The most popular career aspiration of Criminology Majors is working in federal level law enforcement. Agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, or the Drug Enforcement Administration require four-year degrees for their agent positions. Because the competition for jobs with federal law enforcement agencies is extremely intense, there are some things you can do as you begin your college career that will improve your attractiveness as a candidate for a variety of positions. Language and computer skills are always valuable, as are good grades and work experience. We can place you as an intern with some agencies in the Tampa Bay area which will also improve your resume. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has a web site that you can search for jobs in federal law enforcement and corrections.
Many Criminology majors seek careers in state and local law enforcement agencies. Although these agencies do not all require four year degrees of job applicants, preference is usually given for hiring, pay, and promotion. Many agencies have their own web sites with information on recruitment. Here are a few resources to try just to get started. They all have information about employment opportunities and links to other agencies:
Search for Government Jobs in Florida
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Florida Highway Patrol
Tampa Police Department
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Saint Petersburg Police Department
Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
Another entry-level career option that is quite popular among our Criminology majors is that of probation officer. This job combines law enforcement with corrections and the number of officers being hired has been increasing. For state and federal level, applicants need a four-year degree. Federal probation is administered by the U.S. District Courts and state level by the Florida Department of Corrections or Department of Juvenile Justice.
There are numerous other career options too numerous to list here, but some Criminology majors go on to work in private security, go to graduate school, or work in non-related fields. Some of our majors just select Criminology because it is an interesting field of study and people usually make better grades when they are learning about something that they find fascinating. Saint Leo University is currently seeking regional accreditation for a Master's of Science in Criminal Justice Administration program. This will be a practitioner oriented degree that focuses on planning, budgeting, management of resources and other skills and knowledge bases needed to be an effective criminal justice agency administrator. Check this site for details and announcements or contact terry.danner.
Graduates of our program have had great success in achieving their career aspirations. Some have become federal law enforcement agents, many are working as State and local level law enforcement officers. Those seeking careers in corrections have become probation officers or work in juvenile offender facilities. Others have gone on to graduate or law school and many are practicing attorneys. A few of our older students are now heading large agencies. The Chief of Police for the city of Tampa and the Sheriff of Sumter County, Florida are a couple of examples of the success of our alumni.