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.

[DenverChief]

Originally Posted by crazycoffey

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.

HEY!!! WTF OVER?!?! BTW that is why I am getting my masters in CJ so I can start teaching undergraduate CJ courses in my spare time make some extra $$

[crazycoffey]

Originally Posted by DenverChief

HEY!!! WTF OVER?!?! BTW that is why I am getting my masters in CJ so I can start teaching undergraduate CJ courses in my spare time make some extra $$

If you read any of my other posts, you would have seen that I said the only reason to get a CJ four year degree is if you wanted to work in the lab, or get a masters or PHD in CJ to teach.

He clearly stated he was thinking about changing degees to be a cop. I am a cop too and I know more people that said they wish they would have gotten thier degree in something other than CJ, than those that had degrees wishing they would have studied criminal justice other than what they had studied.

I was responding more to the other poster (not a cop) saying to change his degree to CJ because it could open more doors for the thread poster's law enforcement career.

Sorry if I offended you, you are doing what you want and what I was explaining as the reason to to get a CJ degree. However with a four year degree in teaching history, he has something to fall back on. He didnt' mention anything about a desire to teach college level courses or even to pursue a Master's degree.

Even with a four year degree in history, switching his master pursuit to CJ to teach CJ to college kids makes more sense long term to me, than changing now just for his four year degree.

[DenverChief]

Originally Posted by crazycoffey

If you read any of my other posts, you would have seen that I said the only reason to get a CJ four year degree is if you wanted to work in the lab, or get a masters or PHD in CJ to teach.

He clearly stated he was thinking about changing degees to be a cop. I am a cop too and I know more people that said they wish they would have gotten thier degree in something other than CJ, than those that had degrees wishing they would have studied criminal justice other than what they had studied.

I was responding more to the other poster (not a cop) saying to change his degree to CJ because it could open more doors for the thread poster's law enforcement career.

Sorry if I offended you, you are doing what you want and what I was explaining as the reason to to get a CJ degree. However with a four year degree in teaching history, he has something to fall back on. He didnt' mention anything about a desire to teach college level courses or even to pursue a Master's degree.

Even with a four year degree in history, switching his master pursuit to CJ to teach CJ to college kids makes more sense long term to me, than changing now just for his four year degree.

I was just messin...but it is much harder to get a masters outside of your undergrad discipline if y ou don't have the basics first....very few exceptions to that rule.....CJ, Sociology with Criminalistics emphasis, and Poly Sci are about all you can do and still do good in a CJ Masters program....

[crazycoffey]

Originally Posted by DenverChief

I was just messin...but it is much harder to get a masters outside of your undergrad discipline if y ou don't have the basics first....very few exceptions to that rule.....CJ, Sociology with Criminalistics emphasis, and Poly Sci are about all you can do and still do good in a CJ Masters program....

I am finishing a B.S. in business and planning to go for my Masters in Art education, there's another one to add to the list.

I think I'm getting too old to stay in Law Enforcement. 34 and starting at a new department? Not going to be fun.

[DenverChief]

Originally Posted by crazycoffey

I am finishing a B.S. in business and planning to go for my Masters in Art education, there's another one to add to the list.

I think I'm getting too old to stay in Law Enforcement. 34 and starting at a new department? Not going to be fun.

GAH! Don't say that! I just started my LE career at 29 (been in 2 years) Why did you leave your last department?

I think that saying a CJ degree is "worth nothing" is akin to saying military experience is "worth nothing" but that is just my opinion I also served 5 years in the Army 3 Active, 2 Guard

[crazycoffey]

Originally Posted by DenverChief

GAH! Don't say that! I just started my LE career at 29 (been in 2 years) Why did you leave your last department?

I think that saying a CJ degree is "worth nothing" is akin to saying military experience is "worth nothing" but that is just my opinion I also served 5 years in the Army 3 Active, 2 Guard

my wife got a promotion and we moved from texas to missouri. I also have five years of active duty MP. The five years in texas was on a SWAT team, so we did alot of active training and it just takes years from your life, all the sweat, stress, etc. Add to that being a chiefs fan, I think I only have a couple years left..... LOL.

I appologize again about saying the CJ comment. I think there are better options one could pick for a degree if you want to go into law enforcement, but you even said you wanted to teach some classes, then it's right for you.

The stories I've heard, an injury with only a B.S. in CJ (it's science, or arts? I don't know) anyway thier law enforcement career is cut short and it wasn't long enough to be a consultant, they were left in the cold, sorta. Interests in post Law Enforcement careers in a science field, or accounting field, etc. but they only had a four year in CJ and couldn't do anything but sell office supplies. In hindsight they'd wished they did something else. That's what I was going for.