Most criminal justice majors never get anywhere close to 6 figures and law enforcement is attainable with just an associates. It would make more sense to get a BA in a more flexible major. Many getting criminal justice degrees are low-income minorities who can’t afford it and many are incurring debt for this degree. I think they are being ill advised.
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I’m not sure about this. My daughters college roommate went to work for the FBI directly out of undergrad. She was a 2020 grad with a biology major. She did internships with them after sophomore and junior year and was hired full time on graduation.
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It’s right on their website:
https://apply.fbijobs.gov/psc/ps/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=22187&PostingSeq=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxqq3xM_c9QIV7yCtBh1P_QxmEAAYASAAEgIJgfD_BwE
Very few areas of study do I think are a waste of time (so few that I can’t think of any off the top of my head). So obviously I’m not going to say that majoring in criminal justice is a waste. Would I go into extreme debt for it? No, but I don’t recommend going into extreme debt for any major at any institution. If there’s a Pell grant recipient whose grant doesn’t cover tuition & fees, that’s about the extent that I recommend loans.
Returning to criminal justice, it is one of those fields that is underappreciated (education & social work are others that come to mind). Yes, law enforcement is an obvious career pathway. In some areas of the country (like New York) it can be well-compensated, particularly when pensions and the amount of time necessary to earn them are considered. A friend of mine was a criminal justice major and works as an attorney for the public defender’s office. Criminal justice reform is an increasingly common point of discussion, and people involved with public policy work and/or lobbying on the subject would also find this background helpful. Additionally, it will develop the research, writing, and analyzing skills so lauded of liberal arts majors. A quick search should provide numerous examples of how a liberal arts background is beneficial in employment, not just in the immediate future, but over the course of a career as jobs and their requirements change, and liberal arts majors have the broad skills necessary to make unexpected pivots and learn and apply new information.
It’s a complete waste of a degree. It only leads to lower-level jobs that can be secured with other types of more versatile degrees. Jobs with the more desirable federal agencies (FBI, Secret Service, etc.) require something like a law or STEM degree. You do hear about the rare exceptions to this, especially in years past, but that’s definitely not the case now when it comes to recruiting for these jobs. It’s a shame, because the proliferation of CJ major programs is taking advantage of the enormous interest in true crime, covered by two full-time networks devoted to this genre, hundreds (maybe even thousands) of true crime podcasts, countless online forums, and even emerging stars like Paul Holes (who has a science background).
Sadly, this is not the case. I don’t know a single CJ curriculum that develops the kind of research, writing and analytical skills that you would get with a political science or history major.
Becoming an attorney after a CJ degree is for sure the long way 'round the mountain-- CJ is NOT good prep for law school, no matter what the colleges tell you. Study English, study history, major in psychology-- all of these will develop the kind of skills you will need for the LSAT and for law school.
The liberal arts are VERY beneficial in employment. BUT CJ is NOT one of those liberal arts degrees. It is a vocational degree leading to a career in law enforcement, not in policy, not in advocacy, not in becoming a lawyer. Austen- it’s similar to telling a HS kid that a degree in forensic science will get you a job as a medical examiner. But in most states (all? I don’t know the law everywhere) an ME is FIRST an MD (four years after undergrad), THEN a fellowship in forensic pathology. Majoring in forensic science gets you a job as a lab assistant, which in my state you could get with a two year AA degree. Another degree which takes advantage of first Gen kids who use up their Pell to get a four year degree which pays a little over minimum wage.
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In addition to CJ not being a liberal arts degree, I’m puzzled at the repeated comparisons with education and social work. While all states set their own rules, most require teachers to be certified/licensed. Social work is similar; while one can practice social work in a variety of settings, clinical social work requires licensure. In other words, these are distinct professions; CJ is not.
And just looked at the UD Criminal Justice webpage; pretty snazzy…and under “career opportunities” they blandly recommend that CJ majors either “minor or double major” …and the list is 19 entries long.
https://udayton.edu/artssciences/academics/criminaljustice/careers.php
And OP doesn’t mention career goals, but a student can major in anything-anything!-and get into some law school somewhere in the US, so " a friend of mine" who is an attorney and was a CJ major doesn’t shed much light.
