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Bachelors of Science in Criminology

Future Career Opportunities for Students Obtaining a Bachelors of Science in Criminology Degree

Bachelor of Science in Criminology

Students of Bachelors of Science in Criminology degree program study various courses in crime and law. The undergraduate degree program is focused primarily on understanding the criminal mind as well as the thinking processes of delinquents and the aberrant. Knowing how the mind of the said individuals allows them to predict and deduce past and future decisions of suspects. After graduation their main duty would be investigating crimes and discovering what really happened especially who did it. They should also be able to arrive with a conclusion regarding the reasons and circumstances that led to the act of breaking the law. You can take your bachelor qualifications to the next level by completing graduate studies and obtaining a master’s or a doctorate degree. The better qualifications you have the more chances you will have of getting promoted.

Multiple Possibilities

Graduates of Bachelors of Science in Criminology degree program can choose among several agencies to practice their qualifications. Regardless of agency they are likely to be in charge of profiling suspects and criminals. They will also be in charge of collection data and information such as crime rate statistics. They are also responsible for replicating the possible crime schemes used by large syndicates and finding loopholes in the said schemes that will help them crack down the masterminds and members and put them to justice. Criminologists can advance their profession in various fields such as:

  • Corrections

  • Counselling

  • Forensics

  • Insurance Fraud Investigating

  • Intervention Programming

  • Judicial

  • Law Enforcement

  • Medical Investigation

  • Prevention and Diversion Programming

  • Rehabilitation

  • Research and Policy Studies

  • Retail Investigation

  • Teaching

  • Women’s Studies

  • Youth Programming and Counselling

These numerous specializations means there are allot of paths to choose from and also a lot of job vacancies to fill. This is why graduates of the degree program will surely have an easy time landing a job.

Diversity of Courses

The diverse career paths also mean that there are countless combinations of courses to choose from. You can put together your own set of courses as long as all the requirements of your chosen specialisation are included in the set. Common courses of study are:

  • Abnormal Psychology

  • Corrections

  • Criminal Law

  • Criminal Theory

  • Forensics

  • Government

  • Introductory Psychology

  • Juvenile Delinquency

  • Sociology

  • Statistics for Social Sciences and Business

Students are also advised to take up part time jobs in prisons and other criminal justice system related areas. This will allow them to learn even more about their future field.

Common Tasks and Responsibilities

Criminologists are often assigned the following duties:

 

  • Analyzing the Causes of Crimes
  • Attending Autopsies
  • Attending Crime Scene Investigations
  • Collecting Crime Data
  • Compiling Crime Statistics
  • Performing Computational Work
  • Proposing Improvements in the Way Resources are Consumed
  • Providing Cataloged Information Regarding Crimes
  • Report Proofing

Alternative Career Paths

If you do not want to be surrounded by crimes all the time there are other ways of practicing your degree. The most common alternative is becoming a personal investigator. In this occupation, private individuals will hire your services to perform research and find answers to certain questions. You can also enter the education sector as a professor of criminology and take part in educating the next generation of justice stewards. You can also work as a consultant of criminal and law studies.

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Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Make Our World a Safer Place with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice

If you have the passion to fight for what is right and to protect the public from criminals and other ailments of society then a degree in Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice just might be the college undergraduate degree program you are looking for. The program will arm you with what you need to become a good and effective steward of justice. Common jobs of stewards of justice are:

  • Police Officers

  • Corrections Officers

  • Court System Employees

In other words, stewards of justice are the enforcers of criminal justice. The criminal justice system functions to:

  • Keep the Society Under Control

  • Prevent Crimes

  • Enforce Laws

  • Administer Justice

Growing Demand

The world has recently been rattled to the core by the global financial crisis that caused economic meltdowns all almost everywhere. The crisis led to a worse economic and financial condition for individuals especially those on the lower end of the social bracket. The dire times that came afterwards forced many people into committing crimes as a last resort. Due to the increasing crime rate the two primary enforcement bodies of criminal justice are now in need of more manpower, hence an increase in the demand for graduates of Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.

