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What Can You Do With a Criminal Justice Degree? 3 Nonconventional Options

Earning a BS in Criminal Justice allows you to explore criminologist jobs you might not even know about.

When you think of criminal justice jobs, you probably think of the more common options—police officer, lawyer, correctional officer, state trooper, and the like. But there are some less-than-usual careers involving criminal justice that you can pursue with a BS in Criminal Justice. Here are three criminal justice careers starring real and fictional characters:

Forensic Entomologist

This job is all about understanding the evidence and clues that insects can provide. Forensic entomologists examine bugs to detect drugs and poisons, and even to determine the age of decomposing bodies. Dr. Jack Hodgins, a character on the TV series Bones, counts entomology among his many talents.

What Can You Do With a Criminal Justice Degree? 3 Nonconventional Options

Document Examiner

Catch Me If You Can, the movie based on the life of con artist Frank Abagnale (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), features an FBI agent who specializes in fraud detection. Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) is the expert who eventually catches Abagnale. Document examiners have an eye for detail and a knack for analysis that helps them weigh in on forgeries, counterfeiting operations, and other technology-based crimes.

Treasury Enforcement Agent

In the movie The Untouchables, agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) and his colleagues work to bring crime boss Al Capone (Robert De Niro) to justice during Prohibition. In real life, Ness began working for the Bureau of Prohibition, an agency that was part of the Department of the Treasury, in the late 1920s. Modern-day treasury enforcement agents investigate identity theft, government security violations, and digital fraud crimes.

Earning a bachelor’s in criminology is unlikely to land you a role in Hollywood, but Walden's online bachelor’s in criminal justice can help open doors to law enforcement jobs you hadn’t considered.

One of the highlights of an online education is that you have the opportunity to complete your coursework from home. Plus, online learning allows you to study for your criminal justice major at whatever time of day works best for your life and job.

A career in criminal justice can be incredibly rewarding, and whether you choose a conventional or unconventional career path, an online degree from Walden can help prepare you for success.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering a BS in Criminal Justice degree program online. Expand your career options and earn your degree using a convenient, flexible learning platform that fits your busy life.


Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.

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