A Juris Doctor Degree, referred to as a J.D., is designed to prepare students for careers as attorneys. Students can expect to spend three years in law school, and during that time they take courses on topics such as torts, legal ethics, legal writing and legal advocacy. In addition, students take courses in the area of the law that they want to practice, such as criminal law, civil law, constitutional law, environmental law or corporate law.
A Doctor of Jurisdictional Science, or S.J.D., is earned by students who want to help shape the legal field through teaching. These degrees take four years to complete and during that time students take courses in such areas as legal writing, civil procedure and legal research. In addition to coursework, S.J.D. students are required to have their work published in legal journals as well as complete a dissertation.
Those with an S.J.D. degree generally go on to teach graduate and undergraduate students, as well as practicing attorneys who want to advance in their careers.
Students who want to pursue careers as forensic scientists may earn forensic science degrees on the associate's, bachelor's, master's or doctoral level. Students in these programs take courses in subjects such as statistics, biology, chemistry, courtroom testimony and criminal evidence.
Master of Laws, or LL.M., degrees are earned after students receive a J.D. These degree programs, which take one year to complete, are for students who want to increase their knowledge in a particular legal area to increase their expertise.
Students who earn criminology degrees work in public policy, criminal research and consulting jobs, where they address the needs of criminal perpetrators, as well as the victims of crime. Criminology degrees are available on the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. Students in criminology degree programs take courses about criminal behavior, victimology, forensic science, punishment and rehabilitation, and how crime labs work.