Criminal Justice Concentrations vs. General Criminal Justice

The pursuit of a degree in criminal justice can be a confusing task. Many specialty fields or concentrations may be coupled with the general degree. Some of the criminal justice concentrations include homeland security, public safety, forensics and administration. Each of these concentrations has a place in the overall work of law enforcement. However, certain concentrations find more use in urban environments than in rural locations.

Discerning some of the pros and cons of having a concentration coupled with a general criminal justice degree is a wise endeavor. The first task is understanding what the concentrations are and how they fit into the criminal justice system. Some have a support function while others are a highly technical arm that facilitates the discovery and analysis of evidence. Secondly, you need an understanding of both where you desire your career to go and where the concentrations are likely to lead you.

Criminal Justice Concentrations

There are many criminal justice concentrations from which to choose. Some are highly technical while others are more relational. The technical concentrations include all the forms of Forensics (computer, psychological, toxicology, DNA, geology, physical) and Crime Scene Investigation (CSI). More relational concentrations include probation officers, public safety and corrections.

Many other criminal justice concentrations deal with specific areas of the criminal justice system. Homeland security has become an area of great interest in relation to potential terrorist attacks on the US. The coordination of the courts and prison system is the topic of study in the concentration of Law and Administration.

Criminal Justice Employment

When an individual leaves school with a criminal justice degree and begins to look for a job, he will face numerous openings in different fields of criminal justice. Of these choices, there will be certain areas that align with his choice of concentration in his degree.

In specialty areas, a graduate will stand a better chance at landing the job due to the extra education in a particular area. Most employers desire to hire a new employee that already knows something about job. A general criminal justice degree prepares an individual to walk into any job and be able to learn his responsibilities with a minimum of effort. All the basic information is present, just not specifics. Specialties, on the other hand, teach more specifics.

During the normal course of employment, opportunities may also arise for promotion or more responsibility. If the two employees have had the same level of satisfactory performance, the promotion will most likely go to the one with the concentration that lines up closest to the new position. Thus a criminal justice concentration can give you a leg up in competition for a job of your choice.

Criminal Justice Career Shift

Statistics claim that most people will change careers about three times before they retire. An employee with a general criminal justice degree may have an easier time transitioning between areas of specialty. An employee with a concentration may be viewed as being too specialized to make the shift easily and therefore be overlooked for the transfer.

Should You Consider Criminal Justice Concentrations

Give much thought to your choice of career path when choosing your criminal justice concentrations. Make sure you will be happy in the field that aligns with the small amount of expertise that you gain due to your concentration. Also, think about where you may want to end up if you had to transfer into another area and whether your concentration will help you to get there or hinder you.