Entering the criminal justice field offers a wide array of opportunities. While some of the options, such as becoming a police officer, are fairly well known, other options are also available. Within the state of Pennsylvania, criminal justice careers can also include correction
Entering the criminal justice field offers a wide array of opportunities. While some of the options, such as becoming a police officer, are fairly well known, other options are also available. Within the state of Pennsylvania, criminal justice careers can also include correctional officers, probation officers, paralegals, and private investigators.
Criminal justice encompasses the studying or application of laws that relate to criminal behavior. The desire is to ensure the system in place is fair and that all parties involved in the arrest, incarceration, prosecution, defense and ultimate judgement of those potentially involved in criminal activity be treated based on standards of fairness.
Regardless of your career preference, most careers in criminal justice begin with a solid education. This is due to the complex nature of the criminal justice system and the need to be able to accurately assess and interpret applicable laws and regulations based on the circumstances surrounding the criminal activity in question.
Though many careers in the criminal justice field do not have specific educational requirements beyond a high school diploma or its equivalent, it is often recommended that an appropriate level of education be acquired in order to be considered competitive within the field. Depending on the precise career path that interests you, educational requirements or recommendations can vary from professional certificates to an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or various graduate degrees.
An undergraduate professional certificate provides a time efficient way to begin acquiring the knowledge needed to work in certain entry level positions. A certificate often does not require any general education courses. Instead, certificate programs focus only on course work that directly applies to the field being studied.
The duration of a certificate program can vary depending on the exact requirements in p