Changing my major?

[crazycoffey]

Originally Posted by patteeu

I'm not a police officer so take my advice with a grain of salt. I like Jenson's idea here except that I wouldn't change majors to CJ. If you don't like history, change it to psycology or business or something else that will either be generally useful in your field or provide you with something to fall back on and go ahead and get a history minor if you can.

Definitely finish your degree. It won't hurt you in the police business (on the contrary, as others have indicated, it will probably help you land some jobs or some promotions) and it will give you something to fall back on if police work ends up not working out for you.

One thing that I didn't see mentioned is that you could join the military after finishing college and use that as a stepping stone into the law enforcement field. I know a lot of police officers who are former military so I'd imagine that that experience would help you find work too.

yep, military is a good route too, plus they will pay some of your college loans and pay pretty good to be an officer.

But again, don't change it to a CJ degree unless you plan on working in the FBI labs (not as dramatic as seen on tv, ala CSI types) or teach college level classes in CJ. You can be a cop or join the military with ANY degree, even underwater basket weaving.

I am going to school now and finally finishing a degree after 7 years of night school, I wish I would have done it sooner. I am a police officer and I don't know anyone at any department that had to have a CJ major on their degree, IF the department demands a degree. Many only demand some college and some will also wave credit hours for military experience. I know these statements to be true in Texas and Missouri and reckon I am still close to being true in other states. CJ is a throw away degree, don't do it. Get the teaching degree, become a cop, enjoy the job as long as you want then teach.