A degree in law enforcement prepares students to complete specific on-the-job training programs that are typically required for positions in fields such as policing, detective work, corrections, and probation.\n
The curriculum of degree programs commonly includes courses in:
\n
\n- Criminal Justice
\n- Criminal Law
\n- Criminology
\n- Criminal Investigations
\n- Victimology
\n- Cyber Crime Investigations
\n- Evidence and Court Procedure
\n- Policing / Law Enforcement Operations
\n- Police Administration
\n- Police and Community Relations
\n- Corrections
\n- Ethical Issues in Law Enforcement
\n- Juvenile Justice
\n- Psychology
\n- Sociology
\n- Law History
\n- Media Relations
\n- English Composition
\n
", "display_order": 1, "created_at": "2020-01-27T17:21:48.480424-08:00", "updated_at": "2021-11-18T13:55:49.105978-08:00"}, {"degree_id": 2097, "page": 1, "title": "Program options", "summary_markdown": "**Associate Degree in Law Enforcement - Two Year Duration** \r\nAn associate degree in law enforcement lays the foundation for students to pursue entry-level jobs in the field or a higher-level degree.\r\n\r\nCore courses at this level include the following:\r\n\r\n- Crime Types \u2013 white collar, property, and organized crime\r\n- Policing and Police Strategy \u2013 the history, status, and future of policing; community policing; patrolling\r\n- Investigating Crime Scenes \u2013 managing crime scenes; gathering and documenting evidence\r\n- Introduction to Criminal Justice \u2013 how the legal system works; policing styles; crime prevention; criminal rehabilitation\r\n- Ethics in Criminal Justice \u2013 dealing with and responding to ethical dilemmas in the field\r\n- Criminal Law and Procedures \u2013 standards of proof and due process; criminal responsibility; criminal defense\r\n- Juvenile Justice \u2013 juvenile delinquency; juvenile laws, probation, and corrections; juvenile justice theories\r\n- Psychology for Law Enforcement \u2013 applying psychological concepts to interviewing suspects, modifying offender behavior, and coping with professional stress", "content_markdown": "**Bachelor\u2019s Degree in Law Enforcement - Four Year Duration** \r\nWith a bachelor\u2019s degree, law enforcement graduates often become [police officers](//www.bytmann.com/careers/police-officer/), [detectives](//www.bytmann.com/careers/detective/), [probation officers](//www.bytmann.com/careers/probation-officer/), [correctional officers](//www.bytmann.com/careers/correctional-officer/), or [private investigators](//www.bytmann.com/careers/private-detective/). Common concentration options at this education level include police administration, corrections, emergency management, and public safety.\r\n\r\nCourses like the following are integral to bachelor\u2019s programs in law enforcement:\r\n\r\n- Criminal Justice \u2013 review of the courts system, corrections, and law enforcement; theories of what causes crime\r\n- Police Ethics \u2013 police culture; sources of unethical police conduct\r\n- Emergency Planning \u2013 avoiding, reducing, and managing emergencies like riots\r\n- Police Models \u2013 differences between local, state, and federal policing\r\n- Community Policing \u2013 how to address hate crimes, domestic abuse, and race-related crime in various communities\r\n- Constitutional Law and Civil Process of Criminal Procedures \u2013 examination of the role of the law enforcement officer and the rights of the individual\r\n- First Responder \u2013 the basics of first responder/medical emergency training; preserving the crime scene\r\n- Police Report Writing \u2013 terminology used by law enforcement officers; general writing skills\r\n\r\n**Master\u2019s Degree in Law Enforcement - Two Year Duration** \r\nA Master\u2019s Degree in Law Enforcement prepares students for advanced and leadership positions in the field. Some examples are police supervisor, police lieutenant, detective supervisor, corrections supervisor, firefighting and fire prevention workers supervisor, emergency management director, immigration officer, [intelligence analyst](//www.bytmann.com/careers/intelligence-analyst/), [federal special agent](//www.bytmann.com/careers/special-agent/), and FBI agent.\r\n\r\nMaster\u2019s coursework includes:\r\n\r\n- Criminal Statistics \u2013 statistical analysis methods\r\n- Counterterrorism / Intelligence Gathering \u2013 intelligence and surveillance methods; related legal issues\r\n- Police Administration \u2013 managing police personnel and operations; technology for law enforcement\r\n- Correctional Leadership \u2013 the history, law, and management of correctional institutions; punishment and rehabilitation of offenders\r\n- Cultural Competency in Criminal Justice \u2013 a review of bias-based policing and racial, gender, and economic profiling\r\n- Research Methods in Criminal Justice \u2013 applying criminal justice statistics and data to working in law enforcement\r\n- Criminal Justice Professional Development \u2013 career advancement in the field", "content_html": "
Bachelor\u2019s Degree in Law Enforcement - Four Year Duration
\nWith a bachelor\u2019s degree, law enforcement graduates often become police officers, detectives, probation officers, correctional officers, or private investigators. Common concentration options at this education level include police administration, corrections, emergency management, and public safety.
