open doors to careers such as detective, criminal investigator, DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) special investigator, criminal analyst, and police officer. While most of these careers require a criminal justice degree, you can become a police officer without a degree. Despite that, it is essential to understand the work requirements that you can easily learn by studying for a criminal justice degree.
The criminal justice degree also opens opportunities to work in the courts, join the FBI or the CIA, and various other career options become available if you have a specialized qualification other than a high school diploma.
- Breeze through Training:
A criminal justice degree will help you stay at the top of your class during your training for criminal justice careers. Moreover, common introductory concepts, terminologies, and procedures will not be difficult for you to understand, as you would have already learned them during your course. Most of the courses taught in training are also included in criminal justice degrees, such as criminal rights, correction ethics, and the legal aspects of correction. Having that familiarity will make the training easy for you and help you meet the requirements for becoming a police officer.
Furthermore, basic writing courses are also taught as a part of the degree. Therefore, you won’t be starting from scratch and will manage to do well in report writing. Hence, having a degree in criminal justice can make your police training very comfortable for you and prepare you for a career in law enforcement.
- Good pay
A police officer’s salary is not considered very good compare to other careers. Still, gaining experience and the right qualification, such as a criminal justice degree, will help you enter jobs that will ease your worries about paying your bills. Criminal justice careers pay a handsome salary that easily covers your needs. Detectives and police can earn up to $66,020 annually, and sheriff’s patrol officers earn up to $65,900 annually. While fire inspectors can earn up to $63,080 annually, and probation officers and correctional treatment specialists can earn $60,250 per year.
Moreover, the average salary of an FBI agent is $107,011 annually. Promotions and administrative positions pay a much better wage than a rookie cop. Pay also depends upon the department and the state in which you work. The real payoff on the police force or in law enforcement is that you are helping your community and keeping people safe.
- Job stability
Another advantage of studying for a criminal justice degree is that it gets you into careers that provide job stability. Furthermore, these careers offer many opportunities to grow, as criminal justice organizations such as the FBI or police department offer a variety of jobs.
These opportunities help you choose work that suits you and enables you to polish your skills. Moreover, another reason for job stability is that people are hired by the public sector rather than the private sector. Meaning that their job will not be affected by the uncertainties or problems of the economy.
- Health and retirement perks
Working for the government comes with perks that only a young person can dream of. Health and retirement benefits are just a start. Apart from these benefits, you will also enjoy life insurance, training and tuition assistance, sick leave, and paid holidays.
Additionally, positions like U.S. Marshals receive paid sick leave of four hours per day. They are also offered different affordable health plans to choose from. At the same time, CIA employees are offered supplement insurance, flexible spending accounts, student loan repayment programs, and ten paid federal holidays a year.
Moreover, if you are looking for a career that provides early retirement, there’s good news for you. Many positions in this field can qualify for retirement after 20 years of service. On top of that, you will also be offered a generous retirement package.
- Helping others
A career in criminal justice is more than stability and benefits. It is a very personally satisfying career because your job impacts other people’s lives daily. It is a career that helps you make a difference in society every day. Your role in providing justice will always note and counted in this field. In this career, you interact with people, help protect them, solve vital cases, and grow your community’s living standards.
Being part of a criminal justice system is a matter of pride and respect. People who work in this field also put their lives on the line, so their community can stay safe. It is a career for those who want more than money. It is for those ready to sacrifice their time for the betterment of their community.
Conclusion
Despite that, one must remember that these careers are not for everyone. If you are passionate about joining the police force, sheriff’s office, or some other investigative work, then you should pursue this course. These careers demand responsibility, so officers and deputies must do the job carefully as someone’s liberty can be at stake.
These jobs are very challenging and rewarding, morally and career-wise. They will give you respect and honor in society and give you a sense of pride that no other job might give you.