Criminal Justice Schools in Florida

The Best Resources for Students in Criminal Justice Schools in Florida

From 1995 to 2015, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement reported a significant decrease in both the number and rate of total crimes. These stats might suggest the criminal justice system is high-functioning, and criminal justice schools in Florida are successfully preparing the next generation of legal and protective service workers in the state. With a population that’s grown 40 percent over the last 20 years, the demand for public services in Florida has also increased. This is indicated by the many positive trends detailed on the page below, designed to help aspiring criminal justice students in the state weigh their educational options.

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THE BEST CRIMINAL JUSTICE SCHOOLS IN FLORIDA

OUR METHODOLOGY +

To be considered for this ranking, schools were required to meet the following criteria:

• Accredited at the institutional level
• Private nonprofit or public school
• Minimum of 1 bachelor’s or master’s degree in subject area for 4-year schools
• Minimum of 1 associate degree or certificate program in subject area for 2-year schools

Schools were then scored on factors such as:

• Financial Aid
• Number and variety of program offerings
• Student-teacher ratios
• Graduation rates (4-year schools only)
• Placement and support services offered
• Academic/Career counseling services
• Employment services
• Loan default rates

These factors were assembled for each school and rated using a peer-based-value (PBV) calculation. PBV compares the cost of a program to the cost of other programs with the same (or similar) qualitative score and cost. PBV denotes the overall value or “bang for your buck” of a college or degree program.

With a number of criminal justice schools in Florida, it can be difficult to narrow down the options. Specializations aside, this list of top criminal justice schools in Florida can help students find which general criminal justice programs rank the highest in the state. Based on factors like tuition and graduation rate, read on for more details on Florida’s best.

FLORIDA’S MOST POPULAR CRIMINAL JUSTICE CAREERS

Florida’s criminal justice schools prepare students for a variety of legal and protective service careers, but what exactly are the most popular careers in criminal justice? Find out with the chart below, detailing the seven most popular criminal justice jobs in Florida, with statistics on how many people are employed in each field and their median annual salary. Prospective students will also see which degree they need to pursue these careers in Florida.

Police, Sheriff & Highway Patrol Officers

Total Employed in Florida 40,370 Median Salary in Florida $55,050 Degree Level Required in Florida Academy Program

Correctional Officer

Total Employed in Florida 34,470 Median Salary in Florida $37,910 Degree Level Required in Florida Academy Program

Paralegal and Legal Assistant

Total Employed in Florida 21,820 Median Salary in Florida $47,350 Degree Level Required in Florida Associate

Compliance Officer

Total Employed in Florida 15,160 Median Salary in Florida $57,360 Degree Level Required in Florida Bachelor’s

Detectives and Criminal Investiagors

Total Employed in Florida 6,120 Median Salary in Florida $63,270 Degree Level Required in Florida Certificate

Court, Municipal and License Clerks

Total Employed in Florida 5,660 Median Salary in Florida $32,920 Degree Level Required in Florida Associate

Probation Officer

Total Employed in Florida 4,210 Median Salary in Florida $38,200 Degree Level Required in Florida Bachelor’s

WHERE TO GET HIRED AFTER CRIMINAL JUSTICE SCHOOL IN FLORIDA

Professions in the criminal justice field, more specifically the legal occupations make an annual wage of over $100,000. There are thousands of people employed in the protective service and legal occupation fields in different Florida counties. Some of the professions below include correctional officers, judges, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers. The majority of these positions aim to preserve the safety and well being of Florida residents.

LARGEST AREAS OF EMPLOYMENT IN DESCENDING ORDER

Protective service

Miami, Miami Beach, Kendall

Orlando, Kissimmee, Sanford

Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater

Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach

West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach

Legal service

Miami, Miami Beach, Kendall

Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater

Orlando, Kissimmee, Sanford

Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach

West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach

PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN FLORIDA

EXPERT ADVICE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN FLORIDA: RICKY LANGLOIS

After twenty-four years as a Special Agent with the United States government, Ricky Langlois made the decision to retire. His career as a federal law enforcement officer included assignments placing him in charge of several major field offices including, New Orleans, Miami and Atlanta. He joined Florida Atlantic University in 2011 as an instructor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and was recently named the Undergraduate Degree Online Program Coordinator for the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He holds two M.S. degrees: Criminal Justice and Emergency Planning and Administration. His academic interests include the criminal justice system’s response to white collar crime, crimes against the environment and applied public safety theory.

What should prospective criminal justice students look for in a school in Florida?

My thoughts are when you are looking for the right schools there are a few things to consider, such as affordability, the expertise and academic credentials of the faculty that will be teaching and mentoring you, and the availability of online classes. Equally as important would the hiring rates of recent graduates.

What makes someone a good candidate for a criminal justice career in Florida?

Students who pursue a criminal justice degree usually follow one of three paths: law enforcement, law school, or corrections. For an individual to be a good candidate for a criminal justice career in Florida, we really have to look at the qualifications the police departments are requiring of their perspective recruits. Many of the major police departments and sheriff’s offices require a four-year degree, physically fit, no excessive tattoos, body ornamentation, or intentional disfigurement that cannot be completely covered by a dress collar, long sleeves or long pants. Additionally, candidates must be drug free. When developing policy, departments often consider the following areas: recency of usage, patterns or frequency of usage, types of drugs used, involvement in sale and distribution of drugs. Most police departments use the polygraph in the selection process. The polygraph is frequently used so candidates must be able to speak truthfully about their past (e.g., criminal history, drug and alcohol usage and ethics). Many departments here in Florida consider applicants who have experimented with soft drugs such as marijuana but have strict prohibitions against long-term usage or the use of hard drugs such as cocaine, LSD or opiates. As a practitioner, a former Special Agent for the U.S. government, and an Instructor at FAU I often mentor perspective candidates. It is important for them to know the realities of being a 21st century law enforcement officer. Their job is to protect and to serve. This can come at a terrible price.

What can Florida students do to prepare for a criminal justice degree program?

I would suggest researching the programs offered within the criminal justice degree program. Individuals with higher aspirations would want to research the graduate programs offered as well. In general, because of the unsuccessful prosecutions of both Casey Anthony and George Zimmerman, and the recent tragic mass killing at a night club in Orlando, I think all criminal case prosecutions in Florida are under more pressure to exact swift and substantive justice, which in turn places more pressure on the defense of the same.

Many people consider Florida the weird crime capitol of the country. Do criminal justice courses address these phenomena and its impact on the criminal justice profession? If so, how is it discussed?

Although Florida is the fourth most populous state in the United States, it does contain more of nation’s most dangerous cities, outranking California, Texas and New York. Many of the criminal justice courses do address this. One course in particular is Criminological Theory, where crime and crime causation are discussed at length. Another course, Policing in America, also addresses this phenomena from a different perspective. For example, when you have a state that leads in this ranking, you also have to have police departments that are capable of policing in the 21st century. Sheriffs and police chiefs are beginning to realize that the best way to tackle high crime rates is not only through men and women on the street, but also through technological innovation (e.g., drones to predictive policing).