What are some potential career paths for Criminology?

I should note that criminologists, which doesn't require a license because it's a research-based career, can have a doctorate in any social science. There are people with PhDs in economics who are criminologists. Being able to claim the title of criminologist is based on where your research is focused. There are economic, sociological, psychological, biological, and legal theories in criminology. So, you can earn a degree in forensic psychology and become a criminologist even though you don't meet the requirements to be a licensed psychologist.

 

Thanks, everyone. It seems it could be a versatile degree option. In this particular case, I am more interested in learning the career paths possible FROM a Criminology degree, not necessarily how to become a criminologist. At this point, Criminology is the only thing my son is interested in regarding whether or not to go to college. It's entirely possible he could find a different path once he gets there. But starting with his interest, we discussed where that could eventually lead. Interestingly, he saw my book for my next class, All Marketers are Liars, which seemed to interest him a little bit. He is curious to see if my class turns out to be interesting.

 

In Belgium criminology undergrads have joined classes with the law school undergrads. The criminology students take lots of courses with the law undergrads.
You have an option to become a criminologist / lawyer at the end of the bachelor's if you opt for the two year "general LL.M" immediately thereafter.
The LL.M (what Americans call J.D.) is a master's degree here.

Can criminologists also become lawyers in the US?
Or is that rather exceptional?

 

To become a lawyer in the U.S., you need to earn a bachelor's degree. It can be in any field. Then, you complete a J.D. program to qualify for the bar exam. The LLM is an advanced specialization degree earned after the J.D. Immigrants with an LLB might have to complete an LLM in some states to sit for the bar. There are a few states with alternative pathways to becoming a lawyer without a degree.

Since the OP's son is just interested in studying criminology or something closely related, I guess it would be pointless to list a bunch of potential graduate programs that aren't criminology. The possibilities for graduate programs are endless since most graduate programs don't require a specific undergraduate degree. Someone with a criminology degree or any degree can go on to become a physician, dentist, attorney, psychologist, marriage and family therapist, etc., but those careers would require earning a graduate degree in something other than criminology. They aren't careers you can enter with only a criminology degree. If OP is interested in why people engage in certain behaviors, the behavior sciences would cover that: sociology, psychology, anthropology, and the interdisciplinary criminology.