Career Information

Studying Criminal Justice at Dallas College can prepare you for a variety of careers. There is a wide range of jobs available depending on your skills, abilities and education — from police officer to correction officer, constable, FBI or CIA agent, drug enforcement officer or U.S. marshal.

Why Is This a Good Career Bet?

Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas’ targeted occupations lists corrections officer as a high growth area, with 2,330 openings projected locally this year.

America’s Career Infonet projects high job increase for supervisors and managers of correctional officers (15%); compliance and​ correctional officers (both 16%); detectives and criminal investigators (18%); postsecondary criminal justice teachers (20%); and probation officers (29%). High job increase is defined as annual growth over 10%.

U.S. News and World Report’s Money Careers lists patrol officer and security guard among its best social services jobs.

Career Opportunities

Depending on the levels of education and experience you achieve throughout your career, jobs might include:

• Bailiff
• Border patrol and police
• Compliance officer
• Corrections officer
• Court reporter or clerk
• Crime scene investigator
• Criminal justice instructor
• Criminologist
• Detective, collecting evidence and gathering facts for criminal cases
• Forensic psychologist
• Paralegal
• Police detective
• Police officer
• Probation officer
• Private investigator
• Sheriff or deputy sheriff
• State police officer, trooper or highway patrol officer

Careers With Federal Government Agencies

Federal government agencies offer a wide variety of criminal justice-related career opportunities:

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents enforce and investigate violations of federal firearms and explosives laws, as well as federal alcohol and tobacco tax regulations.
• The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an independent agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior U.S. policymakers. Security-related positions include investigators and special agents, information system security officers, protective agents and technical security officers.
• The Department of Homeland Security employs law enforcement officers within several different agencies, including Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
• The Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) special agents are engaged in the battle against terrorism.
• Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents enforce laws and regulations relating to illegal drugs. 
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) serves as principal investigator for the federal government, responsible for investigating violations of more than 200 categories of federal law, including organized crime, public corruption, financial crime, bank robbery, kidnapping, terrorism, espionage, drug trafficking and cybercrime.
• Fish and game wardens enforce fishing, hunting and boating laws with the Forest Service and the National Park Service.
• The Marshals Service employs U.S. marshals and deputy marshals who apprehend fugitives; protect federal judges, jurors and courts; transport prisoners and criminal aliens; protect witnesses in the Witness Security Program; and serve court documents. Federal air marshals provide air security by guarding against attacks targeting U.S. aircraft, passengers and crews.
• The National Security Agency (NSA) employs investigators who help perform intelligence and carry out national security missions and police officers who help protect the facilities and personnel in the NSA, including counterterrorism and force protection, emergency response, critical incident management and law and regulation enforcement. 
• Secret Service special agents protect other public officials. Agents also investigate counterfeiting, forgery of government checks or bonds, and fraudulent use of credit cards.
• Other federal agencies employ police and special agents with sworn arrest powers and the authority to carry firearms. These agencies include the Postal Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

Working Conditions

The jobs of some federal agents, such as U.S. Secret Service and DEA special agents, require extensive travel, often on very short notice. Some special agents in agencies such as the U.S. Border Patrol work outdoors in rugged terrain for long periods and in all kinds of weather, and all federal agents may relocate a number of times over the course of their careers.

Police and detective work can be dangerous and stressful. In addition to the obvious dangers of confrontations with criminals, police officers and detectives need to be constantly alert and ready to deal appropriately with a number of other threatening situations.

Uniformed officers, detectives, agents and inspectors are usually scheduled to work 40-hour weeks, but overtime pay is common. Shift work is necessary because protection must be provided around the clock, and junior officers frequently work weekends, holidays and nights. Officers in most jurisdictions, whether on or off duty, are expected to be armed and to exercise their authority when necessary.