How Much Education Does a Police Officer Need ? Are you interested in becoming a police officer? There are a variety of options open to you for education. Although obtaining your bachelor’s degree in the area of criminal justice is not a requirement for majority of the entry-level jobs into this career field, getting a degree will not only make you look more serious among your peers and it shows that you are willing to invest in your career when you apply to the hiring officer, a degree will also help you out later in life at the peak of your career pursuit.
Let’s take a drive at the amount of education that is needed for those persons who would want to be police officers and how the education attained can keep them in track all through their careers. Recall that becoming a cop is one step into a field that encompasses many different positions, some having more requirements for education than the others.
What Does a Police Officer Do?
In the lay man sense, police officers are those workers who are saddled with the responsibilities of enforcing and protecting life and property. But of course, you should know that there is much more to their jobs. Some of the Police Officer Careers Basics are contained in this content.
Police officers are those workers who are sworn to protect and serve the communities in which they reside and the community they are sent to work. They are saddled with the law enforcement roles, obtaining warrants, arresting and interviewing of suspects, they are the ones who secure crime and accident scenes, they pen down detailed reports and are ready to testify in court,to mention but a few.
Sometimes,Officers can respond to emergency calls, react to working shifts that function around the clock.
The Basic Skills Needed to Become a Police Officer
Effective communication skills, not to exclude tact and diplomacy for dealing with sensitive situations , community focus , a sense of personal responsibility, integrity & resilience, problem-solving skills , a confident and calm manner , good literacy skills in order to accurately record, details and write reports , respect for diversity , teamwork skills and the ability to work, independently , professionalism, honesty and trustworthiness , sound judgement and a proper respect for confidentiality , the ability to act with resolve, tolerance & restraint.
What Type of Education is Available in the Criminal Justice Field?
Some of the jobs out there that are commonly filled by those with criminal justice degrees include;
- Law Enforcement
- Corrections
- Border Protection
- Homeland Security
- Private & Public Security
- Fraud Investigation
At a college , institution of higher education or university, the criminal justice curriculum covers some of the instruction in court structure and the legal system, it takes look at policies and procedures of law enforcement, other instructions covered includes, the fundamentals of security and surveillance, and techniques utilized in the investigating, tracking, solving, and in deterring crime.
As for what you may likely learn during your degree program, not that it will vary based on the particular institution. Here are few of the areas you may be choose to focus or specialize in.
- Homeland Security & Anti-terrorism
- Law Enforcement
- Security
- Surveillance
- Criminal & Crime Scene Investigation Techniques
- Dealing with Juveniles
- Corrections
How Much Education is Needed to Be a Police Officer?
For most of the police officer jobs that needs that candidates must have obtained more than a high school diploma, basically the degree levels (or level of education ) that are expected can fit into 3 of the following categories:
Obtaining an associate’s degree or the equivalent amount of college credits of 60
Obtaining an associate’s degree is any undergraduate course of study which was obtained at a community college or concluded in a junior college. As for the full-time students , the duration for the program is quite short. Typically you can complete an associate’s degree in just two years.
Obtaining a bachelor’s or baccalaureate degree / the equivalent amount of college credits (*120).
These bachelor’s degrees are mostly offered by four-year institutions and this education option is known to provide a more comprehensive undergraduate education . It also covers upper-division coursework.
Getting your master’s degree or a graduate certificate.
Graduate-level education is more advanced, it is usually more specialized than the regular undergraduate coursework.
According to a report done in the year 2017 by the National Police Foundation , It was discovered that an associate’s degree was actually the frequently utilized level of education for this career field, It was gathered that associate degree had an highest level of education of 51.8 % which represented a majority of the sworn police officers in America.
It was just about a 30% of the recruited cops that identified that they had obtained bachelor’s degree, while the smallest minority of about 5 percent of officers had identified themselves to have come out of the graduate school.
If you choose to completely opt out of attending a college, then your entire career prospects into the law enforcement will be hugely limited, and you will see yourself struggling to compete for jobs together with top candidates that will get favoured and are more highly educated than your person.
In all, to secure most of the job opportunities, you must not be failing in these eligibilities ; education and experience which is usually Level 3 or equivalent, but to work for forces they may also consider experience as a special constable or any relevant work experience, business interests , your cautions and convictions , your dress sense and appearance , they check out for eyesight , candidate’s financial position , health and fitness , you should not be a member of an extreme right wing political party , your nationality and residency , your work history (which should show significant absences) , they will check your history on substance abuse and tattoos
Do Police Officers Earn More Money with a College Degree?
There are a variety of factors that can determine what a police officer will be payed , but on a general note, officers who are working with an already obtained college degrees may earn more money. The police departments may choose to pay them extra salaries, flat amount per annum or to add to their pay by a certain percentage.
Conclusion
The demand for works of police officers at all phases is expected to rise considerably over the upcoming few decades. With the right training and education, exceptional candidates will be prepared to pursue careers in law enforcement which includes: Police officer, Sheriff’s deputy, State trooper, Juvenile officer, Detective or investigator, Game warden or park patrol, Narcotics officer and Crime scene investigator.
Most law enforcement agencies spread across the globe usually require a high school a high school diploma for an ordinary level ( entry-level) police and patrol careers, the 2017 report by the National Police Foundation , It was discovered that an associate’s degree was actually the frequently utilized level of education for this career field, It was gathered that associate degree had an highest level of education of 51.8 %, but if you want to be more competitive, obtaining a higher level college degree might give you upper hands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements to become a police officer in Florida?
Be at least 19 years of age for law enforcement and correctional probation.
Be at least 18 years of age for corrections.
Be a citizen of the United States.
Have earned a high school graduate or equivalent (GED).
Which subjects are best for police?
The College Board suggests that a student interested in a future in law enforcement take classes in science, psychology, and Mathematics
What is the best age to become a police officer?
20 years of age to start training should be the standard. Without a doubt, 21 years old
How can a foreigner become a police officer in the US?
Anyone who is legally authorized to work in the state of California, under federal law, with the proper green card or visa, is fit to become a police officer
How long is police training UK?
Eighteen (18 ) weeks in college (Monday to Friday) finishing with passing out parade.
Reference
- Allcriminaljusticeschools.com – Education for Police Officers
- Learn how to become.org – How to Become a Police Officer | Degrees & Careers in Law Enforcement
- Ecpi.edu – What Education Does a Police Officer Need?
- Ucas.com – how to become a police officer
- Degreequery.com – WHAT DEGREE SHOULD I GET TO BE A POLICE OFFICER ?
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