A technical school education in criminal justice prepares students for entry-level positions in criminal justice, including probation officers, correctional facility officers, private investigators and security officers and consultants. Training depends upon the level of degree conferred by the school. Technical schools, such as South Carolina's Midlands Technical College, award certificates in place of degrees. Some technical colleges, such as the Paralegal Institute in Arizona, also offer an associate degree, while ITT Technical Institute offers a 15-quarter program in criminal justice that awards a bachelor's degree.
Community college programs consist of 18 months to two years of coursework that awards an associate degree in criminal justice or an associate degree in law enforcement. These programs prepare students for training at police and law enforcement academies. For instance, the criminal justice program at Minnesota's Northwestern College provides students with the training needed for entry to the Illinois State Police. Courses consist of training in legal principals and procedures, sociology and psychology and applied techniques in firearms, firearm safety and conducting an arrest. Graduates with an associate degree can apply for work as criminal and correctional case workers, private detectives and security officers.
Colleges and universities offer four-year degree programs in criminal justice and related disciplines such as forensic psychology, accounting and pre-law. Accounting degrees or dual degrees in criminal justice and accounting can serve future law enforcement officers well. For example, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) hires accounting graduates to work in financial crimes divisions. Undergraduate programs award a Bachelor of Science degree. Coursework in a criminal justice program focuses on criminology, penology and social and public policies that affect or support police work. Students also learn applied skills such as criminal procedure. Programs such as forensics and forensic orthodontics teach students how to analyze crime scenes and identify bodies based upon dental records, respectively. University programs centered on a liberal arts education also require students to take a number of electives in humanities, languages and sciences.
Undergraduate criminal justice majors and professionals working in criminal justice or related fields can continue their education at the graduate level. Graduate programs in forensic psychology and criminal justice management prepare students for careers as criminal profilers and senior law enforcement officers. In law school, students receive training to become criminal defense attorneys and prosecutors. Some law schools, such as the University of Baltimore in Maryland, offer a dual degree that awards a juris doctorate (law degree) and a Master of Science in criminal justice.