Students who are interested in pursuing criminal justice degrees can find programs on the associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. Those who earn associate's degrees in criminal justice generally enter careers such as law enforcement, corrections or crime scene investigation. Students in these programs learn about the fundamentals of the criminal justice field, how the courts work and theories about crime. Students enrolled in criminal justice bachelor's degree programs receive in-depth information about crime control, the court system and criminal justice theory.
Students enrolled in master's and doctoral degree programs in criminal justice get advanced knowledge in areas such as criminal justice research, behavioral studies and criminology.
Juris Doctor (J.D.) degrees are designed to prepare students for careers as attorneys. Students in these programs, which can take three years to complete, learn about legal advocacy, criminal justice, intellectual property, civil law, corporate law, legal writing and constitutional law. In some cases, students in J.D. programs will specialize in a specific legal area to prepare them to practice that type of law. After completing a juris doctor degree, students must pass their state's bar examination in order to practice law.
A Bachelor of Business Administration in Legal Studies is designed for students with an interest in law who do not want to pursue a career as an attorney. Students enrolled in these degree programs learn about legal research, legal writing, the basics of law and the legal system and how new laws are created. After completing this degree program, students pursue a number of professional fields such as banking, human resources, social services, insurance and social welfare.
Students who earn a Doctor of Juridical Science degree generally go on to become teachers on the undergraduate or graduate level. These degrees, also known as S.J.D. degrees, take four years to complete and teach students areas such as legal research, legal writing, civil procedure and legal advocacy. In some cases, students who enroll in S.J.D. programs are practicing attorneys who want to advance in their careers.