Associate Degrees in Criminal Justice in North Dakota
North Dakota, like every other state, depends on the consistent work of criminal justice professionals to maintain order in society. If it’s important to you to do meaningful work, you may be a great fit for the criminal justice industry.
As you work toward an associate degree, you may learn about many different work settings and environments in criminal justice. Some graduates opt to work in policing, while others go into corrections. Some look for courtroom positions and others work out in the community.
The demand for correctional officers is an ongoing issue in North Dakota. A recent report found that North Dakota increased its corrections budget more than five times faster than its education budget (US News, 2016).
Discover what you can learn in a criminal justice associate degree program. Check out the list of schools below and contact programs near you.
Criminal Justice Associate Programs in North Dakota
Whether you plan on continuing your education immediately after high school or you are returning to college after some time in the workforce, an associate degree is a low-stress way to get acclimated to postsecondary education and gain experience in your chosen field.
As an added benefit, tuition and other expenses tend to be much lower for associate degree programs.
Below, find North Dakota’s average credit requirements and tuition costs:
- Timeframe: 4 to 6 semesters
- Credits: 60 to 69 credits
- Average tuition cost per year: $4,406 (College Board, 2016)
If you devote some time to financial aid applications, you may discover that many criminal justice scholarships are open to associate degree students. These programs include state, federal, and private grants.
At the state government level, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department awards scholarships to criminal justice students.
In addition to degree programs that focus on criminal justice as a general field, there are options that look specifically at different areas of practice. North Dakota schools offer options like law enforcement, legal assisting, corrections, and homeland security.
Below, find some of the courses commonly required in a criminal justice program. Specialized degrees tend to have more narrowly focused coursework:
- Juvenile Justice
- Criminological Theory
- Criminal Law
- Policing and Police-Community Relations
Getting established in a new field requires hard work and tenacity. If you make time in your schedule for an internship or field experience course, it may benefit you down the line. This type of experience may make you a more appealing job applicant and put you in contact with professionals who can help you in your career.
What Can I Do With a Criminal Justice Degree in North Dakota?
Since there are so many different career paths that associate in criminal justice graduates may pursue, job outlook statistics and salary data vary quite a bit.
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Through 2030, CareerOneStop expects to see a 13% increase in security guard job openings (2022). In this timeframe, demand for police detectives should remain steady (CareerOneStop, 2022). Job openings for parole officers should also remain relatively steady through 2030 (CareerOneStop, 2022).
Average salary data is helpful as you choose a career path, but keep in mind that criminal justice salaries are heavily influenced at the county and local levels. Salary scales are typically public knowledge and subject to strict regulation.
The average income for a North Dakota security guard is $36,790 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022). For police detectives, the average increases to $80,890 annually (BLS, 2022). The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an average salary of $63,340 per year for parole officers (2022).
2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for North Dakota contained here reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed November 2023.
Your decision to study criminal justice may have a positive impact on your personal fulfillment, your career options, the communities you serve, and the field as a whole. North Dakota criminal justice associate degree programs are listed below.
Explore your options and contact each school for more information.
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