But hey, do stop and consider this. We all have our favorite crime fighters from the golden era of comics. How many of us though; remember the criminals – the bad ones that copped all the punches and let the good guys bask in the glory. Yup, they played a role too and skilled artists aided by some great writers really fleshed out their characters. Let us go down memory lane and check out these top ten fictional bad guys that existed as the nemeses of our favorite crusaders.

1. Joker – This guy would probably make Hannibal Lecter shrink in fear. He radiates pure evil. The Joker frequently tops the list of most awesome comic book villains. Not just that he scores highly, very highly whenever lists of fictional characters are drawn. That’s a super achievement and Jerry Robinson, who is credited with having come up with the concept of this character, should be proud. The Joker is from the DC Comics universe and the arch enemy, arch nemesis of the caped crusader of the night – Batman. The reason for his appeal can be described in one word – whimsy. His crimes are homicidal, maniacal, brutal, whimsical, and his appearance with that ever-present evil smile is the stuff that comic book nightmares are made of. His grin, BTW, is attributed to him falling in a vat of chemicals.

2. Great White Shark – The terrible tribulations of Warren White, a crooked financer, in the Arkham Asylum, led to the birth of the Great White Shark – a super villain who is more than a bad ass weirdo in the Gotham universe of DC Comics. You can get an idea of how rotten the guy is when the Joker says that he is “the worst person that I have ever met”. Hey, before I forget, this guy is a relative recent addition to the list of notorious comic book baddies. He is the creation of writer Dan Slott and artist Dan Slook. After having made his first appearance in 2003, the Great White Shark has been successful in running his crime syndicate from the inside of a mental asylum.

3. Doomsday – What can you say about a guy who’s on the wrong side and possesses the power to take out Superman. And he actually did kill Superman. Doomsday is the most muscle-bound, strongest, and vilest villain ever to have “graced” comic book universe. He is the creation of writer / artist Dan Jurgens and is a denizen of the DC Comics world since 1992. When he destroys Superman he does so by using brute force and not by using the Man of Steel’s vulnerability to Kryptonite. The artwork and drawing of Doomsday does justice to what his creator had in mind. He’s hellish and insane beyond insane, but not without some very cool attributes that make for fascinating reading from the time of his birth on…where else but Krypton. He predates the birth of Superman by thousands of years and has spent his time emptying entire planets of its denizens and killing do-gooders.

4. Lex Luthor – Is he the brainiest super villain ever? He’s certainly one of the oldest and most enduring comic book villains out there. He made his debut way back in 1940 and has since then crossed swords with the man of steel several times over. From being a criminal mastermind in the early issues to being a mad genius of a scientist in the later ones, he has had Superman lovers on the edge ever since. The Lex Luthor evolution timeline is an interesting one – the guy was a big Superboy fan and almost gifted him the antidote to kryptonite. The reason for Luthor’s enduring popularity, even though he is a villain, is that he has survived and thrived in a world of super-powered creatures without any super powers of his own – all he has is his intellect and malevolence.

5. Venom – A villain with a difference; because this here is no villain at all, you see! It’s an alien symbiote that is sentient and always looking for hosts to influence so that it can carry out its mischief. As far as concepts go, this is one is simply superb. Although called a symbiote, it is actually a parasitic being alien to planet Earth. This E.T almost took complete hold of Spiderman’s mind and body and if not for timely intervention by Reed Richards, who knows what would have happened to Spidey. He would have probably taken leave of his spider senses. Venom is a shape-shifter and can mimic human shapes. It requires adrenalin to function and very often as it shifts from host to host, it leaves its previous host dead. You can always watch Spiderman 3 to learn what we’re talking about.

6. Galactus – Galactus is the most powerful entity inhabiting the comics universe, period. He is almost God-like in his powers but very bad by nature. He gobbles up a world or two when he is hungry. How does he do that? Ask the guys at Marvel that came up with this fascinating character. If this guy was on the side of the good, there wouldn’t be any other superheroes needed at all! Galactus is an old-timer. He is from a time that was before the Big Bang. That’s billions of years ago. He was born on the planet Taa. Not only can he annihilate planets, he can actually create new ones. In one of his magnanimous moods, he may offer the inhabitants of a planet a day or two to escape before he chomps up the good bits of the planet. But it’s not like he can’t be defeated. The Fantastic Four combined with the Silver Surfer and defeated Galactus using the Ultimate Nullifier, that’s one serious weapon.

7. Ra’s Al Ghul – He’s the Demon’s Head and the lord and master of all he surveys. The stories involving this dastardly baddy have a special charm because of his genesis, the early plots, ideas such as the Lazarus Pit, and the fact that Ra’s is more than 700 years old. He was been wronged by an Arab prince a few hundred years ago and has ever since taken it on himself to rid the world of all evil. Yup, you heard that right! It’s just that he wishes to do so by destroying human-kind and starting all over again. And this is where Batman and Ra’s disagree. He’s a brilliant chemist, particularly skilled in germ warfare, a superb martial artist, and fencer. He’s also very rich. Ra’s actually discovered that Bruce Wayne is Batman’s alter ego and wanted to make Bruce the heir to his empire that includes the League of Assassins.

8. Apocalypse – This is his moniker, his mom and dad, whoever they were named him En Sabah Nur and he’s a mighty mutant, the most advanced in the universe. He’s also immortal and a recurring pain for the X-Men in the Marvel Universe. This guy is immortal and can alter his body at the molecular level, or is it atomic? In any case, he can take on a gigantic size, use his body as armor, harness the energy around him, turn his limbs into deadly weapons, and do a lot. He’s a champ with celestial technology, the kind we earthlings know little about. He’s not pleasing to look at but he’s got the IQ that is miles ahead of genius level. He wears a bio-armor. He doesn’t like weaklings and is forever trying to orchestrate situations so that only the fittest survive.

9. Darkseid – He first appeared in 1970 in an issue that featured not Superman but his pal Jimmy Olsen. Today, he is one of the most feared and “respected” villains in the comics universe. He rules the planet Apokolips, which the keen eyed amongst you will recognize, is apocalypse spelled badly. But he brooks no jokes and when peeved he unleashes the feared and deadly “omega beam” from his eyes. The bloke was called Uxas before he went on a family-killing spree dispatching his mother and brother; after the deed was done he felt Darkseid suited him better. Darkseid’s raison d etre is the anti-life equation and his quest for this equation can be fulfilled only on Earth.

10. Saint of Killers – A confederate soldier that ends up on God’s throne. He sold his soul to the Devil and then shot the devil dead. Fate took away his happiness and his chance at redemption when his wife and daughter were cruelly snatched away. He burned with hate; pure hatred so cold that it froze hell when he died and went there. That’s when the devil struck a deal with him and made him an angel of death armed with two Walker Colt revolvers that never run out of ammo, never jam, and each shot counts for a kill. The Saint is immortal and can easily shrug off a nuclear attack. He has appeared in 48 issues of Vertigo Comics but is loved by fans of this genre. When a good guy goes bad, he gets sympathy and when the character is as interesting as that of Saint, you want to read on!

CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
This college is specifically meant for professional education in the field of criminal justice and consequently the degree and certification programs offered by this college have better career orientation than other colleges and institutions which offer education in many disciplines. It offers 4 year degree programs in many criminal justice and related professional disciplines like, criminal justice, homeland security, law enforcement administration, criminal investigations, private security, forensic sciences, cyber crime, financial crime, criminal psychology etc.

Michigan State University Criminal Justice program
The academic excellence of this university is too well known in the educational disciplines of many professional fields. This university offers 4 year degree programs in the disciplines of criminal justice and related fields like, homeland security, criminology, transactional crime, forensic technologies and applications and many more.

