Choosing A Career

Choosing what career to pursue after graduating from college is a major decision.  Ideally, you should have already figured out what interests you or what you are good at before you picked your college major. The reality, however, is that many students — including graduating seniors — do not know what to do when they leave school.

While your BA in Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies uniquely equips you to pursue rewarding careers in the field of criminal justice and social services (e.g. adult and juvenile probation, corrections, judicial administration, prevention and diversion, parole services, and public advocacy), you are not confined to these career options. In fact, many of our graduates have pursued careers in other fields.

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies requires all CCJS majors to complete 180 hours of CCJS 499 (Internship). We have partnered with many organizations and agencies to give you the opportunity to apply your classroom knowledge to real work situations.  It is also a great way for you to find out if a particular career path suits your interests. The department also offers CCJS 399 (Lecture Series) every semester where you can learn about local, state, and federal jobs from people in the field. Taking this class can help you explore your career options.

If you want to explore career options outside the field of criminal justice and social services, the Career Center can help you learn about other possibilities. It has partnered with Focus2Career which provides students with in-depth information on hundreds of different occupations and the necessary steps to get there.  Your CCJS faculty advisor can also help you identify a career path that fits your personal goals.