Studying Criminal Justice can sharpen your mind, strengthen your understanding of the world and also open the door to a financially rewarding career. There are many schools in California where you can not only study with leading legal experts, but also learn alongside students from all over the world.

Law schools concentrate on delivering high-quality teaching across a wide range of legal fields. They are intense courses where you don’t just sit and take notes, but are also expected to participate. To be successful in them you have to study hard, learn quickly and be very organised.

Questions to ask about a Criminal Justice course:

  • What is the annual tuition costs?
  • What does the school consider to be important in their admissions process?
  • How much is a student likely to spend on books?
  • How much is a student likely to spend on living expenses?
  • How does the law school review applications?
  • How is your law program different from those of other schools?
  • How many students receive scholarship assistance?
  • What is the average percentage of students who are admitted every year?
  • Is there likely to be an increase in tuition fees later on?
  • Will there be any advantage if I apply early?
  • Does your school have a special relationship with prospective employers who would be interested in employing graduates?
  • What would you say makes your school unique from others in California?
  • Is there on campus housing or accommodation available for law students?
  • What is the attrition rate at your school for first year students?
  • On average what percentage of your Criminal Justice graduates find employment?

At school you will learn about:

  • How the criminal justice systems works in the courts and prisons.
  • How to scrutinise the criminal justice system.
  • Investigating crime, criminality and deviant behaviour.
  • Sentencing and Punishment
  • Criminological Theory
  • Research in Criminal Justice
  • Providing expert legal advice to people.
  • Prioritizing key legal points.
  • Evaluating legal risks.
  • Using language as a working tool.
  • Working as part of a team to reach a common goal.
  • How to organise your workloads and work towards deadlines.
  • Commercial negotiations.

Criminal Justice curriculums will cover topics such as;

  • Youth justice
  • Crime and Society
  • The Probation Service
  • Analysing judicial decisions
  • Case analysis
  • Dispute resolution
  • Intellectual property
  • Legal institutions
  • Legal reasoning

Tips on finding a suitable a Criminal Justice school in California:

  • Learn as much as possible about the admissions process of the school you want to apply to.
  • Spend a lot of time preparing an effective application.
  • Visit the school and walk around the campus, its facilities and the surrounding area. Do this by getting in touch with the school’s admissions office

Tutors
You will be taught by teachers who tend to have front line and real life experience of the law.

Reasons to enrol on this course
It can open the door to a wide range of career paths, from the police to prison officers and the wider criminal justice system.

Facts about California
Population:                         37,679,000

Capital:                               Sacramento

Largest City:                       Los Angles

Size:                                   158,706 square miles

GDP:                                   1.813 trillion USD (2007)

  • More people live there than in any other US state.
  • Also known as The Golden State, The El Dorado State and The Grape State.
  • It is the third largest state in America.
  • Its official motto is Eureka! (I have found it).
  • Death Valley National Park (the hottest place in the United States) is located in California.

Weather in California
Due to its size the weather of California varies widely, but is mostly similar to the Mediterranean. Summers tend to be hot and dry, whilst winters tend to be mild.

 

More Criminal Justice schools
Criminal Justice schools in Florida

More US schools and colleges
US colleges

Related links
Criminology degree courses