\n
Courses like the following are integral to bachelor\u2019s programs in law enforcement:
\n
\n- Criminal Justice \u2013 review of the courts system, corrections, and law enforcement; theories of what causes crime
\n- Police Ethics \u2013 police culture; sources of unethical police conduct
\n- Emergency Planning \u2013 avoiding, reducing, and managing emergencies like riots
\n- Police Models \u2013 differences between local, state, and federal policing
\n- Community Policing \u2013 how to address hate crimes, domestic abuse, and race-related crime in various communities
\n- Constitutional Law and Civil Process of Criminal Procedures \u2013 examination of the role of the law enforcement officer and the rights of the individual
\n- First Responder \u2013 the basics of first responder/medical emergency training; preserving the crime scene
\n- Police Report Writing \u2013 terminology used by law enforcement officers; general writing skills
\n
\n
Master\u2019s Degree in Law Enforcement - Two Year Duration
\nA Master\u2019s Degree in Law Enforcement prepares students for advanced and leadership positions in the field. Some examples are police supervisor, police lieutenant, detective supervisor, corrections supervisor, firefighting and fire prevention workers supervisor, emergency management director, immigration officer, intelligence analyst, federal special agent, and FBI agent.
\n
Master\u2019s coursework includes:
\n
\n- Criminal Statistics \u2013 statistical analysis methods
\n- Counterterrorism / Intelligence Gathering \u2013 intelligence and surveillance methods; related legal issues
\n- Police Administration \u2013 managing police personnel and operations; technology for law enforcement
\n- Correctional Leadership \u2013 the history, law, and management of correctional institutions; punishment and rehabilitation of offenders
\n- Cultural Competency in Criminal Justice \u2013 a review of bias-based policing and racial, gender, and economic profiling
\n- Research Methods in Criminal Justice \u2013 applying criminal justice statistics and data to working in law enforcement
\n- Criminal Justice Professional Development \u2013 career advancement in the field
\n
", "display_order": 2, "created_at": "2020-01-27T17:21:48.484507-08:00", "updated_at": "2022-01-25T11:37:14.131641-08:00"}, {"degree_id": 2097, "page": 1, "title": "Degrees similar to law enforcement", "summary_markdown": "**Police Science** \r\nDegree programs in police science prepare students for all aspects of police and security work: patrolling, investigating, crime prevention, community relations, report writing.\r\n\r\n**Corrections** \r\nCorrections majors study prison life and examine ways to improve how prisons work. The typical corrections curriculum covers controlling the cost of operating prisons, maintaining acceptable living conditions for inmates, and helping parolees returning to life outside prison.\r\n\r\n**[Criminal Justice](/degrees/criminal-justice-degree/)** \r\nCriminal justice is concerned with society\u2019s response to crime. It is an interdisciplinary major that explores every aspect of crime, the law, and the justice system.\r\n\r\n**[Criminology](/degrees/criminology-degree/)** \r\nCriminology is the study of crime, the human factors and behaviors that make it happen, and its impact on society.", "content_markdown": "**[Forensic Science](/degrees/forensic-science-degree/)** \r\nForensic science is an interdisciplinary field which combines science and criminal justice. Majors in the field learn how to collect and analyze evidence \u2013 blood, DNA, and other kinds of evidence \u2013 and how to effectively use it in a court of law.\r\n\r\n**[Public Administration](/degrees/public-administration-degree/)** \r\nThis degree field focuses on how administrators implement policy at various levels of government. Common coursework includes public policy, economic development, public budgeting and financial administration, local politics, and organization theory.\r\n\r\n**[Social Work](/degrees/social-work-degree/)** \r\nSocial work is about helping people solve and cope with social and psychological problems and challenges that arise in their everyday lives.\r\n\r\n**[Sociology](/degrees/sociology-degree/)** \r\nSociology is the wider study of society, social institutions like religion and law, and the ways in which people live and work together.", "content_html": "
Forensic Science
\nForensic science is an interdisciplinary field which combines science and criminal justice. Majors in the field learn how to collect and analyze evidence \u2013 blood, DNA, and other kinds of evidence \u2013 and how to effectively use it in a court of law.
