The Top Degrees For Students Who Want To Fight Crime

For as long as human civilization has been around, laws and customs have been in place to protect people.  Unfortunately, there will always be those with no qualms about breaking these laws and customs to engage in criminal activity.  Films, television, and comic books have popularized the image of a lone vigilante working from the shadows to take the law into their own hands and thwart criminals.  However, unless you have superpowers, trying this in real life would be a terrible idea.  Instead, if you want to fight crime and improve the world, the following degrees can set you on the path to do so legally.   

Criminal Justice

A criminal justice degree is one of the most common choices for students who want to fight crime.  This degree provides students with an understanding of the legal system and the ethical and legal aspects that should be considered.  A criminal justice degree can also serve as a foundation for students who want to go on and specialize in specific areas of fighting crime.  

Psychology

People turn to crime for various reasons, and a psychology degree can help students understand the underlying factors involved.  There are also specializations available in psychology, such as forensic psychology, that can be immensely useful for fighting crime.  For example, forensic psychologists can use behavioral analysis to complete criminal profiles, which can then help law enforcement agencies conduct criminal investigations more efficiently.  Psychologists can also specialize in investigative psychology and work with law enforcement agencies to predict how criminals might act after committing a crime. 

Law

All career paths involving fighting crime require students to clearly understand the legal principles, procedures, and regulations involved.  A law degree can help students expertly navigate the legal complexities integral to fighting crime.  A law degree can lead to careers such as prosecutors, who are responsible for seeking the conviction of criminals in court or becoming a judge and ensuring that justice is served.  A law degree can also be helpful for students who want to become lawyers who specialize in international law and deal with crimes committed across borders. 

Sociology

Many crimes have their roots in social or cultural factors, and a sociology degree can help students understand these factors.  Doing so can help them determine the root causes of crime and develop methods to address the underlying social problems.  Sociologists also perform valuable work in criminal justice reform and can work with communities to implement crime prevention strategies. 

Forensics

A forensics degree is beneficial for various aspects of fighting crime and solving criminal cases.  Forensic scientists can work as crime scene investigators who use their specialized skills to reconstruct events and analyze evidence that can lead to the arrest of criminals.  In addition, forensic toxicologists can use scientific techniques to extract valuable information from biological samples.  Overall, the work done by forensic experts is often invaluable for solving crimes and bringing criminals to justice. 

Accounting

Many criminal activities involve money laundering or embezzlement, making an accounting degree an excellent choice for students who want to fight financial crimes.  A degree in accounting can equip students with the knowledge and skills to analyze financial transactions for signs of fraud or irregularities.  Accountants can also help organizations stay on the right side of the law by complying with all requirements and regulatory standards.  Since many criminal organizations use financial crimes to fund other criminal activities, the work done by accountants can help prevent future crimes. 

Criminology

A criminology degree is helpful for students interested in becoming criminologists who can specialize in crime analysis and profiling.  Criminologists are adept at understanding criminal behavior and can use their expertise to enhance the effectiveness of policies and strategies dealing with crime prevention and intervention.

Public Administration

Public administration is a degree valuable option for students who want to fight crime by helping and improving their communities.  Public administrators can work within or coordinate with law enforcement agencies to fight crime or work with communities to reduce crime.  Many public administrators also work towards addressing the complex systemic issues that give rise to crime in communities. 

Cybersecurity

With a lot of criminal activities taking place online, there is also a need for cybersecurity experts to fight these crimes.  Organizations, governments, and even individuals are frequently the targets of online criminals.  Cybersecurity experts can implement measures to prevent these types of online crimes or investigate digital evidence to identify the perpetrators.  In addition, they can use their technical expertise to assist law enforcement agencies with criminal investigations that involve online criminal activity. 

Conclusion

Fighting crime is good not only for maintaining social order but also for protecting human rights.  The degrees mentioned above can be a great stepping stone for embarking on a career path that can help you fight crime, directly or indirectly.  In addition to teaching students specialized knowledge, these degrees also help to cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as communication and interpersonal skills.  These are vital skills regardless of what specialization students ultimately choose.  Naturally, not everyone would want to put their own life on the line to fight crime, so most of these degrees can also open doors to plenty of career options for those who prefer working behind the scenes.