Careers in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies offer both financial opportunity and the option to pursue a field that fits your personality. A degree in Criminal Justice or Legal Studies opens doors to a wide range of careers, including: Fraud Investigation, Law Enforcement, Security, and Paralegal. The variety of jobs allows this field to fit many personalities and life goals. An expert in criminal justice and the legal field and former ethics chairman for the Paralegal Association of Florida, Barbara Berry encourages paralegal graduates to “choose an area or areas of interest … and add to those tasks that you already do continually making your job more personal and marketable.” Even after earning a Criminal Justice or Legal Studies degree, you still have a great deal of control over your job path.
Value of a Degree in Criminal Justice or Legal Studies
When considering a degree, two questions dominate the consideration: “Will I be able to find a job with this degree?” and “Will the degree really be worth the cost?” Authors Chere B. Estrin and Stacey Hunt explain that the paralegal is “one of the fastest growing professions today,” providing an essential component to “efficient legal service in law firms.” This growing presence in the field, along with the plethora of Criminal Justice careers, helps keep the job market saturated with employment opportunities.
According to the Government census, those with a Bachelor’s Degree earn an average of 183% of the average pay ($31,071) than an employee with only a High School Diploma. This increase of $25,717 each year provides a short turnaround time on the educational investment and substantial increased earnings throughout one’s entire work life. Careers in both Criminal Justice and Legal studies offer significant potential for pay increase. As experience in the field is acquired, earnings can reach close to $80,000, according to popular salary monitor payscale.com.
Florida National University – Criminal Justice and Legal Studies
Florida National University offers exciting opportunities to complete Associate Degrees in Paralegal Studies or Criminal Justice, and Bachelor’s Degrees in Legal Studies or Criminal Justice – all through fully accredited online programs. These respected programs provide this valuable opportunity to students on their schedule, helping parents, full-time workers, and traditional students achieve their ambitions.
If you are interested in receiving more information regarding the Florida National University program of Legal Studies or Criminal Justice please call 305-821-3333 ext. 3 or visit http://50.97.39.126/~fnu.
References
Berry, Barbara. (2008). By Specialty: Typical Paralegal Duties. Retrieved from http://www.nala.org/Upload/file/PDF-Files/News-Articles/2009-FF-Job-Descriptions.pdf
Educational Attainment. (2007). Retrieved December 17, 2012, from http://www.census.gov/schools/census_for_teens/educational_attainment.html
Estrin, C., Hunt, S. (2001). The Successful Paralegal: Job Search Guide. Albany, NY: Thompson Learning.
Paralegal Salary. (2012, December 11). Retrieved December 17, 2012, from http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Paralegal/Salary#by_Years_Experience
