Criminology is a fascinating subject and has been made even more popular in recent years with many films and TV series focusing on the work of different professionals within the industry. It is a broad topic too, so a degree in criminology could open a lot of different career paths for you. Here are 10 great career choices for those with a criminology degree.
Police Officer
If you are a people person and you enjoy helping others, a career as a police officer might suit you well. If you follow this path, no two days at work will be the same. You could find yourself investigating crimes such as burglary or domestic violence or getting involved in crowd control at a major football game. You must learn to think on your feet and make the lives of the people in your community a better place.
Private Investigator
If you like the idea of investigating but don’t want to go down the police route, a career as a private investigator might be for you. You could get involved in many different cases involving things such as tax fraud, messy divorces, or surveillance. With a few years’ experience under your belt, you could move from working for a company to working for yourself or even set up your own business. This is great if you want to combine an entrepreneurial flair with great investigation skills.
Probation Officer
A probation officer looks after offenders after they have been released from prison and helps them adjust to life in the outside world again. It is their job to make sure that ex-offenders are sticking to the terms of their parole and to report them to the courts if they have broken the rules. This is a great job if you like the challenge of helping people adjust to a new way of life. You will spend your time providing support, recommending rehabilitation programs, and writing reports.
Corrections Officer
A criminology degree such as those offered by Wilfrid Laurier University will stand you in good stead if you want a career in the prison service. A corrections officer works within a prison to make sure that rules and discipline are being maintained and to look after the prisoners’ welfare. They also supervise activities, resolve conflict, and get involved with the rehabilitation process. This is an interesting and varied career and is great if you want to work with people and challenge yourself daily.
Loss Prevention Officer
A loss prevention officer works within the retail industry to prevent people from thieving in their stores and apprehend those who do. They must be great at observing people in a social environment and not be afraid of confrontation. Your promotion prospects could involve leading your own team or helping in the planning and design of a store to recommend the best layout for loss prevention.
Forensic Science Technician
If you are scientifically minded and enjoy gathering facts and analyzing details, this could be the career for you. This is a blanket term and covers careers such as crime scene investigators who will attend the crime scene and gather evidence to send back to the laboratory. They must be very good at noticing details and have a good knowledge of what evidence to gather. Once they have sent the evidence to the lab, a criminal analyst will investigate further by conducting scientific tests on physical evidence to establish facts.
Psychologist
A psychologist is involved with the study of the brain and works to find out why people behave in certain ways and how their behavior can be changed. Many of them work with the prison service to rehabilitate offenders. Other avenues you can get involved in are addiction support, mental health, and behavioral therapy. You will need to take additional qualifications if you want to become a psychologist but a bachelor’s degree in criminology is a good place to start.
Social Worker
A social worker helps people who are at difficult points in their lives. They must be very empathetic and work well with law enforcement professionals. This can be a fine tightrope to balance on and a degree in criminology will help you do that. Social workers tend to work either within clinical settings or with community organizations. This can be a difficult job and is not for the faint-hearted but, if you want to make a difference to people’s lives, this is a great career choice.
Social Researcher
If you enjoy researching and evidence gathering and want to be involved in making the world or your local community a better place, a career as a social researcher is a great choice. They usually work with the local or national government, contributing to the making of social policy decisions that will affect a lot of people. They research facts to advise politicians and can also work for private agencies. Many social researchers go on to a career in politics themselves while others involve themselves in writing books so that they can share their findings with the wider public.
Lawyer
There are lawyers who work in all aspects of the law but many of them specialize in one area. A degree in criminology will allow you to specialize in criminal law although you will need other qualifications if you want to practice. A criminal lawyer will work for either the prosecution or the defense of criminal cases. This is an interesting job and a great career choice if you are very thorough and like checking facts. You will often need to attend court to present your case so being a great presenter and public speaker are also necessary attributes.
A criminology degree will open a lot of doors for you. There are a lot of industries that would welcome your skillset and you will have a harder time trying to decide which path to take than getting a job once you have made your choice. This degree will help you to find a job you love and make a fantastic contribution to society.
