Best Criminal Justice Schools & Colleges In Florida

Florida is a fantastic place to study if you are following a career in criminal justice. There are many, highly regarded accredited criminal justice schools, colleges and universities across the state (which are listed below). Online and campus based study is available so request an information pack from any educational institutions that take your fancy.

There are over 2000 miles of coast in the sunshine state with activities a plenty in both the day and the night across the coasts and the cities, creating a vibrant social scene for the students of Florida.

Studying at a Florida criminal justice school also puts you in a good position for starting your career once you graduate. Unfortunately it is in the top 10 most dangerous states and has one of the highest concentrations of prisons. This and the miles of coast mean there are a wide variety of criminal justice jobs available to you when you qualify. The salaries also tend to be above average.

Criminal Justice Jobs – Law Enforcement – ICE/HSI Agent

ICE/HSI Agent Job Description

ICE stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and HSI stands for Homeland Security Investigations. The job of the agents is to enforce immigration and customs laws. Lets look at this as two different sections to make things easier to explain.

On the immigration side you will be responsible for people looking to enter the USA either legally or illegally. Your job will involve interviewing and assessing migrant applications whilst being actively involved in the investigation and apprehension of illegals as well as the processing and deportation.

Customs agents are responsible for the import and export laws as well as the safety of airlines, trains, ships and roads and are a key component against the war on terror.

You will be checking cargo for contraband, narcotics, people trafficking, weapons and anything else that breaks these laws. You will be investigating any suspicious activity relating to any violations of the import and export laws and national and public security.


In both these areas you could find yourself working in airports, train stations, harbors and ports as well as federal buildings.

As with many federal criminal justice jobs, you should expect to be relocated across the state.

ICE/HSI Agent Educational Requirements

You will need to be between age 21 and 37 at the time of acquiring the role with a Bachelors degree preferably in a relevant subject such as criminal justice. You will also probably need a couple years relevant work experience.

The application process is as follows:

• An initial written exam
• Testing Day: interview, written (report of some kind) and oral (decision making/interpersonal skills etc)
• Medical
• Physical

You will need to pass all tests to be successful. If you are successful then you will undergo a 22 week training program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia.

ICE/HSI Agent Salary

ICE agents generally earn on average between $30k – $60k per year with bonuses sometimes available depending on location and assignments. There could also be a range of other benefit packages such as insurance, retirement plans and more.

ICE/HSI Agent Career Prospects

Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs covers a very large area so there will be countless and varied career prospects. For job posting you need to contact the Special Agent in Charge office as they tend not to post the jobs publicly.

Criminal Justice Jobs – Law Enforcement – ATF Agent

ATF Agent Job Description

ATF stands for alcohol, tobacco and firearms and the agents role is to investigate federal violations around these areas. This will involve investigating transactions, gathering evidence, performing surveillance, interviewing witnesses and suspects and working with other law enforcement agents. You will also find yourself taking part in raids, making arrests, preparing a case for the court and giving evidence.

As with many federal agent roles, you should expect to travel and be relocated across the state and potentially overseas as well.

ATF Agent Educational Requirements

You will need to be between age 21 and 37 at the time of acquiring the role. You will need to have a Bachelors degree in criminal justice or similar, usually together with a couple years relevant experience.


A lower education requirement may be allowed if enough experience is present.

The application itself will involve many steps like most federal jobs. You can expect:

• A Series Of In Depth Interviews
• Written and Oral Assessments
• Urine Analysis
• Medical
• Physical
• Polygraph Exam
• Psychological Assessment
• Background Check

New recruits will undergo intense theory and physical training. The theory will involve study around Constitutional Law, Federal Criminal Law and the Gun Control Act.

The physical training will involve intense conditioning along with firearms and explosives training.

ATF Agent Salary

ATF agents generally earn on average between $35k – $45k per year with bonuses depending on location and assignments. There will also be a range of other benefit packages such as insurance, retirement plans and more.

ATF Agent Career Prospects

There are a variety of sectors to alcohol, tobacco and firearms bureau. Engineering, computer analysis and investigation are all areas that you could focus your efforts on as well as the supervisory positions within each sector.

With your experience as an ATF agent, there will also be a multitude of other employment opportunities available in many different industries and sectors.

Criminal Justice Jobs – Law Enforcement – Secret Service Special Agent

Secret Service Agent Job Description

The role of the secret service agent can largely be split into two distinct parts. One duty is to protect and guard the president, vice president, their families and various other important persons. The other is to investigate any criminal activity that affects the government or state such as certain fraud cases, cyber attacks, certain money laundering cases and the falsifying of documents including identity.

Secret Service Agent Educational Requirements

You will need to be between age 21 and 37 at the time of acquiring the role. There are two entry levels that you could qualify for. What’s known as the GL-7 entry level will require you to have a minimum of a Bachelors degree whereas the GL-9 entry level will want to see candidates with a Masters degree or equivalent. A GPA of 3+ will be expected.

As well as the academic requirements, they will be looking for relevant experience such as proven achievements in investigations, surveillance and undercover work to name just a few.

The application itself will involve many steps as secret service agents have top level security clearance. You can expect:

• A Series Of In Depth Interviews
• Written and Oral Assessments
• Urine Analysis
• Medical – including vision tests
• Physical
• Polygraph Exam
• Psychological Assessment
• Background Check

All trainee secret service agents must also complete the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Basic Criminal Investigator Training program which is located in Georgia and lasts for 10 weeks.

Following this all trainees will then have to complete a 17 week Special Agent Basic Training program which is located just outside of Washington. There will also be additional firearms training.

All the tests in the secret service agent application process must be passed on your first attempt in order for you to be successful.

Secret Service Agent Salary

Secret service agents generally earn on average between $55k – $75k per year with bonuses depending on location and assignments. There will also be a range of other benefit packages.

Secret Service Agent Career Prospects

As well as the obvious supervisory positions above the agent roles, there will be a multitude of directions you could go with your career if you are working as a secret service agent. It is a highly regarded position and classed as a key profession so there would be many different roles that you could transfer to at federal level.

Criminal Justice Jobs – Law Enforcement – CIA Agent

CIA Agent Job Description

CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) jobs are regularly featured in movies and TV shows and obviously glamorized. Don’t underestimate how demanding this criminal justice job can be. You will not be able to discuss anything about your job with anyone, not even your spouse.

You could also find yourself working overseas regularly sourcing and building relationships with contacts who could provide you with information related to your assignment. An assignment overseas could last many years meaning this job can be very mentally demanding.

You will need to be fluent in at least one foreign language but preferably many. You will find yourself in dangerous situations and must be able to keep your cool and persona when dealing with these people and situations. This intelligence gathering role is actually known as a core collector who are employed by the National Clandestine Service (NCS).

There are other CIA jobs available too however, mainly based out of Washington. If you are qualified and skilled in things like technology, science and analysis then certain roles may be suitable for you.

CIA Agent Educational Requirements

You will need a Bachelors degree as a minimum with a high grade (GPA 3+) but ideally a Masters degree in criminal justice or similar to qualify you for this role. Fluent in at least one foreign language but ideally more is also a requirement. They will also be looking for high achievement in all other areas of education and experience.

Previous military and/or law enforcement experience will more than likely be required. The application will involve many steps which includes:

• Qualifications Review
• Written and Oral Assessment
• Urine Analysis
• Medical
• Physical
• Polygraph Exam
• Psychological Assessment
• Background Check – can last months

Once you are selected you will undergo an intensive 12 month training program to prepare you for the job.

CIA Agent Salary

Starting salaries for CIA agents are around $50-70k but this will rise with experience and you have the potential to earn over $100k as a core collector. There are also a range of bonuses depending on the role as well as many benefits such as retirement plans and insurance policies.