University of Louisville
This university only offers bachelor program in the discipline of criminal justice and the program is named as Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice. It is considered to be one of the best criminal justice degree programs because of its unique course curriculum and interdisciplinary approach to study.

Drury University in Springfield
This university has been consecutively ranked among the top higher learning regional institutions in the country. This university offers Master of Science in criminal justice program. The program is unique in preparing the student in modern day professional challenges like juvenile crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, terrorist activity etc.

The above mentioned list of best criminal justice degree programs is not exhaustive in considering all the great institutions offering academic excellence in the study of criminal justice, but here only the top ranked institutions offering best criminal justice degree program are featured.

Various universities and colleges offer different criminal justice programs. They are:

• Certificate Programs in Criminal Justice,
• Associate Degree in Criminal Justice,
• Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice,
• Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice,
• PhD in Criminology or Criminal Justice.

Certificate Programs in Criminal Justice
Generally, certificate programs take one year to complete. After the completion of this course, students can seek jobs in crime scene analysis, national security management, criminal justice, terrorism, etc. Through this program, students learn some common perception and fundamental issues such as adult and juvenile criminal justice system, forensic counselling, juvenile delinquency, etc. This course is enough for getting entry level jobs in various criminal justice fields.

Associate Degrees in Criminal Justice
Students can complete their associate degree in criminal justice course in 2 years. During the course, they need to study law enforcement, courts and legal system, and correctional system and these are the major elements of criminal justice system. Most of the associate degree programs concentrate on criminal justice and fundamentals of law enforcement. The curriculum also includes:

• Foundations of justice system,
• The court system,
• Technical aspects of law enforcement,
• Societal cause of crime,
• Criminal procedures,
• Juvenile justice,
• Introduction to corrections,
• Introduction to security, etc.

You can earn associate degree via campus based training or online training. Kaplan University, University of Phoenix, Keiser University, Argosy University, Everest University, Salem University, Chancellor University, Ivy Bridge, etc are some of the popular accredited online schools which conduct courses in criminal justice degree.

Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice
Bachelor of Criminal Justice programs designed to train students who already have an associate’s degree in areas such as corrections technology, law enforcement, human services technology, or police administration. This degree program helps students to broaden their education and increase the quality of their career in law enforcement administration, police administration, juvenile and adult corrections, forensic science, parole and probation, etc.

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, you can seek employment opportunities in law enforcement, investigation, parole, private protective services, corrections, public safety, juvenile justice, probation, loss prevention, etc. The curriculum of Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice includes:

• Introduction of criminal justice,
• Natural Science,
• English,
• Social psychology,
• Law enforcement,
• Methods of research in sociology,
• Principles of correction,
• Victimology,
• Sociology of law,
• Criminal justice administration,
• Juvenile delinquency,
• Sociology of family,
• Technology and society, etc.

Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice
This is a postgraduate professional course in the field of criminal justice. After the completion of the course, students can either prepare for doctoral programs or seek jobs in areas such as probation and court service, security management, justice administration, forensic psychology, administration, crime and delinquency, homeland security, corrections and correctional counselling, public safety, executive management, leadership, law, global issues, criminal justice planning and research, human services, prevention and control, crime analysis, etc. In order to undergo training in Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice, students must at least hold a three year undergraduate degree. Depending on the taste and preferences of students, they can enroll in different types of Master’s degree courses, such as:

• Managing criminal justice organizations,
• Research methods in criminal justice,
• Criminological theory,
• Administration of criminal justice,
• Law and public policy,
• Crisis and emergency management,
• Victimology,
• Terrorism/counter terrorism,
• Mental health and criminal justice,
• Criminal mind and behavior,
• Forensic psychology,
• Criminal profiling,
• Issues in policing,
• Domestic terrorism and hate crimes,
• Overview of homeland security,
• Threat assessment and risk management,
• Substance abuse,
• Gender, race and crime,
• Crime analysis and mapping,
•  Intimate partner violence,
• Sex offenses and offenders,
• Responding to child maltreatment, etc.

