Criminal Justice Careers That Aren’t Police Officers: Your Options With Anna Maria’s Criminal Justice Degrees
| 5 Min Read
The criminal justice field is expansive, and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice opens up a wide range of career options. A master’s degree can facilitate even more professional opportunities and career advancements.
With a bachelor’s or master’s degree in criminal justice, you can pursue jobs in law enforcement on the local, state and federal levels. You can work in spaces like corrections, probation, border patrol, government detective work, private practice, forensics, security and more. Anna Marie College (AMC) offers two online criminal justice degree programs for students, depending on their interests and career aspirations: the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Criminal Justice program and the Master of Science (M.S.) in Criminal Justice program.
The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Program
Whether you are interested in law enforcement, corrections or other related careers, the online B.S. in Criminal Justice program from Anna Maria College prepares you with a strong foundation. The curriculum includes courses such as Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Policing in America, Corrections and more.
Learning about law enforcement and the court system also includes the option of an internship in your local community, which provides valuable field experience and helps you apply what you learn in real-world contexts. The fully online program provides maximum flexibility to meet your needs, and students can complete the degree in as few as two years.
Careers in Criminal Justice With a Bachelor’s Degree
A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice offers you the option of concentrating on a specific career field — like working in security for law enforcement, private business or the military — and focusing on jobs in criminology or corrections. Some possible career paths aside from law enforcement include those below. Salary information is current as of February 2025, and actual salaries vary depending on job location, work experience and other factors:
- Fraud investigators look into activities like fraudulent insurance claims, work injuries and legal claims. Researching and reviewing evidence, analyzing documentation, providing reports and testifying in court are all part of the job. Helping prevent fraud, identifying possible threats a company may face, interviewing possible suspects, and developing fraud analysis models are all basic job duties for a fraud investigator. The average base annual salary in the U.S. for a fraud investigator is $77,805.
- Forensic assistants work under the direction of medical examiners, coroners or forensic pathologists. This may involve clerical and administrative work, autopsy assistance, visiting crime scenes and collecting evidence. Forensic assistants earn an average annual salary of $50,968, and this is typically higher in Massachusetts.
- Criminologists work with data from past criminal offenses to reduce and prevent crime. They study all types of crime including violent crime, property crime, organized crime, white-collar crime and victimless crime. Studying crime patterns and evaluating solutions helps criminologists work with law enforcement to reduce crimes and with corrections to help rehabilitate and transition criminals back into society. The average annual salary for a criminologist, according to ZipRecruiter, is $81,173.
- Private detectives, or investigators gather, analyze and report information to clients regarding legal or personal matters. Job duties include conducting surveillance, searching online, public and court records, writing reports and conducting interviews. In Massachusetts, the average annual salary is about $52,371.
The Master of Science in Criminal Justice Program
With an advanced degree in criminal justice, you can qualify for promotions and leadership positions. You can specialize in emergency management, homeland security, leadership and administration. Or, you can create a self-designed program that aligns with individual interests and professional needs.
AMC’s online M.S. in Criminal Justice program caters to criminal justice professionals working in the field. The program’s curriculum is particularly suited to those who are ready to transition to leadership and management roles.
Careers in Criminal Justice With a Master’s Degree
Depending on your career path, you could work in consulting firms, local, federal or state government offices, nonprofit organizations, police departments, prisons or private detective agencies. Possible careers to pursue with an M.S. in criminal justice include:
- Emergency management director
- Fraud investigator
- Police chief
- Prison warden
- Security manager
- Special agent
These careers offer a wide variety of average salaries, depending on the specific job and location, but advanced roles can earn high salaries. For example, emergency management directors earn an average annual salary of $98,658, with the top 10% of roles receiving $174,000 or more. The online criminal justice degree options from AMC offer ideal pathways to these professions.
Launch or Enhance Your Criminal Justice Career With an Online Degree From Anna Maria College
If you want to work in the criminal justice profession, earning a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in this specialized field not only prepares you for your chosen career but also gives you an advantage over other job applicants. Gaining the essential theoretical and practical knowledge you need helps you succeed, lead ethically and address current issues in the field.
The online B.S. in Criminal Justice program and the online M.S. in Criminal Justice program from Anna Maria College are each certified by the Massachusetts Department of Education’s Quinn Bill. Graduates are eligible for the pay incentives outlined in the Police Career Incentive Pay Program (PCIPP).
Learn more about Anna Maria College’s online B.S. in Criminal Justice and online M.S. in Criminal Justice programs.