What Jobs can you get with a Criminology Degree? – Job Description And Resume Examples

This post provides detailed information on some of the best jobs you can get with a criminology degree, including the duties they commonly perform.

As a student looking forward to taking a degree program in criminology, you might want to know like others: “What jobs can you get with a criminology degree?” so as to decide if it’s the career path you want to take.

Criminology is an interesting field of study and offers several exciting career and job opportunities that you can access with a degree.

This post provides detailed information of what you can do with a criminology degree, including the salaries you stand to make in the available careers in the field of criminology.

Why Criminology Degree?

Did you know there is a pattern for most crimes committed within a geographical enclave?

It is interesting to note that criminal acts aren’t just random events that occur without logical reason.

Various vices and misconducts have been found to be either premeditated, influenced by upbringing/environment, stemming from defective religious background or ill mental health.

A lot of crime cases ranging from the 9/11 investigation to the Al Capone organized crime case have been solved with the aid of criminology techniques and methods.

Criminology as the study of why, where, what, when, and who committed a crime has played an important role in resolving crime issues, preventing terrorism, capturing crime perpetrators, and serving justice.

Criminologists are saddled with the responsibility of analyzing crime as well as those who commit it; they identify patterns to a criminal act, attempt to determine the reasons why an unlawful act was or is being executed, and then try to avoid or prevent such situations from occurring.

Criminologists find relevance in a wide range of fields, among which include correction systems, law enforcement agencies (Police, CIA), legal field, and research agencies.

A passion for keeping the streets safe along with a criminology degree is what it takes to pursue a career in the crime-curbing field.

Undergraduate studies in criminology expose prospective criminologists to the study, behavior, and nature of criminals.

They carry out research on past criminal cases and how they could have been resolved better.

During the process of study, they acquire various skills that aid them in becoming professionals; skills such as sharp observational skills, effective writing and communication skills, understanding of criminal laws, and the ability to evaluate societal misdemeanors to come up with logical solutions.

Criminology degree is fairly popular among undergraduates as it is ranked as 82nd most popular degree in the U.S according to MatchCollege with 8416 degrees awarded from 2013 to 2014.

As a step towards pursuing a career in the field of criminology, you can opt for a 2-year Associate’s degree in criminology.

What can you do with Criminology Associate’s Degree?

With an Associate’s degree in criminology, you possess basic knowledge of criminal behavior and crime analysis, thus you can qualify for job positions as:

Youth Worker: They are responsible for guiding young people, especially those combating challenges with social vices. They provide counselling and support for youths by promoting their interests, addressing their emotional and social needs and generally helping them avoid delinquency. They also organize youth programs that foster positive development in young people. See detailed youth worker job description.
Security Officer: They provide monitoring services for clients usually in businesses or homes. They ensure a safe and crime-free environment by performing routine checks of entrance and exit in a building as well as patrol of work premises. They are also responsible for providing quick response to emergency situations. See detailed security officer job description.
Prison Officer: They ensure that inmates comply with prison rules and regulations. They are part of the team responsible for supervising, correcting, and training individuals remanded in prisons. They carry out patrols deal with commotions, provide support/care for prisons and maintain anti-bullying policy and various other policies mapped out for the efficient running of prison services. See detailed prison officer job description.

It is important to note that most entry-level jobs in the criminology field require at least a Bachelor’s degree, therefore having just an Associate’s degree in the field can only provide steep job opportunities.

What can you do with a Criminology Bachelor’s Degree?

A Bachelor’s degree provides a broader knowledge of criminal systems and behavior and qualifies graduates for the following jobs:

Probation Officer: They specialize in providing counselling services to prisoners as well as managing them, especially during their probation period to ensure they don’t reoffend. They interact with offenders and aid them in adjusting their behavior; they provide reports to Parole Boards on the progress of an inmate thus providing the basis upon which a prisoner may be released. See detailed probation officer job description.
Police Officer/Detective: Criminologists can attend police academy to become police officers whose duties entail maintaining law and order in the society. They can also go on to become detectives in the investigation department where they conduct crime investigations.
Prison Warden: They are high rank correctional officers who oversee the rehabilitation of inmates as well as the efficient management of prison facilities. They maintain policies and ensure management of crisis in a penitentiary.
Charity Officer: They specialize in the management of volunteers in a charitable organization. They apply for grants as well as source for charity donations on behalf of a group. They manage the public relations activities of the organization by creating fundraising materials such that attract potential donors.
Solicitor: Criminologists can become legal experts once they pass their bar exams in a law school. They can in their capacity provide legal assistance and advice to their clients, aiding them in taking appropriate legal actions.

Going for an advanced degree increases the job prospects of a criminology major graduate, as well as their earning potential.

What can you do with a Criminology Master’s or Doctorate Degree?

With a Master’s/Doctorate degree in criminology, you will qualify for job positions such as:

Social Researcher: They carry out research to determine the causes of crime and how it affects the society; they utilize questionnaires and interviews in collecting information as pertains to criminal behavior/patterns. Results of their research are employed in providing solutions to crime cases.
Criminology Instructor: They are responsible for teaching criminology principles and techniques to undergraduates in colleges and universities. They also carry out research in institutions.