Masters Degree in Criminal Justice
You may initially think that a masters degree in criminal justice is exclusive only to those who have taken up an undergraduate course in criminal justice. This assumption is only partially correct because in many cases, even if you already hold an undergraduate course in another field, you can still be seriously considered if you want to take up a criminal justice masters degree. Many, but not all, state universities, are known to accept applications even if the applicant did not make criminal justice his field of specialization. In short, it is often not necessary for you, as a student applicant, to possess a major or even a minor in the field of criminal justice to be admitted in a post-graduate program on criminal justice. (1)
A post-graduate degree will always open doors for career growth, and you should find this to be particularly true in the case of a masters degree in criminal justice. For starters, in the many positions that are open for occupancy in the world of criminal justice, possessing a post-graduate degree, specifically, a Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice, is now required if you want your job application to be seriously considered. (2)
In addition, criminal justice teachers are now in great demand in many community colleges. College teaching often requires professors to at least hold a masters degree, a basic qualification that you are expected to have if you want to teach criminal justice. Naturally, if this is one career path that you want to pursue, getting armed with a masters degree in criminal justice should be your first priority. (3)
If you happen to have already taken up several graduate courses on criminal justice in another university, you can try asking about possible accreditation of these when pursuing a post-graduate criminal justice degree in another school. Usually, you will be given accreditations on post-graduate criminal justice subjects that you took up at least five years before you entered a new post-graduate program on criminal justice. However, you need not expect this to be applicable in every single university. Hence, it is always best that you try to discuss this matter with a good enrollment advisor if ever taking up a masters degree in criminal justice interests you.
Literary Citations & Article References:
1) http://www.cjonline.uc.edu/criminal-justice-education/
2) http://www.uml.edu/college/arts_sciences/criminal/faq.html
3) http://www.uml.edu/college/arts_sciences/criminal/faq.html