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I am like one semester away from completing my Bachelor in Criminal Justice. I do not want to be a cop or work in corrections. I was wondering what master degree would work well and help me get a good paying job in the future. If anyone out there has any advice, let me know!
Side note:
A couple of Master degrees I have been considering are ones in rather Cyber Security or computer science.
I was also considering a Master degree in Psychology or forensic psychology.
Has anyone taken any of these routes? Any advice or recommendations will be highly appreciated.
Counseling psych may be useful depending on the work you'd like to do, and may dovetail with your current studies. Compensation varies depending on the venue in which you seek employment, i.e., private practice can be much more lucrative than agency work.
I'm in a master's program for that, currently, but it fits my interests. It's definitely not something you'd want to go into if you're not genuinely interested in the work.
Why did you get a CJ degree? For any reputable graduate program you are going to have to take a lot of pre-reqs to get you up to speed for graduate level work, as a CJ degree does not give you the computer background you need to study these topics at an advanced level. Your CJ degree is also probably going to be lacking in foundation courses for graduate psychology studies as well. What do you intend to do with a graduate degree in Psych?
I am like one semester away from completing my Bachelor in Criminal Justice. I do not want to be a cop or work in corrections. I was wondering what master degree would work well and help me get a good paying job in the future. If anyone out there has any advice, let me know!
Side note:
A couple of Master degrees I have been considering are ones in rather Cyber Security or computer science.
I was also considering a Master degree in Psychology or forensic psychology.
Has anyone taken any of these routes? Any advice or recommendations will be highly appreciated.
I think it is reasonable to try to discover what you want to do and then pursue the credential required. If what you want to do doesn't require a Masters, you will save time and money.
Why did you get a CJ degree? For any reputable graduate program you are going to have to take a lot of pre-reqs to get you up to speed for graduate level work, as a CJ degree does not give you the computer background you need to study these topics at an advanced level. Your CJ degree is also probably going to be lacking in foundation courses for graduate psychology studies as well. What do you intend to do with a graduate degree in Psych?
While the Computer Science degree doesn't seem to make much sense, the Cyber Security degree may pair well down the road. Thinking in terms of some more technical roles with the DOJ, FBI, CIA, or military.
It wouldn't be the first time in history that someone paired a "soft" degree with a more technical degree. There are a lots of career paths where a strong mix of both is valued.
While the Computer Science degree doesn't seem to make much sense, the Cyber Security degree may pair well down the road. Thinking in terms of some more technical roles with the DOJ, FBI, CIA, or military.
It wouldn't be the first time in history that someone paired a "soft" degree with a more technical degree. There are a lots of career paths where a strong mix of both is valued.
That's not how the military works. If you want a three letter agency, you should have gotten a better undergrad degree. If you can make a computer science degree work for you, that might be your best bet to get a federal job.
That's not how the military works. If you want a three letter agency, you should have gotten a better undergrad degree. If you can make a computer science degree work for you, that might be your best bet to get a federal job.
Please explain how the military works for me. This should be good.
As just one example. Anyone can do a simple search and find many more examples just like this. I just don't have time to dispute another silly STEM circle jerk at the moment.
Edited to add: I don't really want to argue this, as someone kindly pointed out through DM. I just want to help the OP, who is already near completion of his/her CJ degree. So whether you think the undergrad in CJ was worth the investment is an afterthought at this point. We need to focus on helping the OP find the best technical degree that he/she can pair with his/her current degree.
Last edited by Left-handed; 01-10-2018 at 03:39 PM..
I am like one semester away from completing my Bachelor in Criminal Justice. I do not want to be a cop or work in corrections. I was wondering what master degree would work well and help me get a good paying job in the future. If anyone out there has any advice, let me know!
Side note:
A couple of Master degrees I have been considering are ones in rather Cyber Security or computer science.
I was also considering a Master degree in Psychology or forensic psychology.
Has anyone taken any of these routes? Any advice or recommendations will be highly appreciated.
Tell us a little bit more. Here are some questions that might help people (and you) get a better handle on what might be a good path for you. I'll group the questions into two categories -- your interests/experience and your profile for admissions to a masters program. No need to answer all of the questions here, but the more information you can provide here, the better the advice you might receive (and answering all of these questions for yourself might also help clarify some things for you)
Your interests: What types of courses have you enjoyed the most during your undergraduate years? Have you had any special focus in your undergrad program (i.e. forensics, law enforcement, or homeland security)? Have you done any internships during your undergrad program, and, if so, what were they focused on? Do you have any other work experience (including on campus jobs)? Have you met with someone in your school's career center or your adviser in your department to discuss your plans for after graduation?
Your master's degree admissions profile: How are your grades overall? Have you already taken the GRE? Do you have teachers who can write letters of recommendation for you? Have you already looked at some master's programs in your areas of interest, and considered their admissions requirements? Do you have the pre-requisite courses for admission? If not, do you have time to get those before you graduate?
Do you have any geographic restrictions or preferences for graduate school? Which universities are you considering for the different options (that might make a difference in someone's recommendation)
Finally, how do you plan to pay for graduate school? Can you pay full freight, or will you need financial assistance? Do you already have a lot of student debt from your undergraduate years?
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