There are two general career directions for those interested in a career in law enforcement. One is to enter the police academy, the other is to pursue a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Police academies can be affiliated with a particular police department or with academic institutions like a community college. The length of police academy training can vary from eight weeks to six months but all states have minimum requirements. Police academy training provides classroom learning on the law and crime, physical training, specialized driving instruction and firearms training.
Graduates are qualified to become officers in city, county and state police departments.
But that doesn't mean all officers have the same job description. Some work in small towns, others in large cities. If you pursue a four-year degree in criminal justice, you'll find that the variety of interesting specialties is nearly as endless. In the case of the FBI, a specialty in accounting, computer science, or a foreign language is highly valued. But federal law enforcement isn't the only avenue for criminal justice majors.