Baltimore Professor Uses Criminal Justice Education To 'Change The System'
A common misconception many people have about degrees in criminal justice is that there are limited career opportunities. Rather than assuming all criminal justice careers involve law enforcement, it's important to understand all of the different options in education and research positions in this field.
In fact, there are numerous teaching positions available for those in criminal justice, corrections, and law enforcement administration. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "[This] includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research."
Heather Pfeifer is an associate professor and director of the Criminal Justice Program at the University of Baltimore, and is a prime example of how to utilize a degree in criminal justice for education purposes.
What inspired you to enter this field?
"During my undergraduate studies, one of my criminal justice professors convinced me that I could accomplish more to help change the system by pursuing a graduate degree and focus my efforts on developing and revising criminal justice policies and programs."
How has your education attributed to your career success?
"After I graduated with my Ph.D., I decided to look for an academic position that would allow me to teach and do research to educate the next generation of professionals in the criminal justice system and simultaneously work on research projects with the potential to directly impact a specific criminal justice policy or program that I felt was not achieving its goal(s). Today I collaborate with an incredible network of colleagues that address improving victim services in the state of Maryland."
What advice can you offer others in criminal justice?
"Pursue some level of higher education - whether it's an associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree. It's not just the knowledge about the system and its problems, but you need to learn the best practices for resolution and the different strategies for implementation. While pursuing your degree you will also learn valuable professional and/or life skills (e.g., interpersonal communication, leadership, self-confidence, etc.), as well as develop networking relationships that will help you successfully navigate the career path you eventually pursue."
Sara Lugardo is a professional writer out of Chicago, Illinois. She has a bachelor's in communication and is currently working on her master's. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.