\n
Public Administration
\nThis degree field focuses on how administrators implement policy at various levels of government. Common coursework includes public policy, economic development, public budgeting and financial administration, local politics, and organization theory.
\n
Social Work
\nSocial work is about helping people solve and cope with social and psychological problems and challenges that arise in their everyday lives.
\n
Sociology
\nSociology is the wider study of society, social institutions like religion and law, and the ways in which people live and work together.
", "display_order": 3, "created_at": "2020-01-27T17:21:48.488417-08:00", "updated_at": "2022-01-25T11:38:36.555346-08:00"}, {"degree_id": 2097, "page": 1, "title": "Skills you’ll learn", "summary_markdown": "While learning about the criminal justice system and developing the specific hard skills required to work in law enforcement, students also cultivate a set of soft skills, which are becoming increasingly valued across the job spectrum:\r\n\r\n**Communication** \r\nWorking in law enforcement calls for the ability to communicate in various ways. Tone, facial expressions, and gestures are without doubt as important as verbal messages. Writing clear and concise reports is also a requirement of many jobs in the field.\r\n\r\n**Critical Thinking and Problem Solving** \r\nThe capacity to gauge situations by thinking critically to solve problems is an integral part of law enforcement work. It is the foundation of what is known as the SARA model of problem solving: scanning, analysis, response, assessment.\r\n\r\n**Ability to Follow Orders** \r\nLaw enforcement has a rank-structured culture. In other words, following orders is typically a part of the job.\r\n\r\n**Respect, Empathy, and Compassion** \r\nEven in their positions of authority, law enforcement officers must remain respectful, be able to place themselves in someone else\u2019s shoes, and show compassion to people in challenging or traumatic situations.", "content_markdown": "**Adaptability** \r\nIndividuals who work in law enforcement need to be flexible and able to adapt to demanding and unexpected situations, changing social climates, and new technologies.\r\n\r\n**Building Trust** \r\nLaw enforcement officers who are able to build rapport and trust are invariably more successful at building community security.\r\n\r\n**Conflict Resolution** \r\nEncountering and dealing with conflict is a large part of enforcing the law. Students of law enforcement learn to listen actively and assess, de-escalate, and resolve situations.", "content_html": "
Adaptability
\nIndividuals who work in law enforcement need to be flexible and able to adapt to demanding and unexpected situations, changing social climates, and new technologies.
\n
Building Trust
\nLaw enforcement officers who are able to build rapport and trust are invariably more successful at building community security.
\n
Conflict Resolution
\nEncountering and dealing with conflict is a large part of enforcing the law. Students of law enforcement learn to listen actively and assess, de-escalate, and resolve situations.
