The midterm assignment is focused on exploring and comparing careers in the criminal justice
system and other careers. Students will research and analyze different job roles, duties and
responsibilities in criminal justice (e.g., law enforcement, courts and correction institutions and
also other related jobs within the security and judicial system) and compare it to other
fields/sectors/careers such as social work, information technology, counseling, human resources,
health care, education, and administrative services etc. They will also examine the education and
training required for these careers, as well as the potential salary and job outlook in the future.
Additionally, students will evaluate the challenges and ethical considerations associated with
working in criminal justice and the compared career. The students will write a report, which may
include to conduct interview(s) with professionals in the field (suggested but not required).
Overall, the assignment is designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of various
career opportunities available in the criminal justice system and other sectors.
General Instructions:
1) The assignment will require students to compare and contrast two careers, one from the field
of criminal justice and one from a different sector. The paper should be organized using the
following sections:
Opportunities
Duties and Characteristics of the Jobs
Salary
Qualifications
Education and Training
Final Section [Analysis and Comparison of the Two Careers].
2) For the criminal justice career, students can choose from options such as FBI Agent, DEA
Agent, Police Officer, Sheriff, Private Detective, Postal Inspector, Court Reporter, Court
Security Officer, Prosecutor, Judge, Paralegal, Forensic Psychologist, Probation Officer,
Corrections Counselor, Criminal Investigator or any other criminal justice career. For the other
sector career, students can choose any career that they want to compare it with.
3) Students are required to use the Occupational Outlook Handbook Opportunities of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor as a primary resource, along with
to gather additional information about the careers and
comparison. They are also encouraged to use other sources in their research.
4) Charts, diagrams, or tables should be used to visually compare the careers and their outlook.
These should be properly cited in the paper.
5) Students must follow APA format in the paper and cite at least five references in the paper and
bibliography. The final paper should be around 1200-1500 words (double spaced) in length,
excluding references and tables.
6) The report should be submitted in PDF format by the due date