Primary Agencies of the Criminal Justice System

1. Law Enforcement

This agency is comprised mainly of the police force. It is tasked with preventing crimes and catching criminals as well as promoting public safety. The police force is the first line of defence against criminals.

2. Courts and Corrections

This agency is made up of lawyers, jurors, and judges. It is tasked at holding trials to determine the innocence or guilt of suspected criminals. It is also tasked to determine the sentence for those found to be guilty.

The demand for additional workforce in both primary agencies is expected to remain at around 25% for several more years to come.

Professional Qualifications

The tough times of today require highly competent law enforcers. New graduates should therefore be highly knowledgeable and also highly skilled so they can cope up with any situation and deliver the highest quality of service to the public. Graduates of the course can have the following positions:

  • Police Officers

  • Sheriff’s Patrol Officers

  • Correctional Officers

  • Correctional Jailers

  • Private Detectives

  • Private Investigators

  • Police Detectives

  • Police Investigators

  • Security Guards

Available Qualification Levels

1. Associate’s Degree

This is the most popular qualification level because it takes only two years to finish yet the employment possibilities that come with its completion are numerous. Associates of criminal justice can work at:

  • Corrections

  • Courts

  • Criminal Justice

  • Forensic Science

  • Homeland Security

  • Intelligence Agencies

  • Juvenile Justice

  • Private Investigations

2. Bachelor’s Degree

This is the minimum qualification needed before a steward of justice is trusted to have his own subordinates. Bachelors of criminal justice are skilled in communications and interpersonal skills as well as critical thinking and problem solving competencies. If you want to be more than just a police officer then completing the degree will be a good option for you.

3. Master’s Degree

This level of qualification allows the student to specialize in his chosen area of criminal justice. If you want to reach the high ranking positions then you need to have this level of advancement.

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Bachelor of Science in Criminology

Criminology and the Art of Understanding Crimes

Bachelor of Science in Criminology
The year 2013 had its share of shocking crimes. Just recently, on the 17th of September, a single gunman killed at least 12 people inside the Washington D.C. Navy Station, only a few miles away from the White House. The gunman, identified as Aaron Alexis is known to be a contractor and a former Navy serviceman. He is believed to be someone who always extends assistance to friends and neighbors. But what led him to kill 12 innocent people?

The case is still under investigation. The success of the investigation would depend on the ability and capability of the investigating officers to uncover every detail that led to the death of 12 people in Washington. It does not start with Aaron Alexis. It starts with his family, his place of birth, his schools, his friends, his co-workers and all information, event, experience and history that made him decide to kill without mercy.

The investigators will also look for a motive in the killing before ruling out that the killing s just a spur of the moment insanity or bursting out of depression, disappointment, fury or resentment. They will surely check on all his transactions, work experience and activities during his time with the Navy. They will also investigate all contacts from work, from his company, from his sphere of friends, acquaintances and families. They will also examine the physical evidence such as the weapons used by the suspect, the bullets, the victims’ bodies and more.

And each victim will definitely be checked until the investigators established a clear motive or a clear story in the killings. It is not easy to become a criminologist. And since the popularization of Forensic Science, solving crimes escalated into a new level of sophistication and accuracy.

How to Become a Criminologist?

Before engaging in a career related to solving and fighting crimes, one has to complete a Bachelor of Science in Criminology degree. Breaking the usual notion that it is only limited to careers in law enforcement, Criminology is actually an art of understanding all details related to crime. It also includes all kinds of crime from crime against property, crime against persons to juvenile crime, syndicated or organized crimes and terrorism.

A Bachelor of Science in Criminology program covers studies in Basic Criminology, Psychology, Sociology, Forensic Psychology, Criminal Profiling, Forensics, Behavioral Science, Chemistry, Federal and States Laws, Information Management, Leadership Training and basic Computer courses.

The degree is expanded and more comprehensive. The new approach in Criminology prepares students how to accurately and intelligently measure and identify the nature of crimes; the politics and behavior of crimes; the statistics of crimes; the psychosocial patterns of criminals; and to master the investigative characteristics of a good criminologist.

