Ride Along

[Bobby Ricigliano]

I have a 2 year and 4 year degree in Criminal Justice and I don't think it was a waste of time at all. Perhaps those that see a CJ degree as a waste can enlighten us as to what fields they received their degrees in. Are there better majors out there? Perhaps. However, if your career interest is in the CJ field you will find the classes a lot more interesting and you will be less likely to drop out if you are studying within your chosen field.

I do strongly agree with going into military service. You can serve in the Guard or Reserve and go to school at the same time. You will receive tuition assistance from the military, and some schools offer additional benefits to military folks. My Army Reserve unit also gave me all the time off I needed when I got accepted into the academy by letting me do an extra 2 week AT to compensate for missed drills.

By the way, 11+ years as a LEO, not a 'wannabe'.

[Spyder]

I got a BS in Criminal Justice and I sure as heck wish I would have gotten it in something else. While I'm actually using the knowledge I gained during my time getting that degree, I don't have anything to fall back on should my current career choice fall through. I went through the Sac State program and learned a lot of valuable life lessons, and had my eyes opened to a lot of things I likely would have never heard of, but the hardcopy of my degree is near worthless. Most any other BS/BA would have been more useful over the course of my life.

[5shot]

I got a BS in Criminal Justice and I sure as heck wish I would have gotten it in something else. While I'm actually using the knowledge I gained during my time getting that degree, I don't have anything to fall back on should my current career choice fall through. I went through the Sac State program and learned a lot of valuable life lessons, and had my eyes opened to a lot of things I likely would have never heard of, but the hardcopy of my degree is near worthless. Most any other BS/BA would have been more useful over the course of my life.

Don't sell yourself short. Unless it's in a highly technical field, many careers don't require specific degrees. They do require degrees because it shows the individual has set goals and dedicated the time to achieving those goals. It also shows a strong work ethic, and a higher then average intelligence level. Even with education at a all time high, only 22% of Americans earn a B.A. degree.
That along with military or law enforcement experience shows that the individual usually has a high maturity level, leadership abilities, good decision making abilities, good character, and good team working skills. Things that cannot be learned in any course of study.
I'm glad I got my A.A. in Admin of Justice, because just about every class I had at the academy was a repeat of a class I already taken. And every 2 weeks when we had a block exam, someone would wash out of the academy due to academics. Whether it was the first 2 weeks, or the last 2 weeks.
I later got my B.A. in Management, because like was stated here, everybody told me to have something to fall back on. But most of the people that I knew who left law enforcement for private sector jobs did very well with just a CJ degree. And a lot got well paying investigation jobs with large corporations because they had CJ degrees and law enforcement experience.

[BigDogatPlay]

An undergraduate degree is a degree is a degree, IMO. My degree is also in Criminal Justice, and I did a bunch of minor studies in Business Administration. Life is good for me in the private sector post LE. By the same token, I know guys who are working successfully as cops with undergrad in things like history, sociology or a physical science.

Now if you happen to be seeking employment in a specialized field that calls for some type of specific post grad degree thats another story. When you get into that air, a specialized degree from the "right school" opens lots of doors.

A degree in Criminal Justice is not worthless in an LEA. It is a starting point. Reaching the degree takes work, responsibility and dedication.... all things that LEA look for in candidates. Those who pursue command often take graduate degrees in Business Administration or Public Administration down the road.

[PositiveInfluence]

See if any of your local departments have volunteer opportunities, I know that my local PD and SD have odd jobs filled in with volunteers such as running booths at special events and some basic office clerk stuff. Might be a good option especially if you want to work for a specific department. You will more than likely be working with a lot of senior citizens but it is a foot in the door and you will get to work with a lot of different LEO's.