", "display_order": 4, "created_at": "2020-01-27T17:21:48.492411-08:00", "updated_at": "2022-01-25T11:40:11.708396-08:00"}, {"degree_id": 2097, "page": 1, "title": "What can you do with a law enforcement degree?", "summary_markdown": "**Policing, Law Enforcement, and Investigation** \r\nLaw enforcement majors often find full-time employment with police departments. While some may take the traditional path and work as police officers or detectives, others seek to apply their knowledge of criminal justice, evidence handling, and data management in crime scene investigation positions.\r\n\r\n**Corrections - Prison Systems / Probationary Systems** \r\nWorking in probationary and prison systems is another natural fit for law enforcement graduates. Having studied crime and criminal justice, they are valuable resources in the corrections environment.\r\n\r\n**Government** \r\nGovernment agencies at the federal, state, and municipal levels are significant employers of law enforcement majors. They may find employment opportunities with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the FBI, the CIA, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Transportation Security Administration/Border Patrol (TSA). \r\n\r\nIn addition, some law enforcement grads may be employed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as criminal investigators or by the Foreign Service as diplomatic security agents, who are responsible for protecting ambassadors.\r\n\r\n**Private Sector Loss Prevention** \r\nOpportunities in this field exist with retail stores, hotels, and other private companies.", "content_markdown": "**Law** \r\nThe legal field presents opportunities to law enforcement graduates, as well. Some lawyers and paralegals begin their education with a degree in criminal justice or law enforcement.\r\n\r\n**Forensic Science** \r\nA career in forensics is another option for law enforcement graduates who are willing to undergo additional education specific to the forensic field they pursue. This is a diverse sector with positions in the following categories:\r\n\r\n- Arson Investigation \u2013 analyzing arson and explosions\r\n- Computer Forensics \u2013 searching computers for evidence of criminal activity\r\n- Crime Scene Photography \u2013 taking crime scene photos to preserve evidence\r\n- Document Examination \u2013 examining handwriting, printing, ink, and other documents for evidence\r\n- Forensic Accounting \u2013 examining financial records to identify criminal behavior\r\n- Forensic Anthropology \u2013 investigating crimes by examining human remains\r\n- Forensic Art \u2013 producing artwork for crime investigation; example: police sketches of subjects\r\n- Forensic Biology \u2013 examining DNA, blood, bodily fluids\r\n- Forensic Chemistry \u2013 chemical analysis of evidence\r\n- Forensic Engineering \u2013 examining physical evidence for signs of criminal activity\r\n- Forensic Nursing \u2013 reducing the consequences of violence by treating victims of assault and other crimes\r\n- Forensic Social Work \u2013 working with offenders with mental health problems in secure hospitals and in the community\r\n- Forensic Toxicology \u2013 studying bodily fluids to uncover evidence that toxic substances may have been involved in a crime", "content_html": "
Law
\nThe legal field presents opportunities to law enforcement graduates, as well. Some lawyers and paralegals begin their education with a degree in criminal justice or law enforcement.
\n
Forensic Science
\nA career in forensics is another option for law enforcement graduates who are willing to undergo additional education specific to the forensic field they pursue. This is a diverse sector with positions in the following categories:
\n
\n- Arson Investigation \u2013 analyzing arson and explosions
\n- Computer Forensics \u2013 searching computers for evidence of criminal activity
\n- Crime Scene Photography \u2013 taking crime scene photos to preserve evidence
\n- Document Examination \u2013 examining handwriting, printing, ink, and other documents for evidence
\n- Forensic Accounting \u2013 examining financial records to identify criminal behavior
\n- Forensic Anthropology \u2013 investigating crimes by examining human remains
\n- Forensic Art \u2013 producing artwork for crime investigation; example: police sketches of subjects
\n- Forensic Biology \u2013 examining DNA, blood, bodily fluids
\n- Forensic Chemistry \u2013 chemical analysis of evidence
\n- Forensic Engineering \u2013 examining physical evidence for signs of criminal activity
\n- Forensic Nursing \u2013 reducing the consequences of violence by treating victims of assault and other crimes
\n- Forensic Social Work \u2013 working with offenders with mental health problems in secure hospitals and in the community
\n- Forensic Toxicology \u2013 studying bodily fluids to uncover evidence that toxic substances may have been involved in a crime
\n
", