What is Criminal Justice?
Criminal justice professionals in Oregon work to protect and serve their communities, with roles extending far beyond police officers and sheriff deputies. Careers in this field include corrections officers, forensic analysts, probation officers, and crime scene investigators. Whether enforcing laws, investigating crimes, or supporting the justice system, criminal justice roles often align with the mission of safeguarding society. With a degree in criminal justice, you can explore diverse career paths that make a meaningful impact in Oregon’s communities.
In Oregon, over 35,000 professionals work in "Protective Services" roles such as police officers, detectives, probation officers, and security guards. The demand for these criminal justice and public service positions is projected to grow through 2033, creating opportunities for graduates with degrees in criminal justice.
Criminal justice professionals play key roles across various sectors, including law enforcement, courts, and rehabilitation. These roles span from working with suspects to preventing crime and supporting at-risk individuals, such as through social work with children. The field also includes professionals working within the court system and probation services to ensure justice and reduce recidivism. With a criminal justice degree, you can pursue diverse career paths in Oregon, contributing to public safety and rehabilitation efforts, investigating crimes, and working with people of all ages and demographics.
Featured Online Programs
Online Criminal Justice Education in Oregon
If you're passionate about helping others, righting wrongs, and supporting those striving to return to society, a career in criminal justice might be for you. This field offers various opportunities to make a difference. Below, you'll find information on education requirements, how to start your career, and examples of potential jobs within criminal justice.
Education requirements in criminal justice vary depending on the career path. Law enforcement typically requires attending a police academy, but officers may pursue an associate or bachelor’s degree to advance quickly. Social workers must earn a bachelor’s degree and obtain a license. Other careers may require a combination of degrees and training. Below are examples of degrees that can help someone pursue a profession in criminal justice.
Find Your Online Criminal Justice Program
Online Associates (AS)
With a two-year degree in criminal justice, most people can work as police officers and prison guards. Police officers must go through the police academy, but a degree can make promotions happen more quickly.
A two-year degree in criminal justice can prepare a person to do a variety of jobs. It provides an advantage for those who plan to attend a police academy or become prison guards. A degree means that an officer can be promoted in a timelier manner than someone who does not have a degree.
Students enrolled in a two-year program will take courses such as:
- US Criminal Justice System
- Criminal Investigation and Procedure
- Corrections
- And More
Associate degrees typically take two years to complete and, when or if the student chooses, the credits earned with the associate degree could transfer to a bachelor’s degree. This can only happen if you attend an accredited school or choose to attend a school that already has a transfer agreement with a four-year institution, so make sure that you are looking for that when you perform a school search.
Online Bachelors (BS)
How much a undergraduate degree in criminal justice will help you depends on what you want to do. If you already work in the criminal justice field, moving through the ranks of your current job and being promoted are easier when you have a bachelor’s. It’s also an ideal move if you want to combine your criminal justice experience with another field, such as cyber security or forensic science. You could also be eligible to teach at some community colleges and technical schools after you earn a bachelor’s. And, if you want to become a detective or move into an administrative position, a bachelor’s degree is often required.
Some of the classes included in a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice include:
- Intro to Criminal Justice, Criminology, Criminal Investigations, Courts, etc.
- Juvenile Justice System
- Crime in Media and Popular Culture
- Forensics and Digital Investigations
- Criminal Punishment
- Legal Issues in Corrections
- Criminal Justice Research Methods
- Ethics in Criminal Justice
- White Collar Crime, Gangs and Crime, Drugs and Crime
- Politics of Criminal Justice
- Victimology
- And More
A bachelor’s degree should take around four years to complete, as long as you are able to attend full-time. However, if you attend part-time, whether so you can work or because you have other responsibilities, it will take longer, or you might be able to find an accelerated course that can let you finish more quickly. Those who have already earned an associate degree with credit hours that will transfer may be able to skip one or two years of their bachelor’s degrees and start as sophomores or juniors.
