Solving criminal justice problems requires coordinating the skills of multiple experts within a limited time frame. As a criminal justice professional, you do not always need to understand the intricacies of each participating discipline, but you must be able to absorb and apply relevant information as it becomes available. This ability ultimately depends on analytical criminal justice skills.
Analytical Skills in Multidisciplinary Teams
Large agencies like the FBI employ a host of staff with skills ranging from accounting to engineering. Synthesizing information from multidisciplinary sources on a case requires advanced criminal justice skills, such as analysis and reasoning. Agencies like the FBI employ staff with diversified skill sets that exceed common knowledge, such as cyber- and cultural experts.
Independent Research and Analysis
Not all cases or assignments require a multidisciplinary team. In fact, you may receive assignments for individual projects that will require you to conduct the necessary research and analysis yourself — as well as present the final report. A master’s degree in criminal justice will prepare you to code and analyze research data, apply criminological statistical methods to those data and present the results to constituents and policymakers. For assignments like this, other useful criminal justice skills include information gathering, planning and evaluation. A master’s program prepares its students for these responsibilities by emphasizing the use of common analytical tools in criminal justice agencies.
Looking at Problems From a Different Angle
Criminal justice skills include analysis and reasoning. Many criminal justice professions involve situations wherein independent analysis (or the synthesis of third-party information) is essential to developing a solution. Even if you are not interested in pursuing a career with a major agency like the FBI, a master’s degree in criminal justice is a powerful way to learn how to think in a new way.
A master’s degree in criminal justice refines the analytical skills that will help you ask and understand the right questions. This exploration will help you become more familiar with moral and ethical issues, develop critical thinking skills, become more personally responsible, understand coercion in criminal justice and develop “whole sight” (thinking and working toward the common good). Working from this foundation, you can develop questions that exceed standard thinking, which can enable you to solve problems others find difficult.
Learn about the Lamar University online MS in Criminal Justice program.
Sources:
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes333021.htm
https://www.fbijobs.gov/career-paths/special-agents
“Justice, Crime, and Ethics.” Michael C. Braswell, Belinda R. McCarthy, Bernard J. McCarthy.