CIA Agent Career Prospects

There are 5 key areas to the CIA agent jobs:

• Science
• Engineering and Technical
• National Clandestine Service
• Language Opportunities
• Analytical Opportunities
• Support Service

Within these sectors are many different roles so career opportunities are endless for high achievers. You will also have ongoing and continuing education from the bureau.

Look out for graduate and undergraduate internships and programs. These can give you valuable experience and potentially open the door to a successful career.

Criminal Justice Jobs – Law Enforcement – DEA Agent

DEA Agent Job Description

DEA stands for drug enforcement agent and this elite group of individuals are among the most highly regarded law enforcement teams in the world. There is a wide mix of experience in the DEA with the majority of agents having previously worked and proved themselves in other criminal justice jobs. There are also a number of ex military personnel that now work in the DEA.

As a DEA agent you will be fighting the war on drugs and your work activity will be varied and at times extremely dangerous. Your job is to tackle the narcotics supply at source before it gets to the end user. You may find yourself working undercover to investigate drug trafficking suspects or go undercover overseas to investigate drugs being imported into the USA.

You can expect to be investigating suspects, investigating finances of suspects and organisations, taking part in raids and arrests, filing detailed reports, attending court hearings and also performing research and investigative work from a desk based position at times too.

DEA Agent Educational Requirements

You must be younger than 37 years old at the time of your application and you will need a Bachelors degree as a minimum with a high grade (GPA 2.95+). They will also be looking for high achievement in all other areas of education and experience.

Previous military and law enforcement experience will more than likely be required. The application will involve many steps which includes:

• Qualifications Review
• Written and Oral Assessment
• Urine Analysis
• Medical
• Physical
• Polygraph Exam
• Psychological Assessment
• Background Check

Once you are selected you will undergo an intensive 16 week training program to prepare you for the job.

DEA Agent Salary

Starting salaries for DEA agents are around $50k but this will rise with experience and you have the potential to earn over $100k after about 4 years of experience.

DEA Agent Career Prospects

A career as a DEA agent will see you travelling and working across many areas which will give you a very unique and desirable level of experience that can be transferred to a wide variety of occupations. You could also look to move into more supervisory roles if ever you want to progress from being an agent.

Criminal Justice Jobs – Law Enforcement – FBI Agent

FBI Agent Job Description

You probably know quite a bit about this criminal justice job as it is one of the most well known occupations on the planet. Basically you are a federal agent responsible for national security reporting to the office of attorney general.

You can expect to be investigating major crimes and criminal activity such as kidnap, extortion, espionage, major fraud, terrorism, overseas intelligence, corruption, cyber crimes, bank robbery, major drug trafficking, certain homicides and many other federal statue violations.

As with most law enforcement investigatove roles, you will be required to gather and analyze evidence as well as interview both witnesses and suspects. You will also be involved in surveillance, raids and arrests and be expected to compile reports and testify in court.

FBI Agent Educational Requirements

You must be younger than 37 years old at the time of your application and have about 3 years relevant work experience. You will need the Bachelors degree in criminal justice as a minimum for this role and you must graduate from an institution recognized by the US Secretary of Education.

Before you actually begin your role, you must first attend the FBI academy in Virginia for about 20 weeks of intensive training. Once you are actually in the role you can also expect regular training courses to ensure your skills remain sharp.

FBI Agent Salary

Trainee FBI agents can expect around $40k with this rising to between $60-80k inclusive of overtime once you are a fully competant agent.

FBI Agent Career Prospects

The main career advancement for FBI agents is to first specialize in one of five major areas: intelligence, counter intelligence, counter terrorism, criminal or cyber. From here the natural progression would be into more supervisory positions.

It is worth noting that most FBI agents stay with the agency until retirement. Very few FBI agents actually leave the role.

Criminal Justice Jobs – Law Enforcement – Environmental Conservation Officer

Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Job Description

Although the name might not sound like it belongs in the law enforcement category, environmental conservation officers are actually special police officers whos duty it is to enforce the environmental conservation laws.

