Criminal Justice Degree....

[learflyer]

Who here is going for their CJ degree? I'm going for it at EC with the Homeland Security emphasis. I'm really only doing it to get the degree. Maybe i'll use it for a career? Just wondering what peoples plans are who are pursuing a CJ degree? I wonder if it is as useless as an Aviation degree!

[bat21]

It really depends on your career field. Is a Liberal Arts degree useless? Maybe Maybe Not?

If you work in law enforcement a CJ degree is good to have, as a well as a Management Degree, which will help you more than a regular CJ degree.

A degree is a degree, regardless of what you decide to major in as a undergrad.

A Masters Degree is where you want be. That is worth its weight in gold.

[ShotoJuku]

1. Who here is going for their CJ degree?

2. I'm really only doing it to get the degree.

3. Maybe i'll use it for a career?

[COLOR="Navy"]1. I have one, but then again I've been a LEO for 27+ years.

2. Although getting a degree is important, getting the right degree FOR YOU is even more important which leads us to the answer to question number three.

3. What do you want to be when you grow up? ( I want to retire).[/COLOR]

[learflyer]

[COLOR="Navy"]1. I have one, but then again I've been a LEO for 27+ years.

2. Although getting a degree is important, getting the right degree FOR YOU is even more important which leads us to the answer to question number three.

[B]3. What do you want to be when you grow up? ( I want to retire).[/COLOR][/B]

Well, I want to be an Airline Pilot! Oh yeah, I already am! (was) 9/11 basically ended that dream.) That's why i'm asking. I keep hearing "get a degree in something you like". Well, CJ interests me, and the inner workings of our fight on terrorism interests me as well. My old man was a Parole Officer. That's always an option. It just doesn't seem as useful as a business degree.


Then my logical side kicks in and says: "get a business degree because it's more useful." I'm still taking cleps as we speak to get the basics out of the way.

[bat21]

You may want to look into the BS in Homeland Security Degree from TESC and the Andrew Jackson University MA in Criminal Justice.

And you could always get a AOJ in a AA or AAS degree.

These degrees will help you in Law Enforcement.

I have over 15+ years in Local,County, and now Federal Law Enforcement. Now I just need to finish a Masters Program.

[learflyer]

Been pluggin' away at my cleps and dsst's for two years now for this degree. :ack:

What will the diploma read? BS Criminal Justice or BS Liberal Studies (criminal justice emphasis)? God I hope it's the former. I'm thinking Parole Officer if the flying doesn't pick up for me soon.

[PonyGirl93]

Woot for CJers! I'm a little over half way done (after my final on Monday I will have some more credits to add to my counter below :p ).

I am not sure what I want to do with it... Definitely something investigative. I plan to start out working with a private investigator since I will be too young to be a PO anyway. Ideally I would be a police detective, but I am not sure I am cool with being an officer for 2+who-knows-how-many years before I could do that.

A masters is definitely in the plan, probably in Psychology (possibly Forensic Psychology), & eventually I would like to be a forensic Psychologist, but I groan already at the thought of a doctorate.

I would say go for the degree you want/is useful, not the quicker option :p I would think a Homeland Security degree would be more what you are looking for. TESC has one, here's the info:
Thomas Edison State College | Credit Distribution for Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

Good luck, & stick around so we can all see how you are progressing

[ShotoJuku]

Been pluggin' away at my cleps and dsst's for two years now for this degree. :ack:

What will the diploma read? BS Criminal Justice or BS Liberal Studies (criminal justice emphasis)? God I hope it's the former. I'm thinking Parole Officer if the flying doesn't pick up for me soon.

[SIZE="3"]Bachelor of Science[/SIZE]
Criminal Justice

[clep3705]

Lamar University Academic Partnerships

The cost of this criminal justice program is reasonable. It as an online program from a brick and mortar university.

Both the University of Texas at Arlington and Lamar University (in Beaumont, Texas near the Louisiana border) have online degrees. They call their online programs Academic Parternership programs.

I'm a student in the University of Texas at Arlington Academic Partnership program. They've been doing distance education a long time and things generally work well. Although you end up with a brick and mortar degree, you aren't on tradtional ridgid schedules. Courses start throughout the year.

If you are a Texas resident, an Academic Partnership degree might be your lowest cost option. Even if you're aren't a Texas resident, it's not that much more. The premium for nonresidents isn't as high for Academic Partnership courses as it is for physically attending classes on campus.

[TMW2010]

Threadjack alert

A masters is definitely in the plan, probably in Psychology (possibly Forensic Psychology), & eventually I would like to be a forensic Psychologist, but I groan already at the thought of a doctorate.

I just wanted to share what information I've found about this idea.

A Master's in Forensic Psychology is pretty much a terminal degree - meaning that it doesn't really lead to a doctorate. In my research (at least in Oklahoma) those working for the state with the designation of 'Forensic Psychologists' are clinical psychologists (APA accredited doctorate in Clinical Psychology) that have gone on and gotten special background training after their doctorates. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the same is pretty much true for the FBI (which I know is one of your dream jobs) and other government agencies. A MAFP/MSFP seems to be more geared towards people already in the CJ field who want to advance a few steps up the ladder in their job.

That being said, nothing is ever concrete in the world (well, maybe except for cement, but that's a matter for another day) and you may be able to parlay it into something. But more often than not, a MSW or a Master in Psychology (General - which is theoretical or Applied - which is real world usage but gets you into less doctoral programs than general) might be a better path in the end, adding the specific forensic background after the fact. Or a Master's in CJ followed by a Master's in FP would likely give you more bang for your buck. And if I recall APU/AMU has a decent MACJ that's relatively cheap with the option of 8 week classes, so it can be finished quickly if you have the time to do it.
End Threadjack

If you're looking for an advanced degree to give you more of focus once you get your undergrad, APUS has a bunch of options. They have Master's programs (and a variety of grad certificates) in things like Intelligence Studies, Homeland Security, Emergency & Disaster Management, National Security studies, Space Studies, and so on. Take this with a grain of salt though, because I don't know how much real world use they have, job-wise. I haven't done much research into those

Personally, I am starting APUS' Master's program in Psychology in January. Everyone I've dealt with there so far has been awesome and I'm looking forward to getting my Master's from there.

*Edit* Also, to the OP. Is your Aviation degree an Assoc or a Bachelor's? If its a Bachelor's, don't waste your time getting another one. Get a Master's and you'll be ahead of the game.