Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice in Arkansas
Completing your bachelor’s degree may help you find a rewarding career path and impact the community you live in, particularly if you choose to study criminal justice. Criminal justice graduates can work in a variety of Arkansas settings, from jails and courtrooms to communities and crime scenes. Find out if a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice is the right move for you by contacting the schools you see on this page.
With advanced education in the research and legislation of criminal justice, you may be able to improve safety for Arkansas residents. The passage of a bill recently ordered Arkansas to study the racial impact of a statewide crime law. Since many criminal justice courses focus on differences between genders and races in crime, your education can be very helpful in this area.
Working in the field of criminal justice may prepare you to help the state save money. Arkansas hopes to minimize overcrowding in state prisons.
Minimizing crime rates is a major priority in different parks of Arkansas. In fact, the city of Little Rock recently created a crime task force to address the issue.
Take the next step in an exciting criminal justice career by contacting criminal justice schools in Arkansas to learn more about your options.
Bachelor’s degree programs in Arkansas combine general education, core criminal justice courses, and specialty criminal justice courses into one four-year degree program. Over the course of your degree program, you may complete roughly 120 credits. Classes that may occur early in your curriculum include Police and Society, Survey of Corrections, Introduction to Criminal Justice, and Criminal Justice Research.
Once you have developed a core understanding of the criminal justice field, you may enroll in high-level classes like Juvenile Delinquency, Victimology, Crime and Science, Corrections Psychology, and Comparative Criminal Justice Systems.
As part of your education, you may choose a specialty area of study. Depending on which school you choose to attend, options may include corrections, policing, juvenile justice, and cyber crime. If you choose a concentration, you may be able to pick a relevant internship and take courses that focus on that area of study.
Many schools, employers, and associations have scholarships available for dedicated criminal justice students. Some scholarships, like the Rick Finley Scholarship, are specific to each school. The Arkansas Chapter of the ACFE awards six scholarships each year, one of which is specifically reserved for criminal justice students.
Job Outlook for Arkansas Criminal Justice Graduates
The job outlook for Arkansas criminal justice professionals is fairly positive. Through 2030, CareerOneStop anticipates an 11% increase in patrol officer jobs. Jobs for correctional officers should stay steady during that same timeframe.
Salaries in this field depend quite a bit on the setting you work in and how much education you have. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2022, the average salary for a bailiff in Arkansas is $39,690 per year, while patrol officers earn an average salary of $42,000 per year. The average income for a correctional officer is $39,170.
Clearly, earning your bachelor’s degree in criminal justice may change the future of your career. Learn more today by contacting bachelor’s degree programs in Arkansas.
2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for Arkansas contained here reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed November 2023.
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