Opportunities abundant for criminal justice students
By Kim Kyle Morgan | December 12, 2012
Questioning suspects, interviewing victims, observing lineups - it's another day on the job for 23-year-old Aaron Yzquierdo.
"My father is a police officer," Yzquierdo said. "That's mainly what got me interested in law enforcement."
All graduating seniors are encouraged to participate in a one-semester internship to gain on-the-job experience. Yzquierdo completed his Nov. 30.
For the 2011-2012 academic year, 29 percent of students who participated in the program were hired by the agencies they interned for, and 49 percent moved on with hot leads to follow.
"When people think of criminal justice and law enforcement, they think of the gun-toting cop," said Jim Dozier, SHSU associate professor of criminal justice and internship program coordinator.
"But there are plenty of other opportunities - child protective services, women's centers, victim services, forensics, crime labs, research and data gathering. It can be across the board at the local, state or federal level; or nonprofits like Crime Stoppers and MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)."
Every spring, SHSU hosts a Criminal Justice Career Fair, which last year attracted 45 agencies in law enforcement, corrections, victim services and private companies. A total of 409 students attended the event, and 27 companies said they planned to interview graduates for jobs.
Overall, opportunities abound.
"Part of the reason is that due to the nature of the jobs, retirement ages are relatively young," Dozier said.
Federal jobs with organizations such as the Drug Enforcement Administration or the Federal Bureau of Investigation are harder to come by straight out of the gate, Dozier said, as they tend to hire people who are a little more experienced.
Dozier has enjoyed a diverse career so far, as a Houston police officer, special agent for U.S. Customs and the DEA, and criminal prosecutor for Montgomery County.
"I guess you could say I'm a cop with a really good education," Dozier said.
Dozier graduated from SHSU with a criminal justice degree in 1971. He earned a master's degree in education from the University of Houston in 1978, a law degree from South Texas College of Law in 1982 and a doctorate in behavioral science from the University of Texas in 1997.
Now teaching at his alma mater, Dozier tells new students that a career in the field isn't quite as seen on television. In fact, he'd rather they watch the news and keep up with current events. Having a handle on what's going on both locally and around the world is something potential employers are keen on.
Yzquierdo doesn't have a problem with that. In fact, upon graduating from SHSU this spring, Yzquierdo will be part of one of the most news-generating topics out there - he is joining the Marines.
Yzquierdo's ultimate goal is to be a U.S. Marshal or an investigator with the FBI.