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Are criminal justice and law enforcement the same fields/degrees?

Am currently going to collage and want to earn my degree and then become a cop, but recently people have been asking me if i want to study the law enforcement or criminal justice field, i hadnt before pay attention to that. My question is whats the difference between them both, and for a cop wich one will be more helpful? Thank you in advance.

4 Answers

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  • ?
    Lv 7
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Coursework for criminal justice degrees and majors such as law enforcement are usually very similar. Many people that want to become police officers choose criminal justice or a similar major. However, many people would suggest choosing a different major. You should learn what you need to know about criminal justice during whatever academy to attend, during your field training program, and during your first couple years as an officer. You should choose a major that interests you, that is marketable, and that could be useful for police work. There are many majors that are good for law enforcement officers and people that want to become law enforcement officers. Accounting, communications, computer science, a foreign language, and psychology are some examples. When choosing a major, consider what area you might want to specialize in if given the chance to as a law enforcement officer, consider what you might want to do if you can't become an officer or decide not to become an officer, and consider what you might want to do as a side job or after you retire if you become an officer. It is great that you plan on getting a degree. Many police departments require or prefer applicants to have college. Having a degree could help you get hired with some departments. Some departments pay their officers more if they have a degree. Having a degree could also help you get promoted during your career. Whatever major you choose, make the most of your time and money. Get the highest grade point average that you can, participate in a couple extracurricular activities, get a good internship, do some regular volunteer work, don't do anything illegal, and maintain a good reputation. Consider getting an advanced degree. Getting police officer jobs is becoming more and more competitive. Do whatever you can to make yourself the best candidate that you can. For example, keep a good driving record, don't get bad credit, improve all of your communication skills as much as possible, practice to improve your observation and memory skills, and become as physically fit as you can. Best of luck!

  • Matt
    Lv 6
    8 years ago

    In most places, you do not need any degree past a high school diploma to become a police officer. In the few cases where a college degree is needed, an Associates degree will usually suffice; you do not need a Bachelors degree in all but a few circumstances, like say if you want to eventually work for the FBI, or a handful of police departments that will require a Bachelors degree, or for a which a Bachelors degree is needed/preferential to advancement.

    http://education-portal.com/articles/Bachelor_of_S...

    http://education-portal.com/articles/Bachelor_of_S...

    Those links give a general comparison between a B.S. in both of the options you're considering. Obviously, every school is going to be a little different. Some schools may not offer one of those degrees. Some schools may have several options on each degree. At any school, the coursework for the degree will vary somewhat compared to other schools, and between the degrees the coursework may be virtually identical, may actually be significantly different, or one may simply be a more rigorous version of the other (As can often be seen between say, B.S in Biology degrees versus B.S. in Biological Sciences degrees versus B.S. in Science with a life science/biology option degrees... and which one is the most rigorous will change based on the school you're looking at).

    Thus, you'll need to actually look at specifically what the degrees entail at every institution you're thinking of applying to. This is quite easy to do, as they will have a part of their website listing all of the required/optional courses one must take for each degree, and they'll have a part of their website that has a detailed description of every single course.

  • ?
    Lv 6
    8 years ago

    They're the exact same thing. Dude, don't major in that crap. Criminal Justice is for idiots. Get a marketable degree. If the law enforcement career doesn't work out, fall back on the marketable degree. Problem solved!

  • 5 years ago

    Crook Justice is a broader study of the complete procedure. I am taking lessons like Corrections, American regulation, crook courtroom system, regulation Enforcement, Juvenile Justice, etc, to complete my measure. Regulation Enforcement does fall into it, but it's no longer the one focal point of crook Justice.

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