Bacholor in Criminal Justice?

[Jason607]

This might be the wrong place to post but just have a question. I'm looking into the CJ field for a BA at ITT Tech. I am to meet with a counsoler at the school Friday. It's about the only field I can see that interests me. If I am interested and focused I can do about anything, but other fields are just blah to me. Such as Buisness Admin, it just doesn't interest me although running my own buisness does interest me.

I do not want to become a LEO, but I know that there is far more areas where having a CJ degree you can go far. She listed many of them over the phone and I have to admit the possiblilities has me excited. I haven't felt excited about anything like this in a long time.

This would be my second... well make that third career. I am an ASE Master Auto Tech, but consider all I went through, all the training, the investment in tools, and what I make, sorry, it's not worth it. Due to the economy, it doesn't pay squat anymore. I drove a semi for a year... hated that, brainless work. There was a time I loved automotive with all of me, but the field has been changing.

I have noticed that so often with so many jobs, it really doesn't matter what your field of study was, all they seem to really care about is that you have a degree. I know so many people making good money with thier degrees and they are doing nothing even related to thier major, so I see a bachlor degree as a win/win. Well, I'm just rambling....

Any input would be apreciated.

 

[Ian0351]

A BA is a BachElor's degree, and while it may open the door to some government jobs in the parole/probation, corrections or security fields, many of those will not pay what an ASE master should be entitled to.

 

[stargazer65]

I have noticed that so often with so many jobs, it really doesn't matter what your field of study was, all they seem to really care about is that you have a degree. I know so many people making good money with thier degrees and they are doing nothing even related to thier major, so I see a bachlor degree as a win/win.

If you pursue the degree make sure that it will get your foot in the door to what you really have a passion to do, money should be a secondary concern at first if you plan to make a career change. If there is room in the field to move up to bigger responsibility (and salary) after your foot is in the door, you may have found a good niche. Just any bachelor's degree is not a magic bullet to opening all kinds of big money jobs, but it can make your resume look better if you market yourself well. I have a BS in Psychology and that is unrelated to my job. I'm working as a mechanical engineer because I enjoy it and I make more money then if I used my psychology degree. I have extensive hands on experience in my engineering field however, and that came while I was working and completing my degree via night classes. The degree itself is not much value to me except as a fallback and to plump my resume a little.

The guidance counselor can help point you in the right direction, but you definitely should talk to someone in the CJ field to get a good feel for it. They can give you a realistic picture of what the job and the job market are like.

 

[armsmaster270]

I wouldn't go as most agencies don't recognise it for their training yes they recognize the Bachelors for prerequiset purposes but the training is a waste they want you to go to their accademy and learn their proceedures which vary from Dept to Dept. also most dept's you have to spend your time on the street in uniform and prove yourself before you can get a cherry positon as investigator or C.S.I. etc.

 

[pax]

Left this open for a bit so you could get some feedback, but it's really the wrong place for it -- neither tactics nor training. Not even truly firearms related, so I can't just bump it over to Gen'l, either. Sorry for the closure, but gotta stay consistent.

If anyone has any further feedback on this question, please PM the thread starter.

pax