Most of these examples require either a bachelor degree or coursework in criminal justice, which means that prospective Tennessee criminal justice professionals need to find a criminal justice program that will help them meet the requirements for their chosen career. For example, many law enforcement academies require candidates to complete criminal justice coursework prior to enrolling and most entry-level criminal justice positions will only consider candidates who hold a bachelor degree in criminal justice.
Criminal justice is a growing field with many careers set to see an 11% increase in job openings over the next few years. This information comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which published the Occupational Outlook Handbook 2008-2009 showing that careers like probation officer, police patrol officer, sheriff’s patrol officer and correctional treatment specialist are expected to expand to include 80,000 additional openings by 2016. Other criminal justice careers across the country and in the Tennessee criminal justice industry are expected to expand in a comparable manner.
To take advantage of these increasing career opportunities and become a Tennessee criminal justice professional, browse through the below list of schools offering Tennessee criminal justice programs.