When seeking employment or promotion, a master’s degree gives you a competitive advantage over those with associates and bachelor’s degrees. According to the
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , “occupations that typically require a master’s degree for entry are projected to grow the fastest, 18.4 percent, from 2012 to 2022.”
A great variety of advanced-level criminal justice career opportunities exist at the local, county, state and federal levels, as well as in the private sector. The federal government especially values candidates with advanced degrees, and a master’s degree is typically required to teach at the post-secondary and college level.
For those with an MLS in Criminal Law, potential career opportunities (some of which may be dependent on undergraduate major and professional work experience), might include, among others:
- Management and supervisory positions, such as:
- Correctional Officer Supervisor
- Police & Detective Supervisor
- Supervisory Criminal Investigator
- Emergency Management Director
- Warden
- Sheriff
- Positions with the federal government, such as:
- U.S. Department of Justice
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF Agent
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA Agent)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI Agent)
- Bureau of Prisons
- Case Manager
- Correctional Officer
- Office of Justice
- Border Patrol Agent
- Secret Service Agent
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA Officer or Analyst)
- Emergency Management Director
- Homeland Security (Federal Protective Services)
- U.S. Postal Inspection Service (Postal Inspector)
- U.S. Air Marshal
- U.S. Department of the Treasury (Investigator)
- U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS Agent)
- U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE Agent)
- Court Positions, such as:
- Administrative Law Judge
- Hearing officer
- Claims Adjudicator
- Magistrate
- Other positions, such as:
- Compliance Officer
- Computer Forensics Investigator
- Forensic Accountant
- Probation Officer
- Senior Investigator
- Private Investigator
- Industrial Security Consultant
- Information Security Analyst
- Juvenile Probation Officer
- Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement Teacher
- Victims Advocate
- Youth Correctional Counselor
Salaries for criminal law positions requiring a master’s degree can range from the low $40,000s to over $100,000. The
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
PayScale, and the
Criminal Justice Degree Schools websites are additional sources of career and salary information.