Criminal Justice Scholarships and Careers

The criminal justice career field encompasses a wide variety of jobs and roles, from police officers and deputies to lawyers and probation officers. Jobs are available with government institutions, private firms, and agencies, such as jails, prisons, courthouses, and correctional facilities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that criminal justice jobs will grow by 3% over the next decade. Within the field, there are a wide variety of careers available. Furthermore, if you choose to use your criminal justice career at the municipal, state or federal level you may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Careers in Criminal Justice

Criminal justice covers a wide breadth of careers and roles. Coursework in Criminal Justice may cover history, government, criminal law, law enforcement, psychology, and sociology. However, like any field of study, students can zero in on a specific interest. They may fall into one of the categories below:

Advocacy

Individuals who pursue a career in advocacy are compassionate and bent on helping others. They either work with victims or for those working to make amends for past criminal injustices. Jobs in this field include victim advocacy, child advocacy, juvenile probation, immigrant advocacy, and prisoner reentry into the community.

Law Enforcement

When people hear criminal justice, they often think "law enforcement." While these individuals do need to learn how to safely engage with and protect community members, there is more to it than that. Law enforcement includes communicating effectively, knowing and understanding the psychology behind human behavior, and how to effectively, ethically, and legally apprehend offenders. Individuals that pursue law enforcement in academic study go on to work for their local police, FBI, or CIA.

Legal

Legal, under the umbrella of Criminal Justice, covers a variety of roles, like lawyers and paralegals. Lawyers and paralegals require critical thinking, logic, and presenting skills. Academically, these individuals will learn how the criminal justice works and the psychology behind human behavior.

Psychology and Social Work

There is a psychological and sociological side of criminal justice. These lines of work seek to help offenders and victims with psychological diagnoses, mental health concerns, and the effects of trauma. Jobs can be found in mental health counseling and social services.

Scholarships for Criminal Justice Majors

Many colleges and universities as well as private organizations provide criminal justice scholarships. Below are just a few within the Fastweb database.

NOBLE Scholarship Award

Deadline: 5/26/2023
Available to: High School Seniors Award Amount: $2,000 - $2,500 The NOBLE Scholarship Award is available to high school seniors who are pursuing a degree in social sciences and are committed to a career in law enforcement or criminal justice. You must be a U.S. citizen and have a minimum 3.8 GPA to be eligible for this award.

Brian Terry Foundation Scholarship

Deadline: 5/31/23 Available to: High School Seniors & College Students Award amount: $2,000 The Brian Terry Foundation Scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors and current undergraduate students. You must be majoring in criminal justice or a related field and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this award. Only the first 100 applications will be accepted.

First Responders Children's Foundation Scholarship

Deadline: 5/31/23 Available to: College Students Award amount: $1,500 The First Responders Children's Foundation Scholarship is available to the children of first responders. You must be enrolled full - time and have a minimum 2.7 GPA to be eligible for this award.

Wilson J. Brown Memorial Scholarship

Deadline: 6/1/2023
Available to: Undergraduate Students Award Amount: Varies The Wilson J. Brown Memorial Scholarship is available to full - time undergraduate students of Chickasaw heritage. You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and be majoring in criminal justice or Native American studies to be eligible for this award.

Edward J. Kiernan Memorial Scholarship

Deadline: 7/31/2023 Available to: High School Seniors Award Amount: Varies The Edward J. Kiernan Memorial Scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors who intend to pursue a career in law enforcement, labor relations, or a related field. Your parent or guardian must be a member of a union affiliated with the International Union of Police Associations to be eligible for this award.

Melissa Linville Criminal Justice Scholarship

Deadline: 8/1/2023
Available to: High School Seniors & Undergraduate Students Award Amount: $500 The Melissa Linville Criminal Justice Scholarship is available to students who are pursuing post - secondary education in the criminal justice field. You must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this award.

Missouri Blue Scholarship for Law Enforcement

Deadline: Varies Available to: Varies Award amount: $5,000 The Missouri Blue Scholarship for Law Enforcement is available to students who will enroll in a basic training academy within Missouri. To be eligible for this award, you must be a U.S. citizen and resident of Missouri.