Pathway
Public Safety & Criminal Justice
Police, fire, EMS, corrections, investigation, emergency management. Multiple entry points including several that need no degree, and physical fitness is a real requirement.
Majors
- Criminal Justice
- Emergency Management
- Fire Science
- Forensic Science
- Paralegal Studies
- Cybersecurity (for the investigative side)
Jobs people do
- Police officer
- Firefighter / paramedic
- Emergency management specialist
- Forensic technician
- Probation officer
- Federal investigator
Watch out
The choices that quietly close a door here
Assuming a criminal justice degree is required to become an officer.
Most departments require a high school diploma plus academy training; some want an associate or bachelor's in any field. Students take on debt they didn't need.
Instead Check the specific requirements for departments you'd actually apply to, and consider a degree that gives you a second option.
Not knowing background and conduct standards start now.
Drug history, driving record, and social media are all reviewed. Things done at 16 can disqualify you at 21.
Instead Look up the disqualifiers for your target agency early and take them seriously.
Course ladder
Grade by grade
Course names differ at every school, and graduation requirements differ by state. Take this list to your counselor so the two of you are working from the same page.
Grade 8
- Stay in a sport or physical activityWorth doing
Grade 9
- English 9Load-bearing
Report writing is a huge part of these jobs and it's tested on hiring exams.
- BiologyLoad-bearing
- GeometryLoad-bearing
Grade 10
- ChemistryWorth doing
Required for forensic science.
- Algebra IILoad-bearing
- Spanish or another high-need languageWorth doing
Frequently a hiring preference and sometimes a pay differential.
Grade 11
- Government / civicsLoad-bearing
- Psychology or sociologyWorth doing
- EMT or fire science pathway courseWorth doing
Some districts let you finish EMT certification before graduation.
Grade 12
- Criminal justice pathway or dual enrollmentWorth doing
- EMT certificationLoad-bearing
Required for most fire departments and a strong asset everywhere else on this path.
- StatisticsWorth doing
Outside class
Police or fire Explorers program
Youth programs run by departments themselves. The most direct look at the work, and departments remember participants.
From grade 9
Volunteer or junior firefighter program
Many rural and suburban departments take 16-year-olds in a support role.
From grade 10
Serious, consistent physical training
Academy fitness standards are specific and published. Train toward the actual test, starting now.
From grade 9
Team sport
Not a cliché here, these jobs are team jobs under stress, and hiring panels read it that way.
From grade 9
Things to build
Get EMT certified before or just after graduation
It's a paid job, a fire department prerequisite, and it makes you useful immediately.
From grade 11
Ride along with three different agencies
Most departments allow it. Police, fire, and EMS are three very different jobs.
From grade 10
Is this actually a fit for you?
Ten minutes of questions, and Bearing turns this into a plan that starts from the grade you're in.
Take the survey