Online Masters (MS)
A graduate degree in criminal justice can lead to teaching positions and the training of other law enforcement personnel at academies. Those who want to move into white collar crime investigation could combine criminal justice education with business, finance, or IT and work in cyber security, loss prevention, or forensic accounting. This degree also lends credibility to those who wish to freelance as private investigators or move into administrative positions at various law enforcement agencies.
Online Doctorate (PhD)
In most instances, a doctorate degree is not needed to work in criminal justice, unless the someone wants to teach at the highest level or strives to become a psychologist or work in forensics in some capacity. Those who complete PhDs in criminal justice have a better chance of earning a tenured position with a college or university, or working in policy creation, research, or for think tanks. No matter the reason for earning a PhD, it can take anywhere from three to five years to complete, and students must not only perform original research and write a dissertation, but they may also need to defend that dissertation in front of a panel in order to fully earn their degree.
Find Online Criminal Justice Schools
Become a Criminal Justice Professional in Oregon
To start a career in criminal justice, first choose your desired profession. For law enforcement, such as police officers, you must complete the required training, like attending a police academy. Other roles, like deputies or state troopers, have their own training programs. For non-law enforcement careers, like social work or criminal justice, pursuing a relevant degree is key. Regardless of your path, the first step is obtaining the necessary education for your chosen field.
After completing education, individuals can begin their criminal justice careers. With experience, many choose to advance or switch paths. For example, police officers may transition to parole officers or federal agencies, while prison guards might pursue social work or law enforcement. Some may shift to teaching criminal justice or attend law school to become attorneys, with many successful lawyers coming from law enforcement backgrounds due to their inside knowledge of the legal system.
Careers for Criminal Justice Graduates
There are so many options for people who want to work as criminal justice professionals, it would be impossible to list them all here. The important thing to remember is that, regardless of how you want to help people and your community, a job likely exists that will let you do so. Below are a few examples of the types of careers a person with a criminal justice background could consider.
- Psychometrists:
Psychometrists run psychological tests on people for a variety of reasons. In the criminal justice realm, these professionals test people for neurological anomalies that help criminologists built a psychological profile, or they may help a lawyer or jury decide whether or not an insanity plea is reasonable. Outside of criminal justice, these professionals help people with traumatic brain injuries and other neurological issues so treatment plans can be developed. - Emergency Management Coordinator:
An emergency management coordinator coordinates with local, state, and federal agencies to assist the public when a crisis occurs. Whether it’s the aftermath of a tornado, flood, hurricane, flash flood, wild or structural fire, or another disaster, the emergency management coordinator’s most important task is to ensure that all citizens are safe and their immediate and long-term needs are met. Coordinators work with first responder agencies such as police and fire departments, as well as state and federal agencies such as FEMA. - Forensic Accountant:
A forensic accountant is a special type of accountant. They specialize in looking for fraud, money laundering, embezzlement, and other types of financial malfeasance. Forensic accountants have an education in both accounting and criminal justice and are skilled at analyzing financial transactions and records and tracing assets to find out if the transactions are legal or otherwise. - Paralegal:
Paralegals work with attorneys on cases. They write memos, briefs, and any other legal correspondence the attorney needs completed. They also do legal research, perform office administrative duties, and file paperwork with the court. - Victim Advocate:
A victim advocate supports victims of crimes. They assist victims with locating help for emotional assistance and often act as liaisons between victims and law enforcement, the court system, and any other legal entity the victim has to deal with. The advocate always acts on the victim's behalf and strives to ensure that the victims’ rights are protected and enforced at every opportunity. Victim advocates work with adults and children. - Conservation Officer:
Conservation officers protect forests and lakes. They make sure that people who are using these areas do so safely and within the legal standards. A park ranger is an example of a conservation officer but there are many other types of people working in this capacity. A career such as this is especially important in a state such as Oregon. - ATF/DoD/DEA/FBI/CIA/NSA/Secret Service Agent:
For many law enforcement officers, moving from state or local law enforcement and into federal departments are the next step. ATF (Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms), DoD (Department of Defense), DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), CIA Central Intelligence Agency, the NSA (National Security Agency and Secret Service Agents each have their own set of requirements, but they generally pull their agents from law enforcement agencies from around the country
Search All Programs