If you want to pursue a career in the legal field -- such as attorney, prison worker, law enforcement officer or legal teacher -- a law and criminology degree will give you the knowledge you need to perform the job. Students in these programs learn about different legal practice areas, the nature of crimes and the criminals who commit them, perform legal research and how the court system works.
Criminology
Students who study criminology can earn degrees on both the undergraduate and graduate levels. These programs use disciplines such as statistics, psychology and sociology to explain the nature of crime. Students who earn these degrees learn about the impact of crime on society, who is likely to commit crime and why, where crimes are likely to occur and how crimes impact the victims.
Students who earn criminology degrees generally pursue careers as researchers, crime policy advisors, teachers and consultants.
Criminal Justice
Those who are interested in working as crime scene investigators, prison workers and police officers earn degrees in criminal justice. On the undergraduate level, criminal justice degree programs teach students the fundamentals of criminal justice theory, as well as how the court system works and how crime can be controlled.
Criminal justice students can also take graduate level studies in which they learn about criminology, criminal justice research and criminal behavior.
Juris Doctor
A Juris Doctor, or J.D., is earned by students who want to become attorneys. These courses prepare students to practice a particular type of law -- such as criminal law, civil law, corporate law or constitutional law. Students in these programs also learn about legal writing, legal advocacy and legal research. These degrees take three years to complete, and when students finish their studies, they must pass a bar examination to begin practicing law.
Master of Laws
Students who have earned a Juris Doctor degree can go on to earn a Master of Laws degree, which is for those who want to concentrate on a particular practice area. This type of degree, also called an LL.M., takes one year for students to complete, and the degree programs include course work and writing a thesis. Students in LL.M. degree programs study subjects such as white collar crime, tax law and bankruptcy law.
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