Best Criminal Justice Schools in Texas

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

They look for individuals who are motivated and have a core belief and commitment in serving others.

Careers vary from police officers to intelligence analysts in the intelligence community. Some of the most frequent careers are police officers, federal agents, correctional officers, judges, lawyers, analysts, lab technicians, statisticians, crime analysts and professors.

You will end up serving your country, your state and your fellow community members. In short, you will be committing to an ideal and principle bigger than your own ambitions.

We are a state that is made up of honest and hardworking people. Texas law enforcement is a national model for others to follow.

The criminal justice program at Sam Houston State in Huntsville, in the same town with the headquarters of the Department of Criminal Justice, is a pretty unique fit between academic program and real world application, and there has always been a lot of cross-pollination between the two.

The size of the criminal justice population is also significant, though not completely unique, and that inherently makes for more career opportunities.

There are a lot of different roles in the criminal justice field, but in general there should be some empathy for the less fortunate and a desire to help people. Careers in law enforcement, probation, parole, and corrections, should not be filled by people with a mentality of “teaching criminals a lesson” or other less than empathetic motivations.

Like every state, law enforcement, supervision, and corrections.

Be well-rounded in your education, including and understanding of the research and statistical methods well enough to review treatment literature and the psychology of criminal conduct; core legal concepts in criminal justice, such as due process, separation of powers, and the legal process from beginning to end; and implicit bias, racial disproportionality, and the impact of poverty.

Most criminal justice programs in Texas do not admit students. That is done by the university or college admissions office. Students may choose criminal justice as their major and begin enrolling. Institutions tend to have academic advisors who may be staff or faculty to help students choose a major and to follow degree plans that have been established.

Any career open to any other social science degreed individual is open to a criminal justice graduate. Law enforcement careers exist at the city, county, state and federal level for Texas graduates. Some cities in Texas now require college credits for employment as a police officer including some cities that require the bachelor’s degree. The Texas DPS, Game Wardens, and Park Rangers are state level career opportunities. The federal government has more than 50 agencies that hire criminal investigators or inspectors. Both of these careers require the bachelor’s degree at the federal level.

Employment is available from probation, parole, and prison systems in Texas or probation and the prison system at the Federal level. Court systems and prosecutors hire in a variety of roles including bailiff, court administrator, investigator, and trial assistant. Victim assistance programs hire advocates and counselors. This may include organizations that serve only children or only women victims. Substance abuse programs hire counselors and prevention specialists. In Texas, Child and Adult Protective Services hire case workers, independent school districts hire attendance specialists, private retail organizations hire loss prevention specialists, insurance companies hire claims investigators, claims adjustors, and fraud investigators and all of these are careers for Criminal Justice majors in Texas. Private security is a major source of careers for criminal justice majors. Major private security companies employ in Texas.

This is not a complete list, but is to demonstrate the wide variety of careers open. Additional careers are open once one finishes a master’s or PhD. Degree.

Several things make criminal justice rewarding:

Most criminal justice programs advise their students and graduates to seek careers not just in Texas, but in the nation (any state or federal system). Our graduates are marketable nationwide and students should not limit themselves to only local or Texas job openings. Little is unique in criminal justice professions as similar jobs exist at local, state and national levels and in all states.