Law Enforcement Degree | Law Enforcement Colleges and Training

Law Enforcement Degree | Law Enforcement Colleges and Training | Our TOP Recommendations
Request FREE information today. There is NO OBLIGATION to enroll.

Job seekers with military police experience or college training in police science will have the best prospects for employment.

• Nature of the Work - Law enforcement, including state or Federal special agents or inspectors, perform several different functions in a variety of ways depending on the type and size of their organization. In many jurisdictions, they are expected to employ authority when needed, whether they are on or off duty.
  
• Law Enforcement Colleges - Many junior colleges, colleges, and universities provide degree programs in administration of justice or law enforcement. Several agencies pay all or part of the tuition for officers to earn degrees in public administration, criminal justice, police science, or administration of justice, and pay higher wages to those who earn a degree.
  
• Other Qualifications - Job seekers should enjoy interfacing with people and engaging the public. Since personal trait such as sound judgment, honesty, integrity and responsibility are particularly important in law enforcement, candidates are frequently interviewed by experienced officers, and their backgrounds and traits are thoroughly examined. In many agencies, candidates may be interviewed by a psychologist or psychiatrist or submit to a personality test. Many applicants may also take lie detector tests or submit to drug testing. Several agencies expect sworn personnel to subject to random drug testing as an required condition for on-going employment.

Law Enforcement Degree / Law Enforcement Training

Prior to their first assignments, officers typically undergo a training period. In state and large local police departments, recruits are trained in their agency’s police academy, frequently for 12 to 14 weeks. In some of the police departments with fewer officers, recruits typically attend a state or regional academy. Training entails classroom instruction in accident investigation, state laws and local ordinances, constitutional law and civil rights.

Recruits also receive supervised experience and training in the use of firearms, patrol, traffic control, first aid, self-defense, and emergency response. Police departments in many large cities employ high school graduates still in their teens as trainees or police cadets. They attend classes for 1 or 2 years and do clerical work, until they achieve the minimum age requirement and can then be appointed to the regular police force.


Law Enforcement Degree Professionals - Job Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, detectives and law enforcement officers employed by local governments mainly worked in cities with more than 25,000 citizens. Several cities have big police forces, while thousands of small towns have fewer than 25 officers on the job. Employment opportunities in many local police departments will be good for qualified candidates, while competition is anticipated for jobs in state and Federal police departments. Median job growth is projected.

Employment of police and detectives is anticipated to increase 11 percent over the 2006-16 decade, about as fast as the average for all careers. Population growth and a more security-minded society will add to the rising need for police services.


Salary for a Law Enforcement Professional

In May 2006, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that police and sheriff’s patrol officers had average annual incomes of $47,460. The middle 50 percent made between $35,600 and $59,880. The bottom 10 percent made less than $27,310, and the top 10 percent made more than $72,450. Average annual incomes were $43,510 in Federal government, $52,540 in state government, and about $47,190 in local government.

In May 2006, average annual incomes of police and detective supervisors were $69,310. The middle 50 percent made between $53,900 and $83,940. The bottom 10 percent made less than $41,260, and the top 10 percent made more than $104,410. Average annual incomes were $85,170 in Federal government, $68,990 in state government, and $68,670 in local government.

In May 2006, average annual incomes of detectives and criminal investigators were $58,260. The middle 50 percent made between $43,920 and $76,350. The bottom 10 percent made less than $34,480, and the top 10 percent made more than $92,590. Average annual incomes were $69,510 in Federal government, $49,370 in state government, and $52,520 in local government.

Related Occupations: Police and detectives collect evidence and information, maintain law and order, and conduct surveillance and investigations. Personnel in related careers include private detectives and investigators, correctional officers, probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, gaming surveillance officers, and security guards. Like police and detectives, emergency medical technicians and paramedics as well as firefighters provide safety services to the public and are called to emergencies.


Law Enforcement Degree - Training Colleges and Universities

There are an excellent number of choices for an online law enforcement degree. Online colleges and universities now provide the same curriculum as the traditional education. Learning online provides you with so much more flexibility to suit your lifestyle and current employment. We include our top recommendations for a law enforcement degree.


Go from Law Enforcement Degree to Online Criminal Justice Degree