I’d recommend OP contact the CJ department at UD and ask 1. how many kids majored in CJ and 2. how many got jobs, and doing what, or went to grad school.
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I am not an expert in criminal justice by any stretch of the information. I do recall (eons ago) that the friend had numerous research papers on recidivism and effects of different interventions, etc. She did admit, though, that CJ was far easier than her other majors (biology & history…a busy woman with diverse interests!). This was at a midwestern flagship university that is very fond of basketball. Whether the program has changed over the years, I don’t know. Is sociology viewed similarly as criminal justice? I recall it being considered an “easier” major but still think it fits under the liberal arts umbrella with respect to the preparation provided. Do others disagree?
In terms of licensure that teachers and social workers have to undergo, I think many in law enforcement have to pass police exams and I think to be eligible to sit for certain ranks that people need meet specific educational requisites (the higher the rank, the higher the education). And with law school, yes, people can enter law school with any degree. I think that people should study what interests them, and I definitely see the benefits for people who are interested in prosecution or defense have an understanding of the types of impacts that decisions they’ll be making have on crime and society.
If the study of criminal justice has truly deteriorated to the extent that some posters in this thread believe, what would be a recommended field of study for someone who wanted to affect public policy/lobbying with respect to the criminal justice system? Or wanted to become a researcher and teach at a collegiate level?
I agree it is not wise to go into great debt for almost any 4yr college degree. And I agree many students who graduate with low gpas and no internships may find it difficult to get a degree-worthy job regardless of their major. But I think most driven students who graduate with a respectable GPA in Criminal Justice will be able to land a decent stable job which will allow them to become independent productive members of society.
I wouldn’t agree necessarily that FG/LI minorities (or any students) are being ill advised to graduate with degrees like Criminal Justice or Social Work or similar. Different students have different goals. Some plan to be start-up millionaires by 30. Others hope for a desk job and to avoid a haphazard series of menial unstable jobs that don’t include benefits. Increasingly, to get even the most basic of desk jobs, a college degree (any degree for many of these jobs) is required.
We all know that. I think some of us sometimes forget that not everyone considers college a failure if a graduate doesn’t immediately land a $65K/yr job and is earning $90K by the time they are 30.
Regarding Social Work jobs: Many SW graduates end up in Social Safety Net government jobs, working for the SSA, SNAP, WIC, Health Departments, Deeds Offices, Courthouse Clerks (NOT clerk of court), etc. Very few of these jobs require special certification or anything beyond a 4yr degree. These are the employees who see clients, answer questions, process applications, etc. In my area, these jobs pay between $35K-$55K based on experience, with most new graduates starting between $35K-$45K. With promotions, some become supervisors or get a MSW over the years and move up to better paying positions. These are not get-rich-quick jobs. These are get paid, get benefits, live stably, feed your kids, drive a practical vehicle, pay off a mortgage and retire type jobs. Many people land these jobs, work them for 10 years or 30 years, and are happy for these jobs.
I’m not pro-CJ or pro-SW, but I’m also not anti-CJ or anti-SW. Not every person is right for every major, every job, or every career. But there are people who are happy to work each specific job and career. The lucky people are the ones that end up satisfied and happy, regardless of what they do.
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One still practices social work; nobody practices “criminal justice”. And OP didn’t say her son wanted to be in law enforcement or probation or in any way associated with the criminal justice system. Social work/education majors aren’t even vaguely similar to criminal justice, which is why I am puzzled the three keep getting mentioned together.
OP asked if “criminal justice major worth it”. That’s clearly something she and her student will have to decide. But if one is seeking a “liberal arts” education, CJ is not the way to go. And for the department to recommend that CJ majors either double-major or minor in one of 19 fields-that’s a bad sign for job prospects.
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The three are mentioned together because some people lump them together as “easy” majors that don’t require a lot of math and science. Also they all often lead to government jobs or government adjacent jobs. A third commonality is many people feel they lead to quote-unquote low-paying careers.
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The study has not deteriorated… that is going on by reputable people with degrees in political science, psychology, neurology, urban planning, behavioral economics. And lawyers, judges, prosecutors- with law degrees.
