As the landscape of criminal activity changes, professionals who have developed tailored 
skill sets are being called upon to investigate new crimes.
The internet, for example, is a relatively new platform for criminal activity. Identity theft and fraud are crimes that commonly occur online and can be classified as cybercrime. Even more insidious are harassment and hate crimes, like cyberbullying, that can end in harm and death of victims. A recent spate of teenage deaths across the U.S. tragically highlights the spread of this new form of assault.
As a result of these changes, the employment of private detectives and investigators is expected to grow by 22 percent over the next seven years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This is much higher than the average rate of growth for all occupations.
Crime shows and films may glorify the excitement of being a criminal investigator, but they usually don’t depict the intensive training, education and work that is invested into getting to that point.
Criminal justice degree students who are planning to become investigators may take courses in political science and criminology.
An associate’s or bachelor’s degree, combined with direct experience in police investigation, can lead to a career in criminal investigation. These professionals may choose to specialize with work experience. In fact, most criminal justice students can enter the field right after graduation, the BLS reports.
Alternately, criminal justice degree seekers may have an idea about the type of investigator they would like to be while they are still in college. A computer forensic analyst will have pursued both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer forensics. An investigator of corporate crimes – a topic that is on the minds of many in the wake of last year’s Wall Street scandals – will typically have a master’s degree in law or business.
Schools may offer scholarships for graduate students of criminal justice. Recently, Wesh.com reported on a Florida university’s founding of a scholarship program for graduate students who are enrolled in their criminal justice degree program. The funds were established in honor of a former student, Jennifer Keese, who was allegedly abducted in 2006 and never found.
Missing persons investigators often track down suspects through their computer trail, including their online financial transactions, e-mails, telephone numbers, vehicle registrations and personal information on networking sites, according to the BLS site.
