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Criminology Advisement Page |
Career Information
For a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of career information in criminal justice, check out Dr. Tom O'Connor's Mega-Links in Criminal Justice and Adam Sanford's Criminal Justice Career Center.
Knowledge gained by studying crime and delinquency, and the system of justice established to deal with such behavior, is useful for everyone. For students anticipating a career in the field of criminal justice, such a program of study enhances opportunities for employment and enhances opportunities for upward mobility in one's career.
In addition to providing insights and information related to crime and justice for all students, the Criminology program at Missouri State is also interested in recruiting students who want to move up the ladder of responsibility in their chosen criminal justice occupation - whether it is in criminal law and the judiciary, law enforcement and corrections, or academics and research. We seek leaders knowing our students can accomplish greatness in what they choose to do as a career.
For students anticipating working in other fields (business, social service, counseling, education, journalism, etc.), the information gained through taking various CRM courses is likely to apply to their chosen occupation. For example, there are journalists who cover the "crime beat," business people who must be concerned with employee theft, and teachers who face and must deal with violence, vandalism and other acts of delinquency in school. Delinquency, crime and the operation of the justice system touch the lives of nearly everyone and every social institution in our society.
- Not sure what you want to be?
- Some Tips for Choosing Your Career
- Job Profiles from the U.S. Department of Labor
- The MSU Career Center - Helping you Find Employment
- Specific Careers in or Related to Criminal Justice
Not sure what you want to be?
Confused about what you're going to do upon graduation?
Do you have some decisions to make?Sally Rowe, Assistant Director of the Missouri State Office of Career Services (Carrington Hall Room 309, phone 417-836-5636) sent me a brief description of several of the career search tests available to students today. If you see something you're interested in, call or visit the office for an appointment.
The Self-Directed Search (SDS) is an easy-to-take tool that allows students to gain insight into their skills and interests and discover career “matches” that fit. Dr. John Holland developed this assessment that suggests that both people and work environments can be classified according to 6 basic types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social Enterprising and Conventional (RIASEC). Research has shown that people whose job and work environments most closely match their personal style and interests consider themselves satisfied and successful with the occupational choices they have made.
The Myers-Briggs (MBTI) Type Indicator is used in career counseling to assist students in understanding how their personality preferences can help them decide what they want to do and how to improve their chances of getting what they want. The MBTI was developed by Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs as a measure of Dr. Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types. Results provide students with information on career options, potential strengths associated with their type, as well as workplace needs.
Focus II is a web-based computerized career and educational planning system that guides students through a process enabling them to do the following: assess interests, skills, personality, values and leisure activities; get the facts about occupational options that are aligned with results of assessments; look at educational paths and training programs compatible with their personal attributes; identify career development needs.
The Multiple Intelligence Checklist evolved from research done by Howard Gardner, Ph.D. The checklist is designed to evaluate the way a person thinks and learns based on life experiences in childhood and the present time. Strengths are identified and associated with nine intelligences. Sample professions are listed under each intelligence area. This tool helps students put their full range of abilities “to work”.
Skills are acquired through life and work experiences, as well as education. Every job requires certain skills. Discovering and developing skills is essential to career success. Career Services has a variety of skills exercises and activities to help students identify the skills they have and most enjoy using. The skills they find they have can be the foundation upon which they are likely to build their career. They can also learn to evaluate how well their skills match the skills needed in various jobs.
Work Values are often the determining factors when making career decisions. The Review of Work Values has statements reflecting values associated with occupational choices such as achievement, leadership, creativity, security and adventure, to name a few. Students give a numeric value to each of the statements to rate the degree of importance it would have in bringing them career satisfaction. Results show clearly the value students place on certain conditions within a workplace setting. This inventory can be quite revealing to students, enabling them to reflect on what conditions are most important in their work.There are other things you can do to get a better understanding of the kind of job you might like to do and visiting the Office of Career Services is an excellent place to start! They offer mock (practice) interview workshops, a job-finding service and much more. You have already paid for these services in your student fees and tuition, so please use them.
Some Tips for Choosing Your Career
Mapping Your Future
Planning your career?
Learn about effective job search strategies.
Evaluating and accepting job offers.
Improve your oral interview skills.
Guide to Effective Cover Letters and Letters of Recommendation.
How to write a resume letter (see 50 sample resumes). Here's another excellent site for job seekers.
What personal qualities and skills are employers seeking in their new hires?
Read this list of other career-related topics.
