Alabama Criminal Justice Schools

Criminal Justice Schools in Alabama can help students launch a variety of careers in the field of law enforcement and criminalistics. Students can choose from different degree levels, according to their previous educational qualifications and future career goals. Alabama has over 30 schools offering criminal justice degrees in the state, with 20 of these offering a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and 8 offering a master’s or doctoral degree in criminal justice.

If you want to learn more about criminal justice schools in Alabama, including the expected coursework and job outlook, the following guide would be of great help.

Criminal Justice Degree Programs in Alabama

Criminal justice schools in Alabama offer degrees at all levels in both, on-campus and online formats. Online programs can be a great option for those who intend to continue their jobs while they study. Students can choose from the following programs:

Associate degree in Criminal Justice: This degree would help create a strong foundation in the theoretical and practical elements of law enforcement. Students can expect to study the basics of criminal law, social science and the American criminal justice system in this 2-year long program.

Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice: This 4-year long program is one of the most sought-after options in the job market for criminal justice graduates. It is the ideal program for paralegal careers and covers all three aspects of criminal justice – courts, law enforcement and corrections.

Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice: This 2-year long program can serve as a pathway to highly rewarding opportunities in the field of criminal justice. Students would be expected to complete coursework in advance law enforcement, criminal investigation techniques and the American legal system.

Doctorate in Criminal Justice: A PhD degree in criminal justice can take 3-5 years of full-time study to complete and usually allows students a flexible schedule to keep up with their professional and personal obligations. Students are required to complete around 50-75 credit hours in a doctorate program.

Coursework for Criminal Justice Schools in Alabama

The coursework of a criminal justice program would depend on the level of degree you are enrolled in. However, most degrees would cover certain common themes and subject areas. These include courses such as Foundations of the Criminal Justice System, Introduction to Criminal Law, Foundations of Corrections, Introduction to the American Court System and Theories of Crime Causation. Students enrolled in advanced level programs might also study courses such as Constitutional Issues in Criminal Proceedings, Juvenile Justice Systems and Crime Victim Studies.

Job Outlook with Criminal Justice Schools in Alabama

After completing a criminal justice degree, students can go for a variety of careers in Alabama. These include becoming Correctional Officers, Detectives and Criminal Investigators, Security Guards, Paralegals and Legal Assistants etc.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for protective service occupations is expected to grow by 8% in the years from 2020 to 2030, which will add nearly 286,400 new jobs. The annual median wage for protective service occupations was $43,710 in May 2020, which is higher than the median annual wage for all occupations.

The field of criminal justice is vast and constantly evolving and requires students to have a complete and comprehensive understanding of the legal system. Many institutes across the US are now offering an online bachelor’s degree in criminal justice that allows students the flexibility of remote learning and usually provides 24/7 access to online classrooms and study materials. A typical 4-year long bachelor’s in criminal justice would cover topics such as current criminology theories, emerging trends in global criminalistics and effective communication strategies. Students would be taught how to evaluate the impact of technology in the field of criminal justice, along with applying laws to decision making practices. Coursework students can expect to complete in this program would revolve around law and society, gender and crime and patterns in criminal behavior.

National Estimates for Bailiffs in Alabama

Employment 1
Hourly mean wageAnnual mean wage 2
Employment per 1,000 jobsLocation quotient 9
10016.8935,1200.0510.39

(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a “year-round, full-time” hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.

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