Criminal Justice major

Criminal Justice: courses, careers, and where to study

Criminal Justice studies the institutions and practices of policing, courts, and corrections, preparing graduates for law enforcement, probation, corrections, and law school.

A Criminal Justice major covers the structure of policing, courts, and corrections; criminology theory; criminal law and procedure; victimology; juvenile justice; and corrections. Programs often offer concentrations in Law Enforcement, Forensic Science, Cybercrime, Homeland Security, or Pre-Law. Many include an internship with a local police department, sheriff's office, court, prosecutor, or correctional facility.

Graduates work in federal, state, and local law enforcement, corrections, probation/parole, private security, victim advocacy, and corporate compliance. The major is also a common pre-law track.

Academic classification (CIP)

In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Criminal Justice maps to CIP 43.0100, Criminal Justice and Corrections, General, within the HOMELAND SECURITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREFIGHTING AND RELATED PROTECTIVE SERVICES family. The official definition:

A program of study that focuses on the general study of criminal justice and corrections. Includes instruction in criminology, criminal justice, correctional science, forensic science, law enforcement, psychology, and ethics.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov

What you'll study

  • Introduction to the criminal justice system
  • Criminology theory
  • Policing and police administration
  • Criminal law and procedure
  • Corrections and rehabilitation
  • Juvenile justice
  • Forensic methods (depending on track)
  • Research methods and statistics

Typical careers

  • Police Officer / Detective
  • Federal Agent (FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, ICE)
  • Probation / Parole Officer
  • Corrections Officer
  • Forensic Analyst
  • Lawyer (with JD)

Typical salary range: $45,000–$72,000 early-career (BLS, 2024 police and sheriff's patrol officers median $76,290)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.

Related occupations

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Criminal Justice. Linked titles open a CampusPin career page with BLS pay and outlook data; others are listed for reference.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Crosswalk: CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. A program of study does not guarantee any specific occupation.

Before you commit to a Criminal Justice major

CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Criminal Justice program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.

Ask the Criminal Justice department

  • Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
  • What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
  • What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
  • Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?

Ask current students & check the curriculum

  • How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
  • What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
  • Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
  • How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Accreditation & licensure: Some public-service fields require programmatic accreditation for licensure (for example, social-work programs accredited by CSWE). Verify the accreditation and licensure rules that apply to Criminal Justice in your state.
Degree level & graduate study: Many Criminal Justicecareers are open with a bachelor's degree, but some, such as research, advanced-practice, or licensure-track roles, require a master's or doctorate. Check the typical entry-level education on each linked career page above before assuming a bachelor's is enough.

Find a Criminal Justice program

CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges that offer Criminal Justice programs. Filter by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.

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Related majors

How this guide is sourced

This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.