A degree in criminal justice can be a pathway to a variety of careers including police officer, FBI agent, lawyer, forensic psychologist, and a researcher. One of the best ways to pay for your education is with criminal justice scholarships.
Keep on reading to learn everything you need to know about criminal justice scholarships including application deadlines, award amounts, and eligibility requirements.
Jump ahead to:
- How to win criminal justice scholarships
- Resources for students studying criminal justice
- Frequently asked questions
- Explore these other scholarships categories
How to win criminal justice scholarships
If you’re applying for criminal justice scholarships, you may be required to submit an essay as part of your application. Your essay can make or break your application! Scholarship committees review huge amounts of submissions, so writing a unique and compelling essay can help send your application to the top of the stack.
Fortunately, we have many resources to help you write a knockout essay!
- How to write a 250 word essay
- How to write a 500 word essay
- How to write an essay about yourself
- Overview of common scholarship essay prompts
- How to start a scholarship essay (with examples)
- How to write a winning scholarship essay
- How to end a scholarship essay
Resources for students studying criminal justice
Internships
Adding an internship to your resume is an excellent way to boost your chances of securing full-time employment after graduation. Below we’ve listed some federal agencies that offer internships for students pursuing careers in criminal justice. However, you should also expand your search to the state level and seek out internships in your home state and local community.
- U.S. Department of Justice Paid Student Internships
- National Criminal Justice Association Undergraduate Internship Program
- FBI Honors Internship Program
Keep reading: How to get an internship
Job boards
The following job boards are specifically designed for students seeking careers in criminal justice:
- ACJS Career Center
- APPA Career Center
- Federal Government Jobs, Law Enforcement
- NCJA Connect2Justice Jobs
Keep reading: 10 tips for finding your ideal job
Criminal justice associations
Joining a criminal justice association is a great way to connect with industry professionals, find mentors and internships, attend conferences, and gain access to scholarships only available to members. You will have to pay dues, but most associations offer discounted membership rates for students. Here are a few associations worth exploring:
- National Criminal Justice Association
- Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
- American Society of Criminology
- American Correctional Association
- American Probation and Parole Association
- American Academy of Forensic Sciences
Student open access journals
You’re probably reading a lot of material for class already, so picking up more reading may be the last thing on your mind. However, these open access journals will only make you a better student. You may come across interesting topics to introduce in a classroom discussion, write about in a term paper, or reference in an interview with an employer.
Frequently asked questions
Does the FBI offer scholarships?
Yes! Every year, the FBI-LEEDA program awards five $1,000 scholarships to college students. Other opportunities for students interested in the FBI include the FBI Honors Internship Program, the FBI Collegiate Hiring Initiative, and the Visiting Scientist Program.
Also see: How to become an FBI agent
Is criminal justice a good major choice?
A degree in criminal justice opens the door to a variety of careers including law enforcement, legal defense and prosecution, private investigation, forensic accounting, social work, crime scene investigation, and more. As you can see, most of these career paths are well-suited for those who are interested in serving their community and helping others. If that’s what you’re passionate about, then criminal justice could be a good fit for you!
Is criminal justice hard?
Like any field of study, majoring in criminal justice requires hard work and dedication. Students can expect a broad range of coursework covering topics such as constitutional law, criminology theory, criminal investigation, forensic law, judicial process, psychology, sociology, and more. A bachelor’s degree in this field typically requires four years of full-time study.
Explore these other scholarships categories
- Top law school scholarships
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