If you are looking for an interesting, challenging career, you should consider getting your degree in criminal justice. With a criminal justice degree, you don’t necessary have to go on to become a police officer, paralegal or attorney. In fact, several jobs in the field of forensics which require a criminal justice degree are both lucrative and stimulating.

Crime Scene Investigator - With a degree in criminal justice or criminology, you can become a crime scene investigator. The main responsibilities of this job include the collecting and packaging of evidence from crime scenes. Evidence can be anything from blood and fingerprints to firearms and skeletal remains. With the popularity of the CSI television series, more and more people are becoming interested in this field.

Forensic Scientist - Once a crime scene investigator has gathered and logged the evidence, it’s the job of the forensic scientist to analyze the evidence to help solve the crime. Though many forensic scientists have a degree in criminal justice, they also must take a lot of courses in the sciences, such as biology, chemistry, genetics or microbiology. A forensic scientist may play a key role in proving the innocence or guilt of the accused. Most forensic scientists work for government crime labs at the local, state or federal level. They are often called open to testify in court about their findings and conclusions.