college

If it's not too late, i would recommend changing majors. Here's why: in order to be a police officer, you're not required to have that degree, or any degree for that matter.. in fact, all they do is give you preference points for having a degree. So you could get a business degree and still get preference points to be a cop. And if you dont get the job, u still have a business degree to fall back on. The CJ degree isn't good for anything else. I know a handful of guys who made the mistake of getting a cj degree, and i had an associates in engineering and i got a LEO job and none of them have. They all are either currently unemployed or work at restaraunts.

It may work out differently for you, but I would ask around. Most police dept's will tell you to get a different degree and get your money's worth.

Courage is not the lack of fear, but the willingness to continue despite that fear.

 

It's the same at the fire department. You can get a fire science degree. However you still end up doing 5 months of academy. So you don't end up getting anywhere with the degree.

Both are hard to get on. Some people spend years trying out hoping for that lucky break. All the while they are flipping burgers since they have a useless degree.

 

Exactly. And most police departments will send you to school to get licensed as an EMT after the academy anyways. So like i said.. i'd get something more broad. Business, psychology, sociology, etc.

Courage is not the lack of fear, but the willingness to continue despite that fear.

 

Wow, buzz kill.

 

Hahaha yeah i'm not trying to be a negative nancy or anything. I'm just trying to give the best advice i can.

Courage is not the lack of fear, but the willingness to continue despite that fear.

 

I am a retired US Army Ranger with a masters degree in criminal justice and a doctorate in Homeland Security. I could not use either degree to get a simple, low budget job as an instructor with the Job Corps teaching society's misguided misfits to be security guards.

As a matter of fact, I was not even able to land a job as a minimum wage security guard with the Job Corps to ensure the safety of society's misguided misfits.

 

Something I know a little bit about.

I have spoken to dozens of students who want to go into law enforcement, and I have them talk to people in the field. I can only remember one instance where the person was recommended to pursue the CJ degree. She wanted to be a parole officer.

In all other cases, they recommended getting a degree in something other than CJ. As one FBI agent put it, "We'll teach you everything you need to know about being an agent. Study something else in college."

 

Switch to Engineering, you can use that degree to get just about any job!

 

BS in LE/Police Science from Sam Houston State University. Not necessary to get a job, but getting edumacated is a good thing. I know few people who are "using" their degree. My wife just finished her BA in CJ from Texas State and started her own PI business. The degree can be used in Texas to "challenge" the Peace Officer licening exam (I did many years ago) or get a PI license. Some agencies require at least 60 hours of college. Texas has tried and probably will try again to require a degree to get a Peace Officer license. Nationwide, the move is to increase educational standards for PO's. Until pay goes up substantially, it will continue to fail. Texas no longer accepts GED only students for basic Peace Officer academies. You have to have a High School Diploma or a GED with some college to even enroll.

I say GO FOR IT! It will not hurt you.

 

Krisko,
Maybe not where you live, but departments around me will not even LOOK at you without an associates. Unless you're military, and even then, you still need college credits.

OP,
Get a degree in something you can fall back in and use after your LE career is over (if that's what you're pursuing) or as backup in case no LE positions are open.

 

This is exactly what i was saying to do from the beginning. It's not like i said don't get a degree. I simply said that it is not REQUIRED. I'm sure there are some departments that are, but in the whole states of IL, IN and IA i've never heard of one that won't let you test without a degree.

Again, i'd suggest a more broad degree like business, general engineering or psych that applies to many jobs. If you get a more technical degree (cj, drafting, etc) there's only a limited number of applications.

Courage is not the lack of fear, but the willingness to continue despite that fear.