f13.net

I found out a couple days ago the transfer program I wanted to take to get into Forensics won't be ready in time for my graduation from college. This upsets me and leaves me with a choice to make. Either I go into Criminology or Justice Studies. I really don't have a clue what either of them entail and neither my college's website or the universities the transfers apply to have any real information on what you end up doing. I figured with all our law working posters I might be able to get some information from here. I also have the option to just get a general transfer to a university, but I'd rather stick to something in law.

Do you want to write books and appear on Oprah.  Or do you want to make a difference and avoid the spotlight.

The former trivializes life, the latter trivializies influence.

Both paths are good for us all.

Well, criminal justice is a joke. Not quite as much as communications. Sure, I was an art major, but at the very least it was time intensive. Criminal Justice is not. If you're into parties (or...games) go crim. You'll have the time for both.

I'm assuming you want to be a lawyer. I'd get a business or journalism degree as undergrad in that scenario. Possibly economics.

My brother in law got a crim degree and he is working as a dean at a private highschool.  He enjoys it, but I am sure thats not what he wanted to do.  If it is not to late and you can deal with pretty hard work, I would get the business degree with an emphasis in accounting.  There are not many tax lawyers/judges around right now and the money to be made in that field is crazy(Even if you don't do the lawyer part).  I also think it involves a lot of travel if you work for the tax court.

 

Go engineer (whatever type doesn't matter), if you do it and keep good grades you can go to whatever graduate program you want.  Any of the sciences will take you without a second glance,  Business schools will actively try and recruit you, Law schools will fawn over you and even med schools will accept you without any serious hassle.  Also, you will gradute with a set of marketable skills that will earn you 30 - 50% more than what everyone else gets out of a bachelors AND you will have a nice strong background in critical thinking and problem solving to help you in your final field.

Or you could go to college to party.

That is pretty sound advice.  I am not an engineer - but I have worked with enough of them as they re-tooled for basic research or investments.

I believe 70% of all FBI agents have a accounting degree.

Accounting or Law, or take the odd route and go through the Border Patrol.

Why go to college at all if you want to study Criminal Justice?  You can finish Police Academy training in 6 weeks!


If you want to be a lawyer, the best undergrad programs are not economics or criminal justice.  It's history and polysci.  Everyone knows that. 

Pretty sure Nix was trying to become a cop...so I'm thinking Criminology.

I don't know why people suggest stuff like accounting and finance to go to law school. Sure, you could be a tax lawyer...but not too many people are into that (hence the shortfall), and it would seem to cut you out from other types of law.

Trial lawyer -> Prosecutor ftw.

You can major in anything and go to law school, it doesn't fucking matter.  If you just want a taste of the fun, try History, it's the most writing and reading intensive besides perhaps Philosophy.


If you want to be a cop, why go to college?  I mean, if you're parents are paying for it that's one thing, college is easy and fun.  But not fun enough to sink into debt up to your eyeballs, and then spend the rest of your life clawing your way out on a cop's salary.  I guess you can maybe make a little bit more money as a college educated police officer?  Not enough to warrant $50,000 in debt though, just go to police academy (if it's as funny as the movies suggest, you'll have a blast).

True, but certain disciplines prepare you for different routes in law school better than others. That's why most finance-types will probably be tax lawyers, not criminal litigators or something.

And on History....it's funny. I have a logic class with a lot of freshmen/sophomores I have to do a group paper with. They get all wide-eyed when I tell them I can write the paper for them if they do the research, because "10 pages is nothing."


At least where I live, the acadamy really perfers college grads. It's a base requirement for our State Police. Also, you can find good schools that can cost less than half of the number you proposed, especially with even partial scholarships.

That's why I said besides philosophy.  And you have to factor in living expenses, in state tution is usually at least ten grand a year minimum without scholarships.  And Undergrad really doesn't prepare you for law school, except insofar as it teaches you to read and write effectively.

I AM an engineer and that is still sound advise.