Working as an ECO you can expect to be investigating potential environmental offences and violations including making arrests, documenting and report writing. You will also be possibly more involved with community work than some other law enforcement roles and be expected to meet with schools as well as hunting, fishing, boating and other relevant groups.

If you like nature and being out and about enforcing conservation laws as oppose to dealing with more traditional law enforcement criminal activity, then this role may be for you. You will, maybe surprisingly, be normally required to carry a firearm still when working as an ECO.

Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Educational Requirements

Due to the specific environmental aspects to this role, you are likely to need an Associates or Bachelors degree along with some additional relevant work experience or at least specific training of some form that is related to environmental conservation.

Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Salary

Environmental conservation officers earn around $40-50k per year on average. This usually starts off at the lower figure and increases in phases over the course of about 2 years.

Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Career Prospects

Environmental conservation officers, once they have some experience in the role, can look to progress to investigator level or supervisory roles.

Criminal Justice Jobs – Law Enforcement – Animal Cruelty Investigator/Officer

Animal Cruelty Investigator/Officer Job Description

This law enforcement job is probably one of the most emotional roles out of all the criminal justice jobs but also one of the most rewarding. As you can imagine, animal lovers will naturally lean towards this role as some of your main duties will include investigating animal abuse reports and then removing them from dangerous situations if necessary while gathering the evidence and compiling reports that could be used to prosecute the owner in a court of law.

It won’t be just animal abuse that you will be dealing with however. You may also be responding to calls regarding animals in distress that may have become trapped or picking up stray animals.

You will also have to manage the animals themselves by helping to monitor them and look after them along with some more unpleasant tasks such as cleaning out the enclosures.

Just one word of warning about this role:

You will encounter animals in upsetting situations and you will not always be able to help them so the emotional ups and downs of this role will be severe. Also think about having to deal with the owners in a professional manner. You will need to keep your cool.

Animal Cruelty Investigator/Officer Educational Requirements

On paper the minimum is a high school diploma but in reality you will more than likely need some kind of experience or specialized training course behind you. Many roles will require at least 12 months experience in either a law enforcement role or a some other related position such as working at an animal shelter for example.

There are numerous colleges now offering specialized training courses geared for this role so if this is a job that you think you would like then enrolling for one of these programs will put you in a much better position when you come to apply.

Animal Cruelty Investigator/Officer Salary

Animal cruelty investigators/officers earn around $30k per year on average.

Animal Cruelty Investigator/Officer Career Prospects

There are some career prospects with this role and it is a relatively new and growing occupation. Supervisory positions are always going to be an option but another avenue you could take would be to progress to handling larger or more specialized cases such as those on a national level or with large animals for example.

Criminal Justice Jobs – Law Enforcement – Harbor Police Officer

Harbor Police Officer Job Description

Most people looking at a career in law enforcement forget the fact that the city police force is not the only area that you could potentially look to work in. Across the United States there are two oceans along with many rivers and lakes and therefore many harbors that require a police presence.

Working as a harbor police officer you can expect to be investigating suspect ships around the port usually looking for narcotics and illegal immigrants. You can also expect to respond to missing persons reports and search and rescue missions whilst continually patrolling the harbor on the lookout for criminal activity.

As with regular police roles you will also be required to participate at community events, maintain detailed reports and even give evidence in court at trials.

Harbor Police Officer Educational Requirements

You will require a high school diploma as an absolute minimum to work as a harbor police officer although in today’s criminal justice job market you should have a relevant Associates degree. You can also expect to receive specialist harbor training programs from the agency before you start work as a harbor police officer.

Harbor Police Officer Patrol Officer Salary

Harbor police officers can expect to earn anywhere from $30k – $40k depending on department and experience.

Harbor Police Officer Officer Career Prospects

As with most occupations in law enforcement, harbor police officers have many different career options available to them. You could move into supervisory roles or look to change sector all together and look at detective or crime scene investigation for example. You could also leave law enforcement all together and move into an training, teaching or coaching related occupation.