Colleges and universities in the Dallas area offer a multitude of criminal justice and paralegal education programs. The University of Dallas has a strong pre-law program. El Centro Community College, which offers many of its programs in Spanish and English, has programs for criminal justice associate degrees or certificates, as well as paralegal certification. Richland Community College offers courses in paralegal and criminal justice education. Dallas Baptist University offers an undergraduate degree in criminal justice, while at the University of Texas at Dallas, crime and justice studies is one of the fastest-growing majors. For students who might want to go on to law school, Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law is one possibility.
The job outlook is bright for those interested in criminal justice careers or paralegal careers in the Dallas area. Legal occupations are expected to grow by 19 percent overall, with a particularly strong projection in growth of 31 percent for paralegals. Overall, protective service occupations are expected to increase by almost 19 percent, with increases of 32 percent for police and sheriff’s patrol officers; 20 percent for correctional officers and jailers; and 28 percent for detectives and criminal investigators.
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