Will that certain degree promise better positions in Law enforcement? Anyone who has experience with this please chime in.

 

Better positions? Better than what? I highly doubt you would walk into a supervisory position with just a 4 yr. degree. Most of the people I work with in the Federal Bureau of Prisons had a degree in Criminal justice when they started. They almost all started as a Correctional Officer.

the only other option was to have some LE experience or mental health experience along Military.

 

I realize that I will start out as a Police officer, I was just wondering what doors can be opened with the degree. Does it really help, or will senority in that field be more valuable?

 

I have about 11 credit hours left til I have My CJ deree. As far as opening dorr, IT WILL! Its not like another degree where you get one and get a higher position, its more along the lines that you get a degree and they will pick you over the other out of high school people. I know that in our state it is very dificult to get into many departments with out one. Plus the fact that internships are manditor, you get on the job experence before you even apply!

Truthfully it is well worth it if that is what you want to do. I have so many contacts and job offers just because of my college experence. Just make sure you pick a good school, thats the only thing i regret. Many schools have newer less mature systems that dont realy get you involved too much.

 

Criminal Justice Degrees are worthless. I have one and cant even find a job as a police officer. If your just going for a police officer get your two year law enforcement degree and get licensed by your state and start working. If you are going to stick to the 4yr. thing then add an accounting double major or a pre;aw comm. emphisis and hit up law school. you want to talk about opening up doors. this is my biggest regret no double major/ not enough writing classes and now more then likely no law school.
one more thing alot of departments dont want to hire you if you are not POST CERT. for your state so if thats your plan get certified and then go from there

 

I agree with Cummins Freak.

getting the degree doesn't seem to put you at any advantage, it just puts on on an even playing field with all the other applicants. ( because they also have a 4 yr. CJ degree ) If you get certified prior to applying, then you might have an advantage. but that advantage will only be for the hiring process because now the Police Dept doesn't have to spend their money to train you.

I know the State Police here won't even consider you without a degree or atleast military. I know they say they will but that isn't really true. I have yet to meet a trooper( and I meet a good many where I work ) that does not have one or the other or usually both.
SO, i guess the answer to your question is No, it won't promise better positions but it will allow you to get a foot in the door as long as your backround is good. If you don't have a good backround forget it. Look for another occupation.

 

Law Enforcement is a evolving career field.
20 years ago, being a cop was not considered a "professional" field, that is changing.

Most of the top training and standard setting organizations( i.e. Caliber Press and such ) have been pushing and teaching for years now that Law Enforcement should require a degree, and there is a definite shift in that direction. The department I started with 22 years ago , now wouldn't even accept an app. from me since I don't have at least a 2 yr degree. Most of the higher paying Dept's here in KS are that way, and I believe its a growing trend.
There have been junior guys beat me out for promotions and I have been told it was simply a matter of the extra 'points" that having a degree gave them( civil service-point based promo systems)...so it helps more than just getting hired..

Having a Assoc in CJ definitely opens doors for you, a business administration, sociology or psychiatry degree opens even more....
If you think you might want to some day go to the FBI, or most of the Federal Agencies, you HAVE to have that degree..
So yes, its worth a bit more than the paper....

 

when i was going in the border patrol, i was going in 2 grades higher b/c of having CRJ degree. other than that, everywhere i talked to, it didnt help you get in the door, but it would help you in the long run. i had a change of plans, so i went ahead and got my MBA, and now im working for the CRJ system, just not as a cop.

 

Chrisreyn,

I guess what I am trying to say is this. 20 yrs. ago a degree in CJ was no doubt an advantage, not many people had them. The days of walking into a LE job with almost no experience an no higher education is pretty much over. ( Atleast the higher paying dept's anyway, i.e. state police, FBI, ICE )

Some of these Depts will say only a high school diploma is required but don't kid yourself. When there are 2000 applicants for 10 positions, do you really think they are going to take the guy that doesn't have the degree or military backround or preferably both?
SO, if they are only hiring people with a degree, then you will also be going up for promotions against people with the same degree.
So, no, a degree doesn't help you advance, it helps you get in the door. Atleast that is the way it is heading in a really big hurry. It is now one of the minimum requirements.
If you want to stand out, get the degree AND the honorable discharge. That is how I did it and it has paid off for sure..

 

yep, we're saying the same thing, jest different words...

bottom line, it is worth having...

 

Any four year degree will help. A CJ degree will help you become a better cop, not because of that particular course of study, but because of the skills learned by obtaining a degree.

 

I have a 4 year degree in Law Enforcement, and now I've gotten to the point in my career where I've been on both sides of a hiring board.

Here (in Oregon) having a degree will allow you to obtain more advanced certificates more quickly, and in most places there is a pay incentive for having your intermediate or advanced certificates, plus it may make you eligible for promotion sooner.

Also, hiring boards often like to see something in a candidate's background that indicates that he/she put some personal effort into preparing for a law enforcement career.

That being said, what your degree is in doesn't matter for purposes of moving up in certificates.

Also, there are other ways besides a law enforcement degree to show the hiring board that you didn't just wake up yesterday and see the ad and think it would be a hoot to apply. A major in computers and a minor in law enforcement would work, as would experience as a reserve, or military police background.


There were people in my college class that I think really didn't have much of a shot at a career in law enforcement, but got the degree. Staff at the college will give you the impression that getting a police job will be a cake walk once you have a law enforcement degree, but it won't be. Someone who has a single lapse of judgement/ethics in their background, or someone who doesn't take tests well, for example, may never get a police job, degree or not.

I also know lots of people who are burned out, but feel trapped and unable to leave the field because they don't have training or education that would get them into a different career that pays enough to live on.


In short, when a young person interested in law enforcement asks, I always recommend getting a degree in computers, or business, and either a minor or double major in law enforcement, or getting on as a Reserve.

You never know when you might loose an eye, develop a bad knee or just decide you want into some other line of work. Also, I've probably seen as many careers end badly as I've seen officers reach retirement.

A computer degree with microsoft network certification plus a minor in criminal justice would likely make you more attractive than a major in law enforcement, and it would open doors in other directions, too. Add Spanish skills to the mix, and you would be very marketable.