Job Profiles from the U.S. Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook is constantly updated and provides information on the "nature of the work, working conditions, employment, training and other qualifications, advancement, job outlook, earnings, related occupations and additional information" for many different occupations. You can go to the Handbook's site and do a keyword search for the positions in which you are interested or, if it's listed below, just click on it.
If you'd like to learn more about a given career, contact two people who have that kind of job and ask each one what the job entails, what they enjoy least and most about the job, and what you should be studying and doing while in college to make you competitive for such a position when you graduate.
The MSU Career Center - Helping you Find Employment
The Missouri State Career Center office has useful career information on file in their office (Carrington Hall, third floor, room 309) and online. I received this notice from Career Center regarding another of their offerings:
Students can utilize most of our services for no charge...this includes, resume, cover letter, thank you letters, mock interviews, career counseling, and job/internship search. If students would like to register to use our online job/internship database there is a $20 fee for that. That is good until 6 months after they graduate or one full year which ever is longer. This $20 will allow them to upload their resume, post their resume into resume books for employers to view, view jobs/internships that we have posted, and participate in On-campus interviews in the fall and spring semesters.
Specific Careers in or Related to Criminal Justice
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Forensics and Profiling
The National Institute of Justice recently (December, 2007) posted a great deal of information on forensics. For an overall view of the field, please take a look at Dr. Tom O'Connor's very informative site.
More and more students are asking about careers in forensics. I've posted some of the most commonly requested information on this page. If your question is not answered here, you may find answers on some of the Internet sites listed below. Click on one of the following to learn more:
Educational Requirements: You will need, at a minimum, a Bachelor of Science in a "hard science" field such as chemistry, biology, or biomedical sciences. According to Joanne M. Gordon (email), professor of biomedical sciences at Missouri State University:
Our Cell and Molecular Biology major would be an appropriate degree for individuals interested in forensics as a career. A number of our alumni have taken positions with state crime labs and have found the CMB major to be very valuable in their work. Several of our graduates have pursued PhDs in the area of forensics as well.
The CMB major focuses on cell and molecular aspects of human biology, and includes courses in human genetics, bio-molecular interactions, cell and molecular biology (with emphasis on cell and protein interactions), molecular biology (with emphasis on nucleic acid structure, function, regulation, DNA analysis, and genetic engineering) as well as other courses such as histology and pharmacology that would be valuable courses for someone interested in forensics as a career. Our major is heavy in laboratory experience, with each of the core courses having a strong laboratory component.
Various sources claim a degree in chemistry is most desirable for this line of work. Along with a science major, a minor in Crime and Society provides a good additional background for those desiring work in forensics.
Whether or not you pursue a graduate degree or an advanced degree specifically in forensic science should be based on your personal situation and preferences. As of now there is no general industry standard. If you are interested in a specific lab or law enforcement agency, call the director to ask what they looking for in employees.
For more specific information, we recommend the following article containing information about educational requirements for jobs in forensic science:
Visit this site for information on the new Forensic Identification major at West Virginia University. You can also explore links to all of the undergraduate and graduate programs in forensics.
Knowledge: Familiarize yourself with the forensic science literature in general and in your area of interest. Start with Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science (1995) by Richard Saferstein (Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ).
An extensive list of in forensic science resources may be found at R. Scott Carpenter's Website. Another great source of information is the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the organization which publishes the Journal of Forensic Sciences. Beyond this text, the reference librarians at Meyer Library and the Internet are good places to learn more about forensic science - what the field entails, prospects for the future, the kinds of forensics there are (chemistry, criminalistics, psychology, etc.), and more.
You can even consider taking the General Knowledge Examination (GKE) given by the American Board of Criminalistics. You may study for and take this exam even if you are not yet currently employed in the profession.
Experience: Consider doing a non-paid internship in a crime laboratory to gain experience in the forensic application of science. To my knowledge, there is no official "listing" for such opportunities. You will need to make some phone calls to labs in which you are interested. Call law enforcement agencies in close proximity to where you are living and start the conversation with them.
If you are able to take a university-level internship at the crime lab or other forensic setting (hospitals or morgues, for example), you may not only learn more about the field, you may be better able to determine if that is the kind of career you want and what you need to know to succeed in that field. Further, you will have on-the-job experience under your best and can request letters of reference for your next career move.Professional Contacts: Join your regional association of forensic science professionals. A listing of these organizations can be found on the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors. Consider joining the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, a national professional organization.
Take a look at the Career Guide for Criminal Profiling if this is a career in which you are interested.
What Forensic Specialists Do: (Source of the following information.)
