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Criminal Justice Career Paths and Opportunities
The criminal justice curriculum prepares students for careers in the criminal legal system, community-based organizations, and governmental agencies serving those who have been involved in or impacted by crime and other forms of harm-doing.
A criminal justice degree opens many career paths, including examples listed below. The degree doesn’t guarantee employment, however. Your personal and professional qualities, previous work and volunteer experiences, and existing strengths and skills also make a difference in your job search. For more career guidance, visit UWT Career Development and Education and visit “What Can I Do With This Major?”.
Criminal justice majors can enhance their skills through TCRIM 498: Internship.
Within Criminal Legal Systems
- Law enforcement (police officers, administrators)
- Prisons and jails (correctional officers, service providers, administrators) Community corrections (parole or probation officers)
- Courts (service providers, administrators)
- Victim services (in prosecution offices, department of corrections, or community corrections)
- Juvenile Justice (probation or parole officer, program providers, detention officers)
Within the community related to:
- Victim advocacy and direct services (homicide, domestic violence, sexual assault survivors)
- Re-entry services (community services, halfway houses, peer navigators)
- Restorative justice/practices, including in schools Substance abuse and mental health
- Substance abuse and mental health
- Prison education
- Immigration
- Human trafficking
- Youth services (YMCA/YWCA, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, school-based programs)
- Housing (community-based and governmental agencies)
- LGBTQIA2S+ youth and adults
- Private security/investigation agencies (event security, private investigator)
- Policy or legislative (city, county or state government)
With additional training/certification, graduate education, or career progression
- Paralegal
- Forensic investigation/technology (police, sheriff, or medical examiner offices)
- Criminal investigation (detective)
- Attorney (prosecution, defense, immigration)
- Advanced social work
- Teacher (K-12 and higher education)
