Is it worth getting a criminal justice degree? College student sumped here. Help!

[craftspace234]

I have heard from several people that a CJ degree is nearly useless and that I should go for a different degree that can open more doors for more if law enforcement doesn't work out. Since apparently police academies don't care what kind of degree you have. Problem is, I am not interested in anything else. All I ever wanted to do was become a cop and detective eventually. So criminal justice was the only thing on my mind. To get a bachelors degree in cj.

So my questions are:

1.) Is it truly useless getting a degree in criminal justice? Would you recommend getting one?

2.) What other degree can I go for that are similar but can open more doors for me? Maybe business?

Thanks for any help. I am really stumped on what to do with my life...

[jcioccke]

I have heard from several people that a CJ degree is nearly useless and that I should go for a different degree that can open more doors for more if law enforcement doesn't work out. Since apparently police academies don't care what kind of degree you have. Problem is, I am not interested in anything else. All I ever wanted to do was become a cop and detective eventually. So criminal justice was the only thing on my mind. To get a bachelors degree in cj.

So my questions are:

1.) Is it truly useless getting a degree in criminal justice? Would you recommend getting one?

2.) What other degree can I go for that are similar but can open more doors for me? Maybe business?

Thanks for any help. I am really stumped on what to do with my life...

OK because this has been asked sooooooooooooo much no one will reply. I will say this. Unless you are 100% certain or gurantee you are going to be a Cop- Professor-or Lawyer then there is no reason to. I have a degree in Business but that didn't get me a job. What got me on was taking direction of my life, making decisions for myself, keeping my nose clean, helping out with the Pals organization. I maintained a good work history and I spent time with good people, not sh-- bags who would bring me down.

[hemicop]

Major on something other than Criminal Justice. You may want to quit LE, get injured on the job or forced to resign. A major in something other than that can help & if you pick a major that the dept. feels is applicable to LE, the agency may foot the bill for your Masters. I know of several LEOs that actually went to law school on the dept's. dime & they're now private attorneys.

[just joe]

I swear I posted here earlier in the day. Type "degree" and "cj degree" into the search engine and you will find a thousand comments on this topic.

I don't consider any degree to be useless, but some will increase your ability to be employed outside of the law enforcement arena more than others.

So, it looks like you started two threads on this topic, as well as two threads earlier in the year asking what you should major in, correct?

[Country_Jim]

I'm going to be blunt. Maybe you are not cut out for LE. LE officers have to be able to make decisions very quickly with limited information. The decisions a LE officer makes are life changing and can effect an entire country. You have asked the same question four times and all four times have received great information, yet you still can't decide if you want to pursue a CJ degree.

My advice is simple, put on your big-boy pants and make a decision.

[jcioccke]

I'm going to be blunt. Maybe you are not cut out for LE. LE officers have to be able to make decisions very quickly with limited information. The decisions a LE officer makes are life changing and can effect an entire country. You have asked the same question four times and all four times have received great information, yet you still can't decide if you want to pursue a CJ degree.

My advice is simple, put on your big-boy pants and make a decision.

Didn't know that. Damn the one time I am nice and reply I f'ed up SMH
OP-read this post- it's true.

[craftspace234]

I'm going to be blunt. Maybe you are not cut out for LE. LE officers have to be able to make decisions very quickly with limited information. The decisions a LE officer makes are life changing and can effect an entire country. You have asked the same question four times and all four times have received great information, yet you still can't decide if you want to pursue a CJ degree.

My advice is simple, put on your big-boy pants and make a decision.

It's not that easy. I am running out of time on what to pick.

It just seems like a dumb idea to pick a cj degree when police departments don't even care about what degree you get. So why on earth would anyone ever bother to get a cj degree? You are F***** if you can't get a job in law enforcement or want to change your career. That degree is practically useless. So I think I am gonna go for something else. Probably something in business.

But people told me that getting a cj degree would help you move up in the police force. Say to sergeant or detective. Is that true? Cause thats a huge benefit of a cj degree if its true.

[PhilipCal]

It's not considered "good form" to ask the same question in two separate sections of the forum. The answers won't be any more to your liking simply because you asked the same question twice.

[Iowa #1603]

Q#1. It's not that easy. I am running out of time on what to pick.

Q#2. It just seems like a dumb idea to pick a cj degree when police departments don't even care about what degree you get. So why on earth would anyone ever bother to get a cj degree? You are F***** if you can't get a job in law enforcement or want to change your career. That degree is practically useless. So I think I am gonna go for something else. Probably something in business.

Q#3. But people told me that getting a cj degree would help you move up in the police force. Say to sergeant or detective. Is that true? Cause thats a huge benefit of a cj degree if its true.

A#1. No you are not running out of time to pick. You can take up to your Junior Year in most colleges to declare a major. Besides if you take the criminal justice courses and decide not to make that your major you can have it as a minor.

A#2. It seems like a dumb idea to read about 1000 posts concerning degrees (yep I'll wager there are at least that many here in this forum) and still not be able to make an informed decision.

A#3. People will tell you things all your life. They might or might not be correct. They may be correct for their purposes and not for yours. They may just be pulling your leg. They might just be talking to get rid of you. They might just be lying to you.

If you want to get a CJ degree-------------------------GET ONE. It doesn't matter. Nobody really cares. All that REALLY matters is that you are happy with what YOU do.

by the way------------------if it is what you WANT to get a degree in do it. It is *****ing foolish to spend 4 yrs in college getting a degree in something you are not interested in.

[Lady Blue]

In the end I do not think it is going to make a flying fuqs worth of difference for you. Decision making seems to be an opportunit for improvement for you. Not a single one of us can make that choice for you. If you want to get your degree in underwater basketweaving then go for it. You have gotten good advice and you have access to the search feature to look up any of the blue million other times this question has been answered by the members of this forum.

[craftspace234]

A#1. No you are not running out of time to pick. You can take up to your Junior Year in most colleges to declare a major. Besides if you take the criminal justice courses and decide not to make that your major you can have it as a minor.

A#2. It seems like a dumb idea to read about 1000 posts concerning degrees (yep I'll wager there are at least that many here in this forum) and still not be able to make an informed decision.

A#3. People will tell you things all your life. They might or might not be correct. They may be correct for their purposes and not for yours. They may just be pulling your leg. They might just be talking to get rid of you. They might just be lying to you.

If you want to get a CJ degree-------------------------GET ONE. It doesn't matter. Nobody really cares. All that REALLY matters is that you are happy with what YOU do.

by the way------------------if it is what you WANT to get a degree in do it. It is *****ing foolish to spend 4 yrs in college getting a degree in something you are not interested in.

1.) Yes I am. You don't even know what year of college I am in. I am about to be done with my sophomore year and have no idea on what classes to take next semester.

2.) ok

3.) Doesn't answer my question

4.) "If you want to get a CJ degree-------------------------GET ONE. It doesn't matter. Nobody really cares. All that REALLY matters is that you are happy with what YOU do."

It does matter. A million things can go wrong. I've always been interested in it but now after hearing horror stories of people not becoming cops or hate it and are stuck with cj degrees, well it makes me consider getting a different degree. Even if it is not one I would enjoy.

5.) by the way------------------if it is what you WANT to get a degree in do it. It is *****ing foolish to spend 4 yrs in college getting a degree in something you are not interested in.

It may sound foolish, but what sounds even more foolish is getting a degree that limits your options on what you can be in life when the police academy doesn't even care what kind of degree you get.

Yes I am only interested in criminal justice but it would be smarter to go for something else that opens more doors for more in case something goes wrong with law enforcement. Even if I am not interested in the subject.

[11b101abn]

No. Just no. It is worthless and pointless.

[Iowa #1603]

1.) Yes I am. You don't even know what year of college I am in. I am about to be done with my sophomore year and have no idea on what classes to take next semester.

2.) ok

3.) Doesn't answer my question

4.) "If you want to get a CJ degree-------------------------GET ONE. It doesn't matter. Nobody really cares. All that REALLY matters is that you are happy with what YOU do."

It does matter. A million things can go wrong. I've always been interested in it but now after hearing horror stories of people not becoming cops or hate it and are stuck with cj degrees, well it makes me consider getting a different degree. Even if it is not one I would enjoy.

5.) by the way------------------if it is what you WANT to get a degree in do it. It is *****ing foolish to spend 4 yrs in college getting a degree in something you are not interested in.

It may sound foolish, but what sounds even more foolish is getting a degree that limits your options on what you can be in life when the police academy doesn't even care what kind of degree you get.

Yes I am only interested in criminal justice but it would be smarter to go for something else that opens more doors for more in case something goes wrong with law enforcement. Even if I am not interested in the subject.

Nope-------------the only thing we know about you is what you tell us. If you don't want to get a good answer to your question, by all means DONT give us all the information necessary to answer. I would say that if you take this long (two years) to make a decision like this -----you probably do not have the ability to make much of this profession anyway


#3 Does answer your question . Read the reply carefully and it DOES tell you


Yes it is FOOLISH to get a degree in a subject you don't like ----------------You will learn time and time again during a career in public service that LIKING what you do is MUCH MORE important than just making sure a check box is filled in.

Like I said there are thousands of jobs out there BESIDES police work that a Criminal Justice degree will help with. I do not consider a degree in CJ worthless or pointless.

It just won't be a deciding factor in getting hired as a cop in most places

[craftspace234]

Nope-------------the only thing we know about you is what you tell us. If you don't want to get a good answer to your question, by all means DONT give us all the information necessary to answer. I would say that if you take this long (two years) to make a decision like this -----you probably do not have the ability to make much of this profession anyway


#3 Does answer your question . Read the reply carefully and it DOES tell you


Yes it is FOOLISH to get a degree in a subject you don't like ----------------You will learn time and time again during a career in public service that LIKING what you do is MUCH MORE important than just making sure a check box is filled in.

Like I said there are thousands of jobs out there BESIDES police work that a Criminal Justice degree will help with. I do not consider a degree in CJ worthless or pointless.

It just won't be a deciding factor in getting hired as a cop in most places

So while going for, lets say a business degree, can open more doors for me and give me something to fall back on, you think it's better to go for something you are actually interested in even if it limits what jobs you can get if law enforcement doesn't work out for me?

It's not like I hate business, I just am not interested in it. I have never been interested in anything else but cj. But if something goes wrong like I don't get hired as a cop, I don't like the pay, too may hours, etc that crj degree will restrict me only to law enforcement type jobs.

[Kieth M.]

Here's the other deal, and one you'll have to research for yourself. Figure out which state, or agency, you want to work in. Find out if their academy program grants college credit for attending/graduating.

I was soooo sure I was doing the right thing getting my CJ AA degree first. Then I was accepted into the LAPD academy and was told, I would receive college credit from Cal Sate L.A. for the classes I would take while there...UNLESS, I already HAD those classes prior. Therefore, NO COLLEGE CREDIT for me for going through the academy.

So, looking back, I could have had my AA in something/anything else and then received MORE college credit for going through the academy.

While in college, if you don't speak one, figure out what second language is vital to the area the area you wish to work. English and second language skills will move you closer to the front of the line, come hiring time.