Forensic Psychologists and Psychiatrists: Forensic psychologists or psychiatrists may be called on to evaluate a murder scene to suggest a possible psychological profile of the killer. The FBI has done much work in developing such profiles of serial killers and will often send one of its experts to assist the local police.
Fingerprint Experts: Dactyloscopy, the scientific study of fingerprints, was first developed nearly a hundred years ago to identify convicts. When law enforcers realized that fingerprints are also left behind on all manner of surfaces, the use was extended to catching criminals as well. With some recent additions to the original bag of tricks, dactyloscopy is still an important weapon in the crime stopper's arsenal.
Crime Scene Photographers: A crime scene must be photographed from every angle to clearly show every detail, with emphasis on accurately recording the size and distance of objects. The crime scene photographer, whose work often involves the use of specialized cameras and film, may also be trained in fingerprint lifting and analysis, and may be called the Identification Officer or Identification Technician.
Forensic Pathologists: Forensic pathologists, employed by the office of the medical examiner, determine the time and cause of death in cases of suspected homicide or suicide. The medical examiner's office is also often responsible for local public health issues such as investigating suspected cases of plague or other highly dangerous infectious diseases. Other medical specialties that may aid in criminal investigation are:Forensic Serologists: Forensic serology is the study of blood groups, blood, and other bodily fluids for identification purposes following a crime. Forensic serologists are also on the forefront of the new techniques of DNA fingerprinting, which offer the possibility of positive identification of an individual by
any available body cells.
Forensic Dentists and Odontologists: Forensic dentists or odontologists examine the teeth of corpses for identification purposes or make casts of human bite marks in foods - sometimes in people - to match the bite with the biter.Ballistics Experts: From the Roman ballista, a sort of heavy-duty slingshot, ballistics began as the study of the flight paths of projectiles. By extension, ballistics experts are now experts in the study of everything to do with firearms.
Forensic Chemists: Forensic chemists specialize in analyzing such things as tiny chips of paint to determine the color and manufacturer, as well as determining the identity of minuscule amounts of drugs, dyes, and other chemicals and random unidentified particles.
Forensic Geologists: Forensic geologists can determine such things as where the suspect or victim walked by examining soil samples taken from their shoes or feet.
Forensic Entomologists: Forensic entomologists are specialists in the study of insects.
Forensic Anthropologists: Forensic anthropologists can, from examining a pile of bones, supply a surprising amount of detail about what the person looked like. We have a forensic anthropologist on our faculty here at MSU.
Forensic Artists: Forensic artists can draw a likeness of a person based solely on eyewitness descriptions.
Forensic Sculptors: Their training and expertise is as important as that of the forensic specialists. Forensic sculptors can reconstruct faces, usually in modeling clay or on a computer.
Forensic Linguists: Forensic linguists analyze the content of written or aural communication to identify who is speaking and indicate the speaker's intent, and can determine whether two communications are from the same person.
Starting at the patrol level, one works up the ladder to corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, major, and so on. As you probably know, the structure of most law enforcement agencies is para-military. Many large communities have constant openings at the patrol level.
Increasingly, decisions concerning promotions and pay increases are based upon merit - not politics. Some departments reward college graduates with a higher pay scale than non-graduates. Unfortunately, too few departments require recruits have a college education (approximately 86% of all police/sheriff agencies require only a high school degree. In the not-too-distant future a college degree will be the norm.
County police are typically responsible for patrolling county roads and small outlying towns and villages. Some county police departments are quite large (10,000+) while others are very small. A student entering county policing may also aspire to promotions carrying additional responsibilities as well as increases in salary.
State police have primary responsibility for state highways and they also support county, city, and federal police, whenever appropriate. Support activities include ballistics, fingerprinting, crime scene photography, and records.
There are dozens of federal law enforcement agencies--including such well-known ones as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), US Customs, the U.S. Marshall's Office, and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The amount of hiring depends upon federal budgets.
Many federal agencies require their recruits to have a college degree. The type of degree often depends on the agency and its assignments at that time. Some require that job applicants be between 23-35 years of age. All federal agencies are affirmative action/equal opportunity employers--minorities and women are encouraged to apply.
The private sector of enforcement employs over 1 million people. In comparison, the nation has only 800,000 public law enforcement personnel (as of the year 2000, when the last census of law enforcement agencies was taken). Pay and benefits in the private sector vary much more than in the public sector and, because of this, may have a lower low end and a much higher high end. For example, the director of an industrial security force may earn upwards of $80,000 per year while a retail store security guard may only earn minimum wage.
