Is a criminology degree worth it? (by a professor)
Should I get a criminology degree?
A criminology or criminal justice degree is likely worth it because this field isn’t overly saturated with college graduates, there is expected job growth in most positions, you typically have a positive return on investment, and some criminal justice careers require a degree. But this depends on your career choice, how long it takes you to complete college, and your other personal goals.
Photo by Changbok Ko / Unsplash
I remember starting college and having an idea of what I wanted to do later in life, but I never actually understood the value of a degree, and I didn’t even know if I really needed one.
I completed my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and continued my education in graduate school for about 5 years. I was probably crazy to continue for such a long time, but I had no direction from anyone about what I needed to succeed. I did not have anyone telling me about the salaries for criminal justice careers, or even what options existed.
Everything worked out, and I am ecstatic about my career now, (professor) but had I known more, maybe I would have done things differently.
Are you wondering the same thing?
Is a criminal justice college degree worth it?
I would NOT say This all depends on what your goals are. Some careers don’t require a degree, while others do. Sometimes a degree will make you more competitive, but sometimes it won’t matter.
If you’re anything like me, you want to make sure that your return on investment (ROI) is worth it. In a nutshell, this means that the money you earn from your career outperforms the money you spent on your degree.
But it isn’t always about your ROI because an education can impact you as a person too. Maybe your college career helps you learn or enhance marketable skills like time management, communication, presentation skills, etc.
These types of skills can help propel your career so you may want to think beyond your ROI and consider all the other things you can improve.
And even more importantly, college can have other indirect benefits.
For example, some studies have found that college graduates may be happier and have fewer incidences of depression and suicide. Not only that, but they tend to be healthier and live longer lives.
So, if you can value a degree beyond your ROI (money) then it may be worth it regardless of the career opportunities and salaries.
In short, we need to consider 5 things
1.) Your career choice
2.) Saturation
3.) Income & growth
4.) Return on Investment
5.) Goals
What criminal justice degrees or criminology degrees are even available?
Let’s first discuss the types of degrees you can even earn in this field.
You can earn an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or a PhD in these fields.
An associate’s degree is roughly 60 credit hours and is likely awarded from a community college.
A bachelor’s degree is awarded from a 4-year university and is approximately 120 credit hours.
You can also earn a master’s degree and it is usually around 36 credit hours.
Finally, you can earn a Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology/Criminal Justice and that is around 75 hours (including your master’s degree credit hours).
As you get additional degrees, the value may vary because you will be eligible for more positions. And you are likely to earn more money with an advanced degree. But I am going to discuss the value of a bachelor’s degree because advanced degrees, beyond a bachelor’s, are less common.
What is the difference between criminal justice and criminology?
Sometimes you will see the option to earn a criminal justice degree and other times it might be called a criminology degree. While they have different definitions, employers typically won’t care which option you choose. Usually when you see the qualifications for a job, it will say both degrees, and it might say something like “in a related field.”
Just to define each term, criminal justice is the study of the agencies (police, court system, and corrections) and criminology is a discipline that uses the scientific method to study the trends of crime like why people commit crimes and statistics revolving around crime.
In my professional experience and research, a lot of the criminal justice careers don’t specify a particular degree. But getting a degree in criminal justice or criminology can help make you more competitive for some positions and will help you be better prepared.
Criminal justice employers will likely prefer someone who has a criminal justice degree (or related field) instead of something like an art history degree. It just makes more sense.
So, does it really matter where you go to school and if you get a criminology vs. criminal justice degree you get? Not really. I would focus on choosing the college that best fits you and your needs.
What is the difference between a criminal justice bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science degree?
Sometimes you might see a college offer different bachelor’s degrees within their criminal justice program. Normally the only difference is the courses you are required to take to complete the degree.
For example, Sam Houston State University offers both options for criminal justice. And they say that the only difference is that one degree requires social science courses and the other requires foreign language courses. You might take the path that requires foreign language if you think that would benefit you in a future career.
It’s a good idea to talk to an academic advisor to discuss both options, if they are offered at your college, to decide what’s best for you.
Source : Screenshot from Sam Houston State University (publicly available)
What jobs can you get with a criminology degree?
I like to categorize them in the three main areas of the criminal justice system (police, court system, and corrections). Think about what most interests you. What degree you need, will depend on which career path you choose.
Here are some of the most popular positions in criminal justice. But keep in mind that there are plenty of other job opportunities in this field.
Criminology degree jobs
Criminal Justice Career : Police Officer
You could be an officer at the local level, county level or state level, among others. Keep in mind that while most states use the term county, some don’t. Some might call it a parish and others might call it a borough. Don’t forget about law enforcement officers for colleges, schools, airports, state parks, etc.
