The field of criminal justice offers a wide range of career paths and opportunities. One of the primary areas for employment is protective services. Professionals involved with protective services help to uphold society’s legal, moral, and ethical standards. Specifically, these professionals do the work necessary to prevent criminal activity and protect the assets and interest of business. This work has the added benefit of reducing business cost and providing employment and economic protection for individuals and communities. A career path in this area is corporate security (Brooks & Corkhill, 2014; Wakefield, 2014). Study in the fields of criminal justice and business allows for preparation for this career path by providing and opportunity to develop knowledge and skills that intersect across these two fields.
Professionals within the corporate security field typically work as managers and directors. They oversee initiatives that are designed to reduce and prevent threats to a company including threats to physical property and information systems. Employment responsibilities include the assessment of security risks and the development of internal controls and polices for the purposes of theft prevention related to property and proprietary information. Therefore, corporate security professionals must be able to effectively conduct investigations into security breaches, develop and implement crisis management and response strategies, and train and assess security personnel (Brooks et al., 2014; Wakefield et al., 2014).
It is imperative for corporate security professionals to have a broad knowledge base and understanding of several interrelated disciplines, such as the law, criminology, sociology, psychology, and criminology. Additionally, a functional awareness of the issues related to individual and societal functioning is also imperative including homeland security, criminal behavior, the justice system, criminal investigations, and crime prevention strategies. A professional in this field should be grounded in knowledge obtained from the study of social issues and the social sciences. A firm understanding of mathematical concepts especially in relation to finance, probability, and statistics is also needed (Brooks et al., 2014; Wakefield et al., 2014).
Corporate security professionals work closely with team members and vested stakeholders, such as clients, partners, and security personnel. In addition, they hire, train, and evaluate personnel and oversee practices and operations. They write policies and reports to communicate policies and incidents. Therefore, professionals in this field must be able to demonstrate skills in leadership, listening, training, management, written and oral communications, assessment, decision-making, and conflict resolution (Brooks et al., 2014; Wakefield, 2014).
A degree in criminal justice and a degree in business is excellent preparation for this career path. A degree in criminal justice provides knowledge related to relevant social sciences and critical issues including criminology, the history of criminal behavior, law, and security. Relevant coursework includes courses that develop understanding and skills in the areas of security administration, the justice system, human behavior, and ethics. An understanding of human and criminal behavior can help to identify potential threats and risks. It can also be used to develop effective prevention strategies and programs. Corporate security professionals must also manage a team of security professionals. An understanding of human behavior will aid in this management process by providing the knowledge necessary to engage in communication and leadership practices that promote openness, collaboration, and improve employee morale. The criminal justice degree also provides and opportunity to develop skills in conflict resolution that can be used to promote teamwork and reduce internal threats to completion of program goals (Brooks et al., 2014; Wakefield, 2014; Krisch & Boss, 2007).
A business degree provides an opportunity to develop skills in statistics, finance, organizational and program leadership, and management. The business degree allows for a unique perspective in relation to corporate security as it provides an opportunity to recognize security and risk prevention as a business endeavor while also being trained in business concepts. Corporate security and business acumen is a necessary partnership in the corporate terrain as security programs within organizations are subject to larger business principles and needs, namely profit, effective leadership, and ethics. These needs intersect because the overall survival of the business is necessary in order for the corporate security program to survive and vice versa (Brooks et al., 2014; Wakefield, 2014; et al., 2007; Carvalho & Rabechini, 2015). Relevant coursework in business provides an opportunity to learn more about finance, accounting, ethics, and decision-making. This knowledge will aid in the development of policies and procedures that are ethical, effective, efficient, and fiscally sound.
Corporate security is essentially a business within the larger organization. An effective corporate security program can reduce threats and improve upon profits and overall business success. A degree in business provides the training necessary to allow for practical business decisions enhanced by an understanding of ethical, legal, and fiscal issues that impact a business. An aspect of corporate security, especially in the management tier, is program administration and personnel management (Brooks et al., 2014; Wakefield, 2014; Krisch et al., 2007). The study of business prepares a professional on how to make decisions to handle daily operations. In addition, knowledge is provided on leadership, including possible outcomes of varying leadership styles. This knowledge can be used to identify and implement leadership that is effective for the organization using a style that is aligned with current needs and desired outcomes. Corporate security officers must also align necessary stakeholders and personnel with program objectives, practices, and policies. This task requires a high level of written and oral communication skills (Brooks et al., 2014; Wakefield, 2014; Krisch et al., 2007). A degree in business provides skills in oral and written communication, including the ability to design information in varying formats for a wide variety of audiences.
Corporate security is an area of protective services that requires a broad knowledge base and skill set. Professionals in this field must be skilled in areas, such as criminology, law, leadership, communication, and ethics. A degree in criminal justice and a degree in business provide the needed skills and knowledge for this area of practice. These two degrees provide knowledge and skills on the intersecting issues across these two fields. This level of education and ability will allow for the development and implementation of successful corporate security programs, policies, and teams.