For those who want to achieve greater career opportunities, completing a degree course in Criminology is a start although a graduate degree can help one to get higher-paying jobs.

Most of the bigger paychecks can be found in the Federal law enforcement bureaus, courts or in international crime agencies like the Interpol. The entry level salary for criminologists, police officers and other law enforcers is around US $20,000 per year while the median annual salary for criminal sociologists and other experts in crime-related fields is US $72,000. Meanwhile, criminal specialists working in big agencies can earn as high as US $129,870.

How do Crimes Affect Society?

Aside from understanding the individual characteristics of a certain crime, criminologists also study the impact of crimes in communities. There are several theories that explain why individuals commit crime. One or two of these theories say that some crimes are “social” or “political.” The society reacts to crimes and crimes react to society. There are criminals who commit crime against communities, against governments, or against races or groups of people – in most cases, these crimes are statements of political stand or convictions, or opposition to certain norms or social standards.

In more recent studies, societies and communities also show varying reactions to crimes. In others, the proliferation of crimes enabled the community to be vigilant and more caring while in other cases, crimes created walls among the inhabitants. Self-preservation and self-protection become more important than community watch or community crime prevention activities.

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Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science

Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science: Solving Mysteries – The Faster Way

Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science Our body is an intricate map of mysteries, stories, histories and possibilities. Each bone, each fingerprint, each cell, each DNA is a part of a wonderful atomic universe that God has created. And to be able to identify every minute detail of each part of the human body through the use of technology and sheer brilliance of trained forensic specialists, it blows our mind of the many possibilities of different worlds still waiting to be discovered.
If you think like this, odds are – you have the characteristic of a good forensic scientist. The Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science is very young as compared to other degrees. It was not until fingerprinting was discovered that Forensic Science became part of our household vocabulary.

A Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science is a fascinating degree that focuses on the study of application of multi-level spectrum of empirical sciences and technologies. Forensic Science or also known as Forensics is now an integral part of solving crimes around the world although other forensic scientists work in other fields like archaeology, geology, astronomy and biology.

Forensic Science entails meticulous analysis, processing and evaluation of physical evidence collected from the subject of research, investigation or study.

Most often than not, Forensic Science is associated with criminology, criminal law, criminal justice or in biological, geological or astronomical expeditions and researches.

Variety of Coverage

The varying disciplines that are related to Forensic Science have molded the fields of this study that include DNA analysis, fingerprinting, autopsy techniques, forensic engineering, pathology, entomology, toxicology, ballistics, document examination, electronic/digital media and even microbiology.

Forensic scientists today are equipped with state-of-the-art techniques and technology in examining evidence for their subject cases. Many are starting to embrace forensics nowadays as compared before, when only the laboratory enthusiasts see this field as a promising career.

Today, Forensic Science is already part of the mainstream or popular degrees, thanks to the promotions of media, particularly television. Top-rating US TV series like CSI, NCIS, Law and Order, Cold Case, Prime Suspect and more gave credit to the forensic scientists who were usually behind the closing of unsolved mysteries and cold cases.

The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) earlier recognized the importance of an accreditation system for forensic science programs across USA. This led to the establishment of the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC). To date, there are about 40 universities accredited with FEPAC. This list includes West Virginia State University, Pennsylvania State University, George Washington University, and Florida International University, among others.

In United Kingdom, Forensic Science at Staffordshire University is on top of the list of schools offering the degree. The university boasts of its well-equipped science laboratories, enthusiastic faculty and a conducive environment for forensic buffs.

Did you know?

The future of forensic scientists is very enticing and promising. With all the crimes around the world, the increasing concerns on violations of international laws — smuggling, human trafficking, counterfeiting and biochemical warfare — and the continuing search for the “elixir of life,” surely every forensic scientists has a place to work with.

In United States alone, the law enforcement field is growing. After the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center, the federal government’s homeland security doubled its programs and strengthened its policies for security. More than ever, forensic scientists are needed all over the state. Forensics graduates can work with the government as FBI agents, police officers, U.S. marshals, forensic scientists, state troopers, customs agents, secret service agents or prison wardens.