How the Police Science Major Prepares You for the Job Market
Police science majors are passionate about law enforcement and justice. These majors are either in pursuit of a career in law enforcement or the justice system, or are currently employed in the field and desire to further their education, according to the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in The City University of New York. The police science degree plan focuses on the role of policing in a community, analyzing the link between police work and criminal activity as well as community health. Police science majors take courses in various police functions, such as traffic control, working with juveniles, and community policing, as well as courses in criminal law, judicial processes, and other topics related to bettering the studentís understanding of the intricacies of police work and the law. This educational background helps police science majors build their knowledge and skills that will help them quickly adapt to field work upon graduation. Internships and research projects further hone these skills, making them valuable job candidates for roles in law enforcement.

Best Career Paths for Police Science Majors
Police science majors can jump into several criminal justice roles that will prove to be challenging and rewarding. The best career paths for police science majors are:

• Police Work. Uniformed police officers are responsible for upholding the law in the community in which they work. They act as law-abiding role models for community residents. Police officers patrol neighborhoods and streets to keep would-be criminals at bay, making the streets safer for residents and visitors. They also have the duty to protect the property in the area, such as homes, business buildings, and vehicles, from damage, vandalism, and theft. Some police officers work in specialty fields, such as dealing primarily with young offenders or with traffic law violations. Police officers make an average salary of $51,410 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Crime Lab Technician. Crime lab technicians have the responsibility of helping police officers and detectives solve criminal cases through science. As criminal cases are often complex due to varying accounts of the incident or a lack of suspects, crime lab technicians have the important duty of using science to speak for the victims of crime and put the guilty behind bars. Technicians analyze the placement of objects at the crime scene, evidence samples, and the order of events leading up to the crime. Many specialize in DNA work, which alone has helped exonerate 248 wrongly-convicted prisoners in the United States since 1989, according to The Innocence Project, a group that strives to free the wrongly-convicted. Crime lab technicians make an average of $23.97 per hour, according to the Bureau.

How to Market Your Police Science Degree
After years of hard work and dedication, you finally earned your police science degree. In this regard, it is imperative that you show employers how your police science degree makes you a qualified candidate for any position to which you apply. Mention the skills you learned while pursuing your police science degree, including your adeptness in sizing up situations and taking responsible action, your drive to stay unbiased towards the accused so that they may face a fair trial, and your passion to make the community a safer place. Emphasize the research you conducted while in school and how those projects helped you hone your problem-solving skills. Reassuring employers of the real-world skills you learned in college is the best way to market your police science degree.