It’s the undergrad degree in CJ which misses the mark; it is not a research oriented degree, it does not teach the kind of analytical skills required to do policy work. Again- in the same way that getting an undergrad degree in forensics will not allow you to become a medical examiner.
CJ is a fine degree for a kid who wants to do hands-on work as a uniformed officer and has researched the best way to do that. In many places, a four year degree means more money from Day 1, and quicker advancement up the ladder. Great outcome then- done your research, this is the program for you. It is not a great degree for a kid who wants to explore professional options since it’s got a pretty limited set of outcomes- probation officer, etc.
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Actually, the only poster who combined the three is you, and I’d state that three do not in any way belong together.
100% this. There are many in law enforcement who love the work and are not looking for position or pay “advancement” to move them out of the niche work they currently do and love.
My brother earned his CJ degree from Michigan State at a time when he could do so with little debt and went right to work for a very small police force that put him through the police academy (required, degree or no). Eventually he moved to the force that had jurisdiction over Detroit Metro Airport and ended up loving the adrenaline rush of undercover narcotics work. Many of those busts put him alongside the FBI and, over the years, he worked many operations with the bureau but was not interested in a move. After twenty years of narcotics work, he retired on a Friday but was back to work the following Monday after the state attorney general came after him for an undercover unit catching pedophiles on the Internet, again closely working with the FBI. During that time, he earned his master’s in forensic science (confirmed since my post upthread). After a few years, he again tried to retire, but this time, the local FBI had a position for him, and he spent his remaining work years running a white-collar crime unit. He finally retired with two government pensions but says he still misses it.
Did he need the CJ degree? Maybe, maybe not, but that doesn’t make it worthless. He loved the study. He loved law enforcement work and had an amazing and exceptionally satisfying career. Every day, he felt what he did mattered. I couldn’t say that about my job, ever, regardless of how much more I was paid.
As a different example from my brother who loved the detail work and the rush of the sting, my BIL, who started as a CHiP, has been the Chief of Police for Austin, Houston, and Miami. He has an associate’s in communications and a bachelor’s in public administration. His goal has always been leadership advancement, and he navigates those politics very well, but I believe it’s his personality rather than his education that suits him for the work he does. He chose the administrative arm of law enforcement, but he is just as satisfied with the work as my brother, though I believe he’s better compensated. 
I think the OP needs to probe why her son is interested in CJ. She says he’s “thinking about majoring in criminal justice.” Is there a passion there? What’s driving the consideration? Is there a specific law enforcement field he’s interested in? Could CJ be a minor if a different major would better satisfy what his ultimate goals are? Has he talked to any law enforcement officers or agencies to get their take on the worth of a CJ or other degree based on his end goals?
I agree with those who say that a CJ degree is specific, targeted to a narrow line of work, not broadly applicable to other fields, and not a must even for police work, so I think clarifying the end goal will reveal the value of pursuing this specific degree over another.
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What a thoughtful reply and your brother and BIL both sound amazing.
I have one cop friend. (more in fire/EMT/Paramedic but that’s not applicable to the OP so I didn’t poll them). If he had his life to do over again, he says he’d have gotten a BA in Psych, not CJ. So much of police work nowadays (and he works in a suburb, not a precinct in an inner city) is counseling/social work/family therapy. He attends every training program offered- some run by Federal agencies, some by other law enforcement organizations- and he says the focus is all on tactical training, weapons, legal changes, technology. What he really needs is a better understanding of the various pathologies he sees every single day- battered women who won’t press charges, children who have clearly been abused who claim they fell off their bikes (two broken arms, several missing teeth, dislocated shoulder, evidence of previous beatings but sure, it’s a bike accident), and of course- addiction, addiction, addiction. He has been taught hostage negotiation, but other than telling a rape victim “here’s my colleague Susan to take your statement” he wishes he had more training on the soft skills.
Just something to think about.
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This is a very unfortunate post with inaccuracies throughout. Federal agencies are extremely interested in CJ majors but also seek other fields given the broad context of work they engage in. High demand area with significant potential for leadership roles.
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