PhD in Criminology or Criminal Justice
Some universities and colleges offer specialized training in criminal justice by conducting PhD in criminology or criminal justice. These programs are designed to prepare students to initiate positive changes in the field of criminal justice. This is an intensive program and the coursework include complex issues surrounding criminal behavior, penal system, prevention and intervention, development of public policy strategies, etc.

Criminal justice degree programs are becoming more and more popular, especially with the GI, because they cover a wide number of aspects in their line of duty. The advantage is that there are quite different types of fields under these programs for them to select as per their needs. Some of them include the parole and the probation officers, which is applicable for them because of their experience with managing and disciplining others. Besides many organizations that require the services of a probation or parole officer usually go for those who have experience with the military or with relate jobs.

Fortunately for them, finding the courses that are suitable for their needs is easy as there are quite a number of schools, both online and offline offering these criminal justice degree programs. They can also check out the organizations that help students to find the schools of their choice so that they can start on an interesting and rewarding career. The best thing is that they will need to select the program that they are interested in and start searching for the best school for it. With these degree programs, they will be in a better position to get the career they are interested in or get promoted.

1. Gregg v. Georgia (1976): This ruling affirmed the United States Supreme Court’s acceptance on the employment and use of the death penalty in the United States, keeping in view death sentence pronounced on Troy Leon Gregg. The Supreme Court there also referred with perspective of judgment in this case the Eighth Amendment bar on “cruel and unusual punishments.”
2. Griswold v. Connecticut (1965): This was a landmark case; by the Supreme Court of the United States that constitution should protect a right to privacy.  This ruling came with perspective of Connecticut law that prohibited the use of contraceptives. Supreme Court stated this law to violator of “right to marital privacy”.
3. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857): This rule known as The Dred Scott Decision by the supreme court of USA told people of African descent imported into the United States and held as slaves or their descendants whether they are slaves or not cannot be citizens of the United States. Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories. The Court also ruled that as slaves not being as citizens cannot be sued in court.
4. Brown v. Board of Education (1954): This was the another landmark decision of the US Supreme Court, where, United States Supreme court declared that laws for having separate public schools for students to be unconstitutional. This decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which permitted segregation. This rule open way for integration and the civil rights movement.
5. Roe v. Wade (1973):  This was a revolutionary decision taken by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The court ruled out that a woman’s right to abortion is to be decided by stage of pregnancy and the state cannot ban abortion before viability. The court ruled out that “viability” means “potentially able to live outside the mother’s womb, albeit with artificial aid. Viability is generally is kept at about seven months (28 weeks) but do also happen even at 24 weeks.”

Career in Justice: Those who graduate with criminal justice degrees will have the background to pursue careers as police officers, detectives, security personnel, criminologists and even lawyers and judges. However, these options are just a few of the possibilities open to criminal justice professionals. Degree recipients in criminal justice may also pursue careers as crime scene investigators, forensic psychologists, ATF agents, CIA agents, corrections officers, sheriffs, marshals, even DEA agents and INS agents. The criminal justice degree may not be a sufficient condition for these occupations, but they provide a solid foundation for a future career in one of these areas.

Options for criminal justice learning: Anyone interested in making career forth in the field of criminology and criminal justice may pursue Associate of Science in criminal justice.  This degree helps students to make career in police force, law enforcement, security, corrections and other related areas and fields. More students go for an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice, that provide in-depth information on how law enforcement agencies like as correctional institutions and courts function. For more broaden learning a student even can go for bachelor’s in criminal justice. As a bachelor’s in criminal justice is rewarding and let a student to explore the criminal justice system with a focused attitude, however, for pursuing courses in crime management or law enforcement one need to have a higher degree in will often wish to pursue a higher degree in criminal justice.

Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice: Among advanced degrees in criminal justice, The Master of Science in Criminal Justice provides specialized learning in law enforcement, train students in the scientific aspects of criminal justice like law, history of law enforcement, sociological underpinnings of crime, psychology of crime and crime management. Those who receive this degree will be well-suited for careers in crime prevention and criminal investigation. The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice is one of the best advance forms of Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. Under this student can carry away their studies of criminal justice system carrying from the courts to the prisons to legal policy. The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice is also a popular opinion for law enforcement personnel, criminal lawyers, corrections officers and court administrators looking to expand their knowledge base and do their jobs in more effective and efficient manner.

As far as for earning potential in criminology a professor earns $86,000 per year. The average forensic psychologist earns between $38,000 and $68,000 annually. Median salaries for police officers range around $46,000 a year.

A person into career of criminal justice can go into areas and choose from the areas like ATF, Agent, Criminologist, Custom Agents, DEA agents and into Forensic Science. Forensic Science relates a person more close to biological and scientific aspects of crime as he learns about the minute aspects of the human anatomy, medical related technology and terminology. In forensic you can help legal authorities to collect important clues and evidences against the crime. However, before enrolling yourself in any course of criminal justice first you should better check out for the following points and features.

1. Select the right course to learn: As the good number of courses are available in the market one should go for a the right career option matching significantly with ones career choice as to guide him towards right direction and position of criminal justice.
2. Choose upon the right college: The choice for right college is also a very necessary and imperative option when going for any branch of courses in criminal justice. If you have defined any particular set for your career option that you must choose the college only that fulfills your ambition of learning from the college.
3. Make list of Colleges: As now you are clear about the career option under criminal justice field you can list out colleges where you can take admission after prioritizing the college on the basis of matching up with all the merits set by you for admission in the college.
4. Should have appropriate educational background: As field of criminal justice relates to fields like administration, law enforcement, forensics, criminal psychology and sociology, so he should have subjects like political science, sociology, psychology, law and social work as major in their graduation.
5. Asses Job Scope Prior Before Enrolling: Just do not jump straight to the admission into a college but rather search out for the career option as provided over there. A person after completing criminal justice degree can become police investigator, defender, prosecutor, judge, administrator, prison guard, security guard and probationary officer. More he can also work in leading investigation agencies like Secret Service, FBI or Homeland Security.
6. Term of the Course: Another major point of consideration as for taking admission into the subject is duration to complete it as offered by the course ware. At various colleges duration of the course also differs, therefore, you should choose out the right course with duration to complete it matching with your need and requirement.

The different criminal justice degree programs that you can choose to pursue are:

1.  Computer security degree program
Computer security is very important, in both the private industry as well as law enforcement agencies. The two sectors are in great need of specialists who can help in curbing computer crime.

Computer crime and security degree programs offer training on the methods and devices that can be used to retrieve and keep digital evidence for instance graphic and text files like the email. Students are taught about the legal requirements and appropriate forensic practices that are used for investigation, collection, analyzing and presentation of evidence so that those committing computer crimes can be persecuted.

2.  Corrections degree program
Training is for the purpose of acquiring guiding principles and procedures for operating a correctional institution. The principles and practices are on population management, role of community-based probation, approaches and parole in the correctional system, state and federal legal corrections, criminal psychology and rehabilitation and inmate, visitor and staff security issues.

Qualified individuals find themselves working with the municipal, state, country and federal correctional institutions or organizations.

3.  Criminal Scene degree programs
This involves investigating a crime scene. These investigators act as scientists and detectives as they are very observant even to the very slightest detail.

While doing your training, you’re taught on how to collect and preserve different types of crime scene proof. There’s involvement in the use of computer and scientific technology for evidence analysis purpose. The trainee learns on how to maintain the integrity of evidence collected from a crime scene against challenges in a courtroom. The program will also encompass taking chemistry, biology and physics classes.

4.  Forensic Degree program
Forensics involves the use of science to answer questions that are related to the criminal justice system.

The degree program entails scientific advances like in the use of science to link suspects to a crime scene thus expanding application of technology and science for law enforcement and private security.