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Criminal Justice Degree Careers Outlook Archive

Criminal Justice Careers with an Associate's Degree

Earning an associate's degree in criminal justice can help open doors to your career in law enforcement and corrections. Employment opportunities are expected to be excellent within many areas of criminal justice.  

Criminal Justice Careers and Job Outlook Information

Job opportunities for those qualified to work as patrol officers, correctional officers, and security guards are expected to be excellent through 2016.⁽¹⁾ An associate's degree in criminal justice may lead to employment as a correctional officer within state and local detention facilities. The job outlook for these positions, particularly within state correctional systems, is expected to be very positive based on rising populations and increasing incarceration rates.

Planning Your Associate's Degree Program

Associate's degree programs can typically be completed within twenty-four months of full-time study. In addition to core academic requirements in math, social sciences, English and the humanities, you'll want to take courses including criminal justice, and psychology. Computer science courses are also useful, particularly if you're interested in information security. If crime scene investigation is your chosen career path, additional math and science courses can help prepare you to complete advanced studies as part of a bachelor's or graduate degree program.

An associate's degree in criminal justice can lead to a variety of careers within government agencies. This degree can also prepare you for private sector career opportunities and more advanced education.