The criminal justice programs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are designed to educate students for leadership positions in the field of criminal justice.  The curriculum is designed to give students a broad foundation for understanding criminal justice policy.  At the Master's degree level , in addition to the general program, there are concentrations in corrections, law enforcement and administration. The corrections concentration is designed to prepare individuals to assume administrative/management positions in correctional settings. The law enforcement concentration is designed to prepare individuals to assume administrative/management positions in law enforcement settings. The administration concentration combines coursework in public administration and criminal justice to prepare students for administrative positions within the criminal justice system. This concentration focuses on the preparation of individuals for management careers in police, courts and corrections. Employment is found in government, the private sector, universities and nonprofit organizations. Government is the largest employer in the criminal justice field, with approximately 50% employed at the local level.

Educational requirements vary greatly in this field. Advanced technology and increasingly complex legal issues have led to increased educational requirements, especially for positions with the federal government. The criminal justice field is moving toward specialization in areas of technology, computer security and intelligence.

Some career possibilities in criminal justice fields:

Border Patrol Agent	Computer Security Expert	Court Administration
Criminal Investigator	Deputy Sheriff	Criminalist
FBI Special Agent	Insurance and Fraud Investigator	Internal Revenue Special Agent
Legal Assistant	Police Officer	Private Investigator
Security Guard	U.S. Secret Service	Correction Officer
Warden	Court Officer	Customs Inspector
Deputy U.S. Marshal	Evidence Technician	Federal Protection Officer
Intelligence Analyst	Internal Security Advisor	Police Detective
Postal Inspector	Probation Officer	State Police Officer
Youth Counselor	Statistical Research Analyst	Bureau of ATF Agent
Domestic Violence Counselor	Environment Protection Specialist	Pre-Trial Services Agent

LAW ENFORCEMENT- The primary responsibilities in this category are the maintenance of peace, the prevention of crime and the supervision of criminals.

CORRECTION AND REHABILITATION- Workers in this category maintain the security, safety, guidance and supervision of criminals. They also provide corrective retraining programs to enable criminals to reenter society.

JUDICIARY- The court systems handle individuals once arrested and charged with a crime. The courts determine the action to be taken in each case. Employment opportunities are found in the following areas:

GOVERNMENT- Most government agencies give written civil service exams, and provide their won training, require a physical test, and train on-the-job during a probationary period. Many positions require a background investigation and reference check.

• Local- There are a variety of opportunities primarily in police departments, which include patrol and vehicular enforcement, investigation, vice operations, juvenile delinquency, preventive programming, planning, personnel, communications and laboratory technology.
  

• County- Law enforcement duties vary from county to county across the nation. Most are employed as sheriffs and deputies serving similarly to police and performing duties in patrol, vice, juvenile, investigators and traffic control. Duties may include tax collection, correction and rehabilitation, process serving and court attendance.
  

• State- The state police and highway patrol are two well-known areas of enforcement in the state system. They provide law enforcement during civil and natural disorder, protect the state parks and recreation facilities, control and enforce traffic, investigate organized crime,narcotics, fraud and gambling activities and add support to the local police.
  

• Federal- The federal government offers a wide variety of opportunities. Each agency or service has specific duties and responsibilities which may involve investigations, protections, intelligence, law enforcement, or prevention of crime. A small sampling of possibilities is: FBI, Customs Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Secret Service, Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the Defense Department. Some agencies have very high standards in educational background, intelligence and physical ability.

PRIVATE SECTOR- Over one million people are employed in security in manufacturing, retail, industry, educational institutions, public transportation, health facilities, and financial institutions. Many major corporation and businesses have their own security forces, while others hire from security agencies. Another field in the private sector to consider is legal assisting. Legal assistants work directly under a lawyer's supervision doing background research and preparing legal arguments, draft pleadings, contracts and mortgages and separation agreements.

NON-PROFIT- Organizations that serve the public in specific areas employ many from the criminal justice system. Often these nonprofit agencies support and work with juvenile delinquents, the homeless, drug and alcohol abusers and previous criminals. Employment is found in community centers, youth service organizations, social service agencies, volunteer agencies, rehabilitation centers, and health welfare agencies. People who work in these settings have a sincere desire to help others and have concern for the community and society. They must have knowledge of other community resources in order to make referrals.

The field of criminal justice is constantly changing to meet the new demands of a changing society. Employment opportunities are expected to increase faster than average for all other occupations.  The most stringent competition is in intelligence and computer technology. Demands for police work will continue to increase both in numbers of those employed and in the complexity of the job as this field assumes more sophisticated methods of handling duties. As court caseloads increase, there will be a significant increase in the need for professional court managers. As private security firms assume more of the routine duties of police, opportunities will increase, both within private security firms and with security departments within individual corporations. Specialists are becoming more and more essential to this field.

For further reading on careers in criminal justice, consult the following books:

Delucia, Robert, & Doyle,  (1994) Career Planning in Criminal Justice, 2nd ed. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson Publishing Co.

Delucia, R. (1996). Breaking Into Careers in Criminal Justice. Job Choices, (39), 16-18.

Harr, J., & Hess, K.  (1992). Seeking Employment in Law Enforcement, Private Security, and Related Fields. St. Paul, MN. West Publishing Co.

Henry, S. (1994). Inside Jobs: A Realistic Guide to Criminal Justice Careers for College Graduates. Salem, WI. Sheffield Publishing Co.

Ackerman, Thomas H.  (1999). Guide to Careers in Federal Law Enforcement. Traverse City, MI. Sage Creek Press.

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Last Updated: June 1, 2006