Private security includes security at some parks, airports, theaters, retail operations, manufacturing plants, and residential settings. This is a rapidly growing sector in enforcement. Many security personnel do not have the power of arrest and, therefore, are not armed. In this respect, they are supportive to area police.
You can learn about the nature of policing, working conditions, training and other qualifications, job outlook, earnings, related occupations and sources of additional information by visiting the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Click here for additional information on careers in policing.
Attorneys in Criminal Courts
Attorneys in the criminal court include prosecutors and defense attorneys. Prosecutors, acting on behalf of the general society, bring charges against the defendant. Defense attorneys, as the term implies, act on behalf of the defendant. Prosecutors and defense attorneys are found in local, state, and federal courts.
All attorneys must have be law school graduates and a member of appropriate bar associations. In most cities and counties one must be elected to the position of prosecutor. Cities and counties use a variety of means for providing the accused with defense counsel. Public defenders, the lowest paid of all, are hired on a fixed fee or fixed salary basis and usually carrying a large caseload. Some attorneys prefer to work as a public defender, protecting the rights of the poor. Private attorneys typically earn more than a public defender. Sometimes private attorneys join together to form a law firm. Private attorneys often work on both civil and criminal cases.
You can learn about the practice of law, working conditions, training and other qualifications, job outlook, earnings, related occupations and sources of additional information by visiting the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Click here for additional information on careers in law.
The the field of corrections includes both institutional corrections (where offenders are confined) and community-based corrections (where offenders are treated while living in the community).
Institutional Corrections
Local jails contain a population of people who are either awaiting trial (about 60% of the population in jail) or who are serving time for misdemeanors. Jails hold both men and women and, if they are abiding by the law, they never house juveniles. Juveniles are supposed to be held in special facilities (typically called detention centers). Unlike detention centers, jails seldom offer treatment or rehabilitative programs.
New generation jails are now appearing on the correctional scene. Due to their expense, they are more often found at the county level where they may hold people from a number of municipalities. These jails provide more secure and safer living quarters, a much more pleasant working environment, and some efforts at treatment. Jails are staffed with officers, case workers, and administrators. The officers maintain security, the case workers aid inmates in day-to-day concerns or issues, and administrators are responsible for the overall functioning of the facility.
State prisons are staffed by state governments and hold offenders convicted of state crimes. Prisons refer to various secure facilities also called farms, camps, ranches, reformatories, penitentiaries, and workhouses. Prisons hold individuals convicted of felony offenses who have been given prison sentences of one or more years. Training is often provided for all personnel working within the prison. These positions include correctional officers, recreation supervisors, case managers, and administrative staff, just to name a few.
Students interested in entering the field of institutional corrections will find the job market expanding over the next ten years. Hundreds of new prisons are currently under construction or being planned. Opportunities for upward mobility into positions with added responsibility and pay are readily available.
Our nation's federal prisons hold offenders who have violated federal laws (such as kidnapping, interstate drug trafficking, violations of federal gun control laws, violation of tax codes, etc.). The United States Federal Bureau of Prisons is responsible for operating this system of prisons. Pay within the federal system of prisons is generally higher than in the state prisons.
Over the past two decades, the private sector has become involved in the building and management of detention centers and prisons. Perhaps the most well known and largest private corporation in this field is the Corrections Corporation of America. The private sector offers employment opportunities for college graduates roughly similar to those provided by state prisons although it is not certain as to whether the benefits are as attractive as they are in state facilities.
In addition to the forms of institutional corrections discussed above, city, county, state, and the federal governments offer a mixture of services to people touched by the justice system. Included are services as varied as vocational rehabilitation, health care, youth service agencies, tutoring, and drug counseling. It is difficult to create a list of such agencies because every community has a different mixture of services. Oneway to determine what services are offered in any city or county is to check "social services" or "social service organizations" in that community's Yellow Pages.
Probation and parole services are offered at the federal, state, county, and city levels. Many students want to be probation or parole officers. Such a desire is understandable given the treatment orientation of such a career. Probation officers work with offenders (both juveniles and adults) who have been convicted by a court and placed on probation instead of being sent to jail or prison. People on parole have served time for their most recent offense and are released from prison before the official end of their sentence if it was believed (by the Parole Board) that they may be released to be supervised by a parole officer in the community.
Services provided by a probation and parole officer depend upon the needs of each client and may include individual and family counseling, assisting clients in finding tutoring services, housing and employment, and a regular routine of checking-up on clients, writing reports, making recommendations, including pre-sentence investigations, to the court.
You can learn about the nature of probation/parole as a career and that of other correctional treatment specialists, working conditions, training and other qualifications, job outlook, earnings, related occupations and sources of additional information by visiting the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Community-Based Corrections
Community-based correctional programs vary widely. Not only do they deal with a wide variety of issues (i.e., literacy, substance abuse, conflict management, violence in the home, etc.), they also vary by who offers them. Some are offered by non-profit, non-governmental agencies. Others are offered by government agencies.
If you are interested in working in a government-based facility or program, you will likely find information on the Internet by searching for the state's name and the phrase "department of corrections." Some states, like Texas, have named their state corrections agency differently. Once at the desired site, look for links to job opportunities, employment, or similar headings on the home page. Click here if you are interested in working with at-risk youth in Missouri.
The most popular government sponsored community-based programs are probation (offered conditionally in place of incarceration) and parole (offered conditionally after a period of incarceration has been served). Conduct an Internet search like the one described above to find openings in these areas by using "probation" or "parole" in your search.
If you are interested in working in a non-governmental agency, explore the Yellow Pages of the community you would like to work in and look under the heading "Social Services and Organizations." There usually is such a category and it will reveal the names, addresses, and phone numbers of some agencies in which you may be interested. Remembers always to network. If you call one agency and they don't provide the kind of service you're wanting to provide, ask if they can give you the name and number of an agency in the community that does.
Juvenile Justice
In the United States there is a separate justice system dealing with juveniles. The traditional philosophy of juvenile justice centers on treatment and rehabilitation. Local juvenile agencies employ intake officers, who screen filed cases, in addition to juvenile officers, who gather information on cases and make recommendations to the juvenile court.
There also are juvenile probation officers; people who work in detention centers, group homes, and residential facilities; as well as various counselors and case managers who deal with pre-delinquent and delinquent youth. The juvenile system has similar occupational opportunities to the adult system; however, due to the unique philosophy of juvenile justice, there are many additional types of positions.
Private Security (Loss Prevention)
There are more private security or loss prevention officers in the United States than there are public law enforcement officers (police, sheriffs, federal agents, etc.). Private security personnel work at all levels - entry level to top administrators of large private security companies. There are also security positions within individual businesses and in industry.
Private security or loss prevention officers are trained to reduce losses (due to theft) as well as reduce OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a federal agency) violations. You can learn more about this field.
Graduate School and Law School
If you want to continue you schooling, working toward a Master's or Ph.D. degree, graduate school in criminology or criminal justice might be a good idea. Click here for a list of colleges and universities offering graduate programs in criminology or criminal justice. Each site provides specific requirements and other information about furthering your education beyond the Bachelor's degree.
If you are interested in furthering your education in the field of criminal justice / criminology, you can take another step in that direction by visiting Academic Info and exploring the variety of online criminology and criminal justice degree programs that are available as well as find some good books, articles and online information in the field of criminology.
Law School is also an option for some Criminology students. You can see a list of links to U.S. law schools, click here.
Other Occupational Areas
In a field as diverse as criminal justice, we could not introduce you to ALL the possible career opportunities. If you didn't find something of interest in the materials we present here, and you still think you want to do something in the area of criminal justice, talk with someone on the Criminology faculty.
Occupational Resources Available
to Criminology StudentsThere is a wealth of career information available at Missouri State University. Career Center and Meyer Library offer students a wide variety of job-related information.
Missouri State's Career Center, located in Carrington Hall, provides career and occupational information, individual and group career planning assistance, an opportunity to integrate academic study with off-campus employment, and job placement assistance to seniors, graduate students, and alumni. Click here to learn more about the Career Center at Missouri State.
Students at Missouri State are fortunate to have a large number of valuable resources available to help them in making decisions related to their career development. A description of many of these resources follows. For example, If you are not sure which career area is right for you, Career Services, located in Carrington Hall, offers the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This test indicates personality characteristics that can be used to determine appropriate career areas.
The Criminology Faculty as a Resource
Criminology students are encouraged to utilize the Faculty of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology, especially members of the Criminology Faculty. The Criminology faculty keep regularly scheduled office hours and may be able to provide some additional information.
Graduate Study in Criminology / Criminal Justice
If you are interested in pursuing a Masters Degree in Criminology/Criminal Justice, check out our new M.S. in Criminology, the MSU Master of Science in Administrative Studies - Criminal Justice Option, the programs offered by Drury University and University of Central Missouri (formerly Central Missouri State University), and other graduate programs in criminology / criminal justice.