This article is a few months old, but I thought it would be interesting to see this ranking since it's recent and trends in college majors change throughout time. 1. Business Administration and Management 2. Psychology 3. Nursing 4. General Biology 5. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 6. Criminal Justice and Corrections 7. Accounting 8. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 9. English Language and Literature 10. History The Top 10 Most Popular College Majors in the U.S. | USA TODAY College
I wouldn't have guessed that Nursing was #3 and that CJ was #6. Other than that it's pretty much what I'd have predicted. My own undergrad experience did not give me a great perspective on this sort of thing because everyone was into Engineering.
By following an employment forum, I've noticed that nursing has gained a lot of popularity. This became the go to field during the recession because of all of the media attention on the "nursing shortage." What I'm afraid of is that a lot of people who do not have a passion for this field will end up being bad nurses. I've already seen signs of people becoming miserable and looking for another occupation. It isn't a job people should just jump into because of the number of job openings and high salaries. Because I'm in the CJ field, I've noticed its increasing popularity. The number of CJ programs being offered is rapidly growing due to demand, and there is a shortage of CJ and criminology professors. I read a journal article on the results of surveying intro to CJ students. Most of them chose to major in CJ because of television shows like CSI, Law and Order, and NCIS. These students are more likely to have unrealistic expectations of what one can do with a CJ degree and what people do in the most common CJ occupations. It's quite sad because this degree is not needed in most CJ jobs and will not have much marketability if one fails to get a job within the field.
At the risk of seeming to be totally ignorant, what are the sorts of choices a CJ grad has in the marketplace? I actually AM totally ignorant, I just don't want to SEEM that way.:dunce:
Within the CJ field, there is Federal Law Enforcement Officer (many of these positions have no preference for CJ and may even have a preference for other degrees, but a CJ degree will check the box in many cases) Probation, Parole, or Community Supervision Officer (psychology, social work, and similar degrees are also acceptable) Warden or Assistant Warden (you need experience to move up, but you also need a degree in most cases and CJ is often preferred) Social Services (government including Adult and Child Protective Services, non-profit, or correctional institution) Substance Abuse Counseling (if you completed the courses and internship your state requires) Account Manager with a Security Company Corporate Security Specialist or Manager Pre-Trial Services Officer (keeps track of people out on bond) High-Ranking Correctional Officer (a degree is rarely required to become a correctional officer, but there is often a preference or substitution for experience if you have a degree in CJ, psychology, sociology, and similar fields) Private Investigator (depending on your state's requirements; my state waives experience requirements if you have a CJ degree) Police Officer or Deputy (only 1% of state and local police departments require a bachelor's degree and even less require a CJ degree, but it'll check the box if a degree is required and might lead to incentive pay and preference points) Outside of the CJ field (sort of), I've seen CJ asked for in auditing and insurance investigation positions.
