Doug Brown, married with six children, says he has homeland security to thank for being able to provide for his large family.
Brown, a master's degree student at Arkansas Tech University, is receiving training in the growing homeland security field and works as the emergency management coordinator at Arkansas Children's Hospital.
"I could not have gone to grad school if it weren't for this program at Tech. I feel I have my job today because Tech has become a leader in this field," Brown recently told The Courier News of Russellville, Ark.
Professionals like Brown have found numerous career opportunities in the criminal justice field with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), or one of the many private entities involved with homeland security. Founded after the terrorist attacks in 2001, DHS is comprised of 22 federal area agencies and 170,000 employees, with a budget of more than $40 billion. Homeland security will be the biggest government employer in the next decade or so, according to Steven David, chair of the graduate certificate program in homeland security at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Some schools offer specializations in forensic science for those interested in crime scene investigation. For example, a master's degree program is available in that field at National University and American Intercontinental University offers a bachelor's concentration. For those seeking a trade school route, opportunities abound. For example, Kaplan University offers a certificate in crime scene management.
Traditional police work is also providing employment opportunities. Anyone who rides the New York City subways can spot the ads indicating how frequently that city's police department recruits for new officers. And the rewards are abundant: NYPD officers serve in one of the most exciting cities in the world. The starting salary is $41, 975, and, after five years, notes the department, most officers will have the chance to earn more than $90,000.
But the NYPD doesn't simply offer its jobs to anyone. To be eligible for the exam, applicants must have earned 60 college credits with at least a 2.0 Grade Point Average or have two years of fulltime military service.
J.O. Bailey is a student in the emergency management masters program at Arkansas Tech alongside Doug Brown. He says the unique aspect to his field is that all the classes are offered online and can be taken anywhere in the United States. "You can continue to work as you attend a lot of school," Bailey says. "Every semester it grows and it gets better. This is definitely something people should keep an eye on in the future."
As the 21st century American job market begins to take shape, a few select industries have already taken their place as leaders of the pack. Showing no signs of slowing down, the criminal justice and homeland security fields are allowing people to invest in the safety of their communities while at the same time providing people with job security and a healthy paycheck for themselves and their families. During an economic downturn, try the field that is still growing; go to CriminalJustice-Degrees.com.