If you have ever thought about entering the law field there are a few career choices that have likely come to mind. A career in Criminal Justice, as a paralegal, or maybe a legal assistant, are all educational paths you may be considering. If you want to make the right decision before committing to an educational plan, it is important to understand the intricacies of both criminal justice vs. paralegal degrees.
Students who have looked at paralegal school and compared it to criminal justice school would likely notice a few similarities between the two programs. Both may need to have a good understanding of the law in order to complete day to day duties. In both jobs, it might be necessary to complete a degree program to be a competitive candidate in the field.
While deciding what to major in, keep in mind that there are terms such as criminal justice, and criminal law, which may sound similar but are actually different terms. While they might both have “criminal” in them, and might both be part of the criminal justice system, they are totally different from each other.
As mentioned earlier, criminal justice is more of a universal and policy aspect of the field. This includes courts, corrections, and police among others. There may be criminal justice majors available at different academic levels. From an Associate degree to Bachelor’s, or even graduate degrees.
Criminal law, on the other hand, is a more narrowly focused degree choice. It might include a Juris Doctor degree, or a specialized criminal law paralegal degree (or maybe just coursework within a paralegal degree).