Delaware Criminal Justice Degree Programs

Overview

While many states in New England enjoy some of the lowest crime rates in the country, Delaware is not part of that group. With 682 violent crimes per 100,000 people, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that Delaware has the 7th highest rate of violent crime in the country.

Despite Delaware’s still-high violent crimes rate, they have been successful in aggressively lowering crime rates. The Newark Post reports that crime in Newark has been steadily decreasing. This includes a decrease in aggravated assault, burglary, and robbery. Delaware has been successful because of their commitment to hire more police officers, respond proactively to concerns, and use their Special Operations Unit to lower crime rates.

Criminal Justice Education in Delaware

Read on to learn all about criminal justice degrees, what you can expect to learn, and what career paths open up to you when you earn this degree. You can use our program listing at CriminalJusticePrograms.com to find programs near you and start your degree.

One of the first things you learn as a criminal justice student is how many different career paths there are in the field; because of this, you need to complete coursework in many different areas to earn your degree. Most schools offer state-specific criminal justice education, since each state has its own criminal law and procedures. You need to be able to follow these procedures to the letter to maintain the integrity of the justice system. In addition to criminal law and procedure, you may complete courses in the following areas:

• Victimology
• Corrections
• Policing
• Court Procedures

While you must have a thorough understanding of each part of the criminal justice system, having a deeper understanding of one area can take your criminal justice education to the next level. Many schools require you to choose a specialization in your degree. Your specialization determines which elective courses you can take and what internship options are available to you. Common specialty areas include Internet crime, forensic science, juvenile justice, and identity theft.

If you are concerned about paying for school, you may want to visit this page to learn more about criminal justice scholarships.

Outlook for Criminal Justice in Delaware

As a criminal justice graduate, you can join thousands of other protective service workers in Delaware. Your career options depend largely on whether you have an Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree and what experience you gained during school.

If you complete an internship or specialize in one area of criminal justice, you may have an advantage over your peers. For example, if you specialize in Internet crime, you may be able to take on special job duties that your peers cannot. You can capitalize on your internship or area of study by highlighting it during your job search.

After earning an Associate’s degree, there are several criminal justice careers that are open to you. Bailiff positions typically only require an Associate’s degree, giving you the chance to earn a good income with only about two years worth of schooling. You may also be able to work as a security guard, or private security officer.

Earning a Bachelor’s degree may give you more career options. In addition to jobs that are open to Associate’s degree holders, you can apply for detective, police officer, and supervisor jobs. These jobs may draw on any special coursework you complete. Average salaries for these careers do tend to be slightly higher than entry level criminal justice careers.

We’ve put together the salaries for some of the top criminal justice career paths in Delaware below. Data was found at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2015).

Now that you know what a criminal justice degree can do for you, it’s time to act. Use our easy search form to find degree programs near you.