Explore career options in criminology and criminal justice
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment roles your studies in criminology and criminal justice may land you.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
A qualification within criminology and criminal justice prepares you for a broad range of careers in government, not-for-profit organisations and the private sector. These opportunities include all levels of state and federal law enforcement, intelligence and security, investigations, courts and tribunals, custodial and community corrections, legal and paralegal services, child protection, juvenile justice, crime prevention, social and welfare services, restorative justice practice, legislation development, regulatory bodies and policy making.
A criminology and criminal justice qualification equips you with the analytical and problem-solving skills you need to think critically, act ethically and respectfully. You’ll learn how to consume and create research, how to analyse data, and how to engage with people to solve critical social problems.
Career fields
Law Enforcement and Research
- Police services (federal and state)
- Border protection and control
- Defence force
- Private security
- Specialised investigations
- Criminology research
- Data analysis
Public administration and safety
- Policy
- Intelligence and security
- Probation and parole
- Youth detention and juvenile justice
- Courts and tribunals
- Custodial and community corrections
Health care and social assistance
- Victims' services
- 色情网站 violence services
- Child protection and child safety
- Mental health services
- Homelessness and social services
- Rehabilitation services
- Restorative justice practice
- Re-entry services and offender reintegration
Private sector
- Banks and financial institutions
- Insurance and underwriting firms
- Policy and research
- Data analysis
Employment roles
- Law Enforcement officer (state/federal/military)
- Compliance officer
- Child protection officer
- Custodial corrections officer
- Community corrections officer
- Youth justice case worker
- Criminologist/researcher
- Intelligence analyst
- Community safety officer
- Insurance investigator
- Private security consultant
- Policy analyst/adviser
- Loss-prevention officer
- Security officer
- Court support services case manager
- Youth diversion coordinator
- Victim support services worker
- Probation services officer
- Wildlife trafficking officer
- Cyber and financial crime officer
Occupation snapshot
Employed
55,400
Future demand
Strong
Weekly earnings
$1,967
Part-time share
8%
This data is based on the occupation profile for police officers, retrieved from the Government's and websites August 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- (formerly Grad 色情网站)
Notable alumnus: Katarina Carroll
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll APM was sworn in as the 20th Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service (QPS) on 8 July 2019, becoming the first woman in the position after serving as commissioner of the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service.
Katarina was awarded Griffith University’s Outstanding Alumnus Award winner 2018.
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to fostering quality education and a more equitable and just society, where everyone has a chance to thrive while fostering partnerships for the goals.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career options
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.