What can you do with a bachelor's in criminal justice?
By: Sarah Edwards, Edited by: Arthur McMahon
Published: February 26, 2025
Would you like to find a career where you can potentially help the general public and stay mentally stimulated? Earning a bachelor's in criminal justice degree may give you the opportunity to achieve both.
Learn about the jobs open to someone with a bachelor's in criminal justice degree to determine if one of the following career paths is right for you.
What jobs can you get with a bachelor's in criminal justice?
The criminal justice system is a network of agencies, businesses, and individuals working together to enact and enforce laws, solve crimes, and meter out punishment, ideally in pursuit of creating a safer society. Here are some of the roles you may take on in law enforcement, forensics, and the private arena once you've earned your bachelor's in criminal justice degree.
Police officer
A police officer's job is to enforce the law among citizens in a particular area. In this role, you may:
- Patrol an area to deter crime and enforce the law
- Respond to emergency and non-emergency calls from citizens
- Serve warrants and arrest citizens suspected of committing a crime
- Write and file investigation, patrol, and complaint reports
- Direct or observe traffic and issue citations for violations
- Testify in court about an investigation or as an expert witness
- Perform first aid on a citizen during a medical emergency
In a criminal justice degree program, you will likely learn about criminology, cultural anthropology, and the issues facing today's society, which can help you better understand and deter criminal behavior.
Additionally, you'll learn about criminal courts and procedures, the American correctional system, and police administration, all of which will help you get to know your role.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), police and detectives earn a median annual salary of $74,910 as of May 2023.
Forensic science technician
As a forensic science technician, you can work alongside law enforcement to collect, analyze, and interpret crime scene evidence to help solve mysteries. In a role like this, you could:
- Secure crime scenes to prevent contamination or tampering
- Document the crime scene with photographs and notes
- Identify and preserve physical evidence
- Use chemicals and lab technology to analyze evidence in a lab
- Draw conclusions in an investigation based on scientific principles
- Adhere to strict protocols to maintain evidence integrity
- Act as an expert witness during a criminal trial
In your criminal justice degree program, you may encounter courses in criminal investigation and investigative technology. This coursework can give you the tools to understand how to properly collect and preserve evidence and the role it plays in legal analysis and criminal procedure.
Forensic science technicians earn a median annual salary of $64,940 as of May 2023., according to the BLS.
Private detective
Government agencies, businesses, and individuals hire private detectives to gather information and uncover facts about a person's identity, actions, whereabouts, affiliations, or character. Your role as a private detective may require the following:
- Conducting interviews to get critical information
- Performing background checks and investigations using public records
- Tracking movements and conducting discreet surveillance
- Collaborating with law enforcement to locate missing persons
- Auditing and analyzing financial information
- Providing reports, evidence, and expert testimony to clients and courts
- Understanding and adhering to all legal and ethical protocols and standards
Though much of your criminal justice degree program may focus on the public sector, private detectives can still benefit from the coursework and information.
You will likely take classes in criminology, social science, research methods, ethics, and criminal justice technology. This can help you understand and predict motives and actions, conduct surveillance, and analyze investigation findings to reach a logical conclusion.
According to the BLS, private detectives earn a median annual salary of $49,540 as of May 2023.