Excelsior College Masters of Science in Criminal Justice

[wombat777]

Just starting to explore this degree possibility (as a favor for my husband). Excelsior's website says up to 15 credits can be transferred in. Are there any exams that would count for any of the required classes? How about training received on-the-job? TIA

[sanantone]

I haven't seen any ACE or NCCRS-approved criminal justice courses/tests at the graduate level. I don't know if Excelsior allows for graduate-level PLAs. Police and corrections training is usually considered undergraduate-level. But, you should pay attention to this and ask for clarification.

Excelsior accepts up to 15 transfer credits—half of the 30 credits required for graduation—from criminal justice programs at other accredited colleges.

It is possible that they will still accept ACE or similar credits (if you can find them), but you should verify just to be sure. If he can find cheaper criminal justice courses at another school, then he should just complete his whole degree at that school. I don't see how Excelsior offers an advantage for this type of program. They charge $620 per credit hour. That is expensive.

[jawbreakingrr]

Are you planning to obtain this degree or your husband? If you live in NY John Jay has multiple Master's Degrees. They have a CJ Master's that is cheaper than Excelsior and they offer it online as well.

[wombat777]

My husband would be seeking the degree.
Not in NY, but online is good - will add John Jay to the list to research. Do they accept OJT? That was one reason I gravitated toward Excelsior first (not sure if they accept that for Masters, but I am looking into it).

Husband has more than just typical training. He has Certified Crime Scene Investigator, Certified Latent Print Examiner and Advanced Photography training.

[sanantone]

That's vocational training that is the type that might count for credit for an associates degree or lower level credit for a bachelors degree. Training that might be graduate-level would be in advanced research methods, management, and leadership, for example. A graduate program in CJ and pretty much any of the social sciences will be focused on theory, research, leading organizations, and problem-solving rather than teaching a vocational skill. The only type of applied training one might see in one of these programs is counseling or intelligence analysis.

[defscarlett]

You may want to look in to schools in your area. In Ohio, the OACP put on a few different executive level training courses PELC and CLEE which were worth graduate credit at local schools. To enroll, you have to be an Ohio LEO, at Sgt or above. While this training was not ACE evaluated they had negotiated with local schools to grant credit for the courses. My old LT. was going through both and he said it was brutal, and he already had his Masters and taught CJ courses at several schools. You may have something similar in your jurisdiction.

[wombat777]

Thank you all for your input - much appreciated!