Bachelor's in Criminal Justice

[Mac45]

I have just decided that I wanted to pursue my Bachelor's in Criminal Justice after doing much research on law enforcement and discovering that you pretty much need a degree to be anything more than a city cop or highway patrol. I figured this would be a good place to post and ask what kind of career in law enforcement do you have and what did it take you to get were you're at. I would appreciate any advice on a future in LE. Thank you.

[LUVMYSIGP225]

What are you striving to be if you don't want to be a police officer or highway patrolman? My buddy is a Fed Special Agent, and he had to have his bachelor to qualify to apply. Other than that, are you trying for CSI or something?

[Mac45]

Originally Posted by LUVMYSIGP225

What are you striving to be if you don't want to be a police officer or highway patrolman? My buddy is a Fed Special Agent, and he had to have his bachelor to qualify to apply. Other than that, are you trying for CSI or something?

I am keeping my mind very open, because I'm sure along the way I will discover all kinds of new and exciting careers in LE. I've looked into ATF, DEA, FBI, SWAT, CSI basically the groups with initials for names, and everything that seemed interesting required a BA. I've enrolled in the CJ program at ITT which begins in September I'm just working out the small details like the $80k tuition fee, lol.

[retired]

Stop. Unenroll in CJ. Save your $80K at ITT and enroll in a traditional college or university and get your degree, whether it be a BA or BS in something other than CJ.

This question always comes up on leo boards where the public is permitted and it has been my experience and my opinion that most active and retired leos advise against that major.

It is too restrictive. You may think since it is law enforcement you want to enter that you necessarily need a degree in it. Nope. My BA is in History. I went to law school with the intent to either join the FBI or become a prosecutor. Decided law school wasn't for me and joined LASD instead. Retired as a sgt. (medically) after 27yrs almost 4 yrs ago.

If you want to move up in a dept. it doesn't hurt to have a degree in Public Administration, English, Business Administration and similar degrees.

Furthermore, if you decide le work is not for you, what do you have; a CJ degree that probably won't help you in any other endeavor.

I knew a deputy who had a Masters in English when he hired on. We have to work the jail prior to going to patrol. He spent a few months inside with the inmates and was put into administration. He had weekends and holidays off and had no contact with the bg. He made sgt. within 3-4 years in patrol and has been a lt. for about 15yrs and worked numerous good assignments.

I'm sure other leo with respond here also and I'm willing to say most will agree with me if past threads are any indication.

Good luck in becoming a leo. Obtain a degree; just not in CJ.

My $.02.

[Doberguy]

I would have to agree with Retired.
I have a criminal justice degree and work for one of the 3 letter agencies.

Unless you go somewhere like John J. in Manhattan where some police depts come directly to the school to recruit do not get a degree in CJ.

Feel free to take something LE related as a minor.
You can lean many other directions for your major depending on what you really want to do in the long run.

Working you way up in the federal system is something different all together. Once you are in, education can only get you so far over the next guy. It's learning to work the system and jump through the hoops like KSA's, interviews, ect. Networking as much as you can helps also.

I think my psychology degree helped me obtain my job over my CJ degree.

[Mac45]

See the problem is, I never took a foreign language or enough math to go to a 4 year and I've been in and out of community colleges for two years now, and finally settled on a major. I've really looked into CJ and everything in it seems so interesting and fun, and now you're telling me it's a useless degree and get a major in something i have no interest in?

[bigun]

Originally Posted by Mac45

I am keeping my mind very open, because I'm sure along the way I will discover all kinds of new and exciting careers in LE. I've looked into ATF, DEA, FBI, SWAT, CSI basically the groups with initials for names, and everything that seemed interesting required a BA. I've enrolled in the CJ program at ITT which begins in September I'm just working out the small details like the $80k tuition fee, lol.

As strange as it may sound if you're looking at the FBI a degree in accounting would searve you better, maybe with a minor in CJ.

[shipwreck]

It kinda depends. As a probation officer in Texas, they PREFER a CJ degree.

However, go get a degree ins omething else. Something that makes more money dude! - You can still be a cop, but will have something else to fall back on. There is, generally speaking, not that much money to be made in this field.

I regret not getting a degree that would have gotten me a higher paying job.

[Mac45]

But like I said my options are very limited, I did not get the grades or take the required classes in high school to go to a 4 year university, thats why I am going to a trade school that costs just as much, only I wouldn't live on campus. Nothing else has interested me even close to what CJ has, and I don't want to be just a cop, CSI and DEA, ATF seem to be the most fascinating to me. ITT only has a few programs of study, and i discussed all the course options with my advisor and this program seems to fit me the best. But now all of you who are in the field says not to get it, so what is the point of this degree if nobody wants it than?

[myonlyswerving]

I'm more or less in the same boat as Mac45. So if I went ahead and got an associate's in CJ and moved on and got my BS in psychology or sociology, would that make more sense than getting a BS in CJ?