South Florida is the perfect place for Georgia residents! If you’re looking to further your college education as well as gain some distance between home and school, consider pursuing a degree in Florida.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers in the criminal justice field are on the rise by approximately 2.3%. Furthermore, the state of Florida ranks 3rd for its high population of employment in this field with New York coming in second and North Carolina in first.
You may be asking yourselves: So why is Florida the most preferred state to pursue a career in criminal justice over North Carolina? Here are three reasons why!
- Great Education
According to Cappex, a website that list colleges in Florida, there are approximately 142 colleges in the state of Florida. This includes public and private schools in urban and rural environments, but this does not reflect the amount of online universities. Additionally, one should also consider that colleges and universities are developing all over the country, including Florida, so this number could be increasing by the minute!
Florida is a large state, and as such, one has the choice to pursue a criminal justice career in either the North or the South.
As a Georgia resident, you may feel most comfortable in the South. This is where Florida National University (FNU) resides, right in the heart of Miami!
About FNU
FNU is an accredited university dispersed throughout the South Florida region with campuses in Miami and Hialeah. This university is dedicated to doing everything to prepare its students for employment in the criminal justice field by providing them with the required skills and knowledge needed for successful completion of their Criminal Justice Bachelor of Science (BS) program.
About FNU’s Criminal Justice BS Program
The Criminal Justice BS Program at FNU is designed to expand your critical and analytical thinking skills so that you’ll be able to communicate complex data both verbally and in writing, both talents that are necessary in this field. Additionally, the program is dedicated to preparing students for higher-level positions within the criminal justice field as well as equip them for almost any graduate level program.
Type of Courses Offered
There is a minimum requirement of 120 credits to graduate. Students need to complete at least 39 hours of general education credits and 42 core credits. General requirements cover courses in communications, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, and computer science.
The core requirements start with the following lower level courses:
- Introduction to Criminal Law (3 credits)
- Introduction to Corrections (3 credits)
- Introduction to Security and Law Enforcement (3 credits)
- Fundamentals of Criminal Investigation (3 credits)
Students are also required to take nine elective core credits. Some of the recommended elective courses are:
- Criminology (3 credits)
- Juvenile Delinquency I (3 credits)
- Criminal Justice Internship (3 credits)
- Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 credits)
- Introduction to Criminal Procedures (3 credits)
For a full list of courses offered, visit the official FNU Criminal Justice BS program here.
- Plenty of Jobs Openings
Types of Criminal Justice Jobs in Florida
In the Miami, Miami Beach, and Kendall area the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the mean salary for criminal justice workers is approximately $71,870.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that graduates who work in the industries with the highest level of employment come from 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities, as well as professional, technical and trade schools. Business schools and computer and management training are also helpful in help when job searching.
With a BS in criminal justice, students can pursue any of these careers:
- Police, Probation, or Correctional Officer
- Detective/Investigator
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), or Drug Enforcement Administration Agent (DEA)
- Computer Forensics Investigator
- State Trooper
This is just a small list of positions one can pursue in South Florida with a BS in Criminal Justice. There are plenty of employers looking for someone with the background knowledge and expertise needed for such positions.
- The Need for Immigration Support
Unfortunately, immigrants can often be treated as criminals even when that is not the case.
The fact of the matter is that there are particular needs in certain parts of the United States (US). Immigration support, for instance, is one of those needs that is much more necessary in the state of Florida than in North Carolina, or other states with a low influx of immigrants.
According to the American Immigration Council, Florida had 3.8 million immigrants in 2013. The Daily Beast reports that 36.92% of Miami’s population as the “most foreign-born” residents with an immigrant population of 1,994,677. This makes the state of Florida the perfect place for a career in immigration support.
With a BS degree in criminal justice, graduates will be eligible to land the career of their dreams, including a career in immigration law, assisting attorneys with the processing of paperwork so that immigrants can become legal US citizens.
FNU: Where Georgia Residents Need to Be!
Be close to home and one step closer to your dreams! Come take full advantage of FNU’s stellar Criminal Justice Bachelor of Science program and if you’re a interested in any of our other programs, contact us today to schedule an appointment. You can even schedule a tour of our campus! See you soon in sunny South Florida!