You might also be interested in federal law enforcement agencies. Some of these federal agencies are the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).
If you are interested in a career in law enforcement, you may or may not need a degree. I find that most local police departments will require some college. This might mean that you can qualify with some college hours instead of earning a degree. Other agencies require an associate’s degree and a few require a bachelor’s degree.
A requirement for bachelor’s degree for a local police department is less common. But an associate’s degree or some college is likely necessary for this career.
At the federal level, a requirement for a bachelor’s degree for a law enforcement position seems to be common and you’ll likely need one. Even having a master’s degree will set you apart from the competition.
What’s even more interesting is that you might not even need a criminal justice degree for a position after all. Look below at the educational requirements for the Drug Enforcement Agency. They don’t specify the discipline if you wanted to be one of their special agents.
Source : Screenshot from Drug Enforcement Agency (publicly available)
Sometimes you might find criminal justice positions that will not require any degree, but I find that you will perform better with a college education. For example, you’ll likely have better written reports, communication skills and job performance.
And it will make you more competitive. If there are two people applying for the same position, and you are equal in every other way except you have a degree and they don’t, they’ll likely hire you.
Also, in most circumstances, you can get higher pay with a degree or at least some additional monthly stipend for having higher education. See the stipends offered for Dallas Police Department officers for additional education. It can pay off.
Source : Screenshot from Dallas Police Department website (publicly available 2022)
Criminal Justice Career : Lawyer
Now, you will need an advanced degree, but you’ll likely start by earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice first. It is not always necessary, but if you plan on going into criminal law, you’ll want to at least consider that route.
But to get into law school, you’ll almost always need to earn a bachelor’s degree first before getting accepted. While they usually don’t require a particular degree for entrance, it would make sense to get a bachelor’s degree in the field you expect to work in.
Keep in mind that certain bachelor’s degrees might help you prepare more for your law school education. Seek assistance from an advisor to determine the best path for you.
Criminal Justice Career : Probation or Parole officer
The correctional system has a variety of positions but some of the most popular are probation or parole officers. Probation officers will supervise people who received an alternative sentence to incarceration and are on community supervision.
Parole officers supervise people who were released early from prison.
In most circumstances, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree for these positions. But it might not need to necessarily be a criminal justice degree. I do find that it makes more sense to get a degree in a field you are interested in. But I have seen some probation officers get hired who were teachers previously with an educational degree. But this was not the norm.
Other popular positions in the criminal justice field
Dispatcher
Correctional Officers
Forensic Science Technicians
Private Investigators
Crime Scene Investigators
Victim Advocate
Legal Assistants
Border Patrol Agent
Fish and Game Warden
Bailiff
Is the criminal justice field saturated with criminal justice majors?
When you are thinking about a degree, you want to get a degree in a field that isn’t completely saturated with graduates. Unless there are lots of jobs available. Too many graduates in one field can make it harder to get a job later.
But you may not want to get a degree in a field that is the least popular because that might mean there are fewer positions.
Criminal justice or criminology is considered a social science. You can see the information from the National Center for Education Statistics below. This area is less saturated than some but more popular than others. It really falls somewhere in the middle. Which I think is a good place to be since almost all of these jobs aren’t going anywhere.
Source : Screenshot from National Center for Education Statistics (publicly available)
Is criminology in high demand?
Average salary and projected growth of the most popular criminal justice careers?
Now that you know some of the career options, you probably want to understand the prospects for your future career. Like what is the projected job growth, what is the median salary, and if you need a degree for a position. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has some excellent data about different careers.
I made a table to summarize a few popular criminal justice positions and have that below to share some of the information gathered from the BLS.
As you can see, the opportunities are available and in almost all positions, the projected growth is increasing. These types of positions are here to stay and will continue to offer plenty of graduates opportunities for employment well into the future.
I always tell students that criminal justice won’t typically earn you the most money, but you will have a lot of fulfillment helping others. When I talk to people who work in the field, and having worked in the field myself, you are rewarded in other ways besides money. I don’t think most criminal justice professionals go into this field with the intent to get rich.
Although if you want to increase your income, you could focus on advancing your career as you gain experience. For example, become a magistrate (judge) or prosecutor. These types of positions are higher paying than most. Federal law enforcement agencies also usually offer higher pay compared to local and state agencies.
And in some positions (policing and corrections), you have ample opportunity to earn overtime.
What are the best colleges for criminal justice students?
It’s likely it won’t matter where you go to college, as long as it was accredited and recognized. But sometimes the experience can be better at some institutions than others. And you might be able to network more, or snag an amazing internship at one college and not another.
Lastly some professors can help make the college experience more exciting. I would review the faculty bios for a college you’re interested in to determine the value of each faculty member at that institution. You might learn that a professor has worked in the same area you’re interested in, which could serve as an excellent mentor. Most of the faculty bios are online. Sometimes they might be called a curriculum vitae. That’s just a fancy word for an academic resume.
What a professor said about the field of criminal justice
I went and asked an experienced criminal justice professor about their thoughts on careers in criminal justice. Here is what they said.
The professor said that the field of criminal justice needs criminal justice professionals and fast. It isn’t a get rich career, in most circumstances, but the employees are likely to find plenty of enjoyment from serving and helping others. The professor also mentioned that any alumni, that they have ever talked to, never regretted going into the field of criminal justice and getting their degree in criminal justice. Lastly, the professor said that they are seeing a shift in lots of employers desiring education from their candidates.
Here is a list of colleges to consider for criminal justice
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
University of California - Irvine
Is criminal justice or criminology a hard major?
You probably want to know if a criminology degree is hard because you don’t want to risk getting bad grades.
With any college degree, there will be a lot of work and dedication required to complete this degree. However, it is moderately hard. I wouldn’t say it’s the easiest degree to obtain but definitely not the hardest.
So, it’s somewhere in the middle. Besides you basic math and science courses that you’ll need to take for your core, your criminal justice classes won’t be too complicated.
However, you will likely need to write very well and be prepared to critically analyze information. You may be dealing with lots of scholarly research so be prepared for that.
But there aren’t any equations that you will be solving (unless you take statistics). You will be studying how the criminal justice system works, and learning about crime statistics and theories instead. I find that there is a lot of memorization needed for this degree.
Is criminology or criminal justice a good major for law school?
As a former professor, I found that a lot of pre-law students would take criminal justice, but ONLY if they wanted to work in the criminal justice field as a defense attorney, Judge, or prosecutor. If you don’t want to go into the criminal justice field, this degree might not be for you.
Those students who had no interest in the criminal justice system would likely get their degree in political science or some related field. Some colleges even offer bachelor’s degree specifically for pre-law students.
This is a decision that would require the student and advisor. Make sure you check with the law school you plan to attend, and find out if they require a certain bachelor’s degree for entrance.
It might also be important to consider the possibility of you not getting into or finishing law school. This way you have a degree to fall back on.
Is criminology a good major for the F.B.I.?
Criminology can be a good major for the Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I.) but this depends on what career you want to pursue in their agency. There are lots of jobs within the F.B.I. and they have different educational requirements. Some require particular degrees while others are more general.
While the F.B.I. is a criminal justice agency, they have a lot of specialized agents. If you want to be a special agent, you might consider a criminal justice degree for the F.B.I., but just know that you may need something that makes you more competitive.
The best way to determine what path you should take is to talk to a F.B.I. recruiter. Some jobs may have specific degree requirements while others may take someone with any degree.
So, before you decide on a degree, figure out what career path you want in the F.B.I. and then talk to a recruiter and determine if a criminology or criminal justice degree is best.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed my criminal justice education, even if it was a long nine years. I also enjoyed my professional career in the criminal justice field. And even more, I enjoy teaching students criminal justice in college.
For some careers, a degree is absolutely necessary. For others, it is not a requirement. But there are plenty of reasons to get your criminal justice degree.
The school you attend isn’t always as important, but realize that some colleges may offer you more opportunities than others. For example, Sam Houston State University is in the same city as a state prison. I have met a few people who went to school there and worked at the prison. You have pretty good benefits and pay for a college student.
Criminal justice careers are almost always growing, and these positions are very unlikely to go anywhere. We will always need the criminal justice system as long as people continue to commit crime. And I don’t see that ever stopping.
If you are in college and contemplating your future and are interested in criminal justice or maybe you are already a criminal justice major, rest easier knowing that your degree is very likely worth it. If you are considering this field, I recommend making sure that you are passionate about this discipline and understand what career options you want to seek before starting a degree program.
Key Takeaways
Getting a criminology degree is worth it.
You shouldn’t JUST consider your return on investment in dollars but also in personal growth.
Almost all careers in criminal justice are expected to have job growth.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter what degree you earn but it makes sense to get a degree in a discipline you’ll be working in.
Different careers have different educational requirements with some only requiring a high school diploma.
There’s data that says people who are college graduates are happier, healthier, and live longer lives.
You’'ll be more competitive with a degree.
You could earn your associate’s degree first before venturing into a four-year degree program.
The field of criminal justice will likely continue to grow for decades to come.
I am not providing professional or legal advice. This information is the opinion of the author created from public resources and experience. See my disclaimers.
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