Criminal Justice Careers for BSBA Graduates
The number of criminal justice careers continues to grow in the United States, but perhaps not always in the way you might expect.
Most people associate criminal justice with police officers, detectives, correctional officers, special government agents and crime scene investigators. Certainly, there are many jobs in these areas and all of them can make for good careers.
But criminal justice careers also include many jobs that you don’t typically see on television shows or in movies. These jobs involve the business and legal side of criminal justice, keeping the wheels of law and order spinning.
For those who decide to pursue an online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration on criminal justice, many different career paths are available. This type of degree program, such as the one offered from Touro University Worldwide, provide a strong foundation for graduates pursuing many different criminal justice careers.
Some of the careers in criminal justice include the following:
Criminal Justice Administrator
Understanding both the administrative perspective of criminal justice as well as the legal, forensic and sociological aspects assists graduates from a BSBA – Criminal Justice program uniquely suited to handle the business and financial aspects of managing prisons, court systems, law enforcement agencies and other types of criminal justice operations.
Legal Consultant
Graduates from a BSBA program with a focus on criminal justice are perfectly positioned for the role of legal consultant. This role can take many different forms, including a mediator’s role. Mediators sit down with parties on either side of an issue and help negotiate a deal that benefits both.
Legal consultants also can work for criminal justice organizations, advising them on legal issues in certain situations or on adhering to government or industry regulations.
Attorney
A BSBA – Criminal Justice degree such as the one from Touro University Worldwide also lays the groundwork for students who wish to go on to pursue a law degree. Many will choose to focus on legal work in the criminal justice system, which offers a variety of possibilities.
Prosecuting attorneys. They work for the state, bringing charges against criminal defendants and prosecuting the case in court.
Criminal defense attorney. Defense attorneys work on the other side of the legal equation from prosecuting attorneys, defending the accused.
Public defenders. The country’s laws maintain that everyone has the right to a legal defense. Those who cannot afford their own defense are assigned a public defender to represent them in court.
Social Services
Social services and non-profit organizations also play a role in the criminal justice system. Managing services and organizations requires someone trained both in criminal justice and business administration. For those especially choosing the social services path in criminal justice, there are both exceptional challenges and rewards. BSBA Criminal Justice graduates have a head start when pursuing the role of managing social services and organizations associated with criminal justice.
A BSBA – Criminal Justice concentration degree helps prepare focused individuals for a career in a necessary part of the criminal justice system. While it might not be as glamorous as what you see on “CSI,” all components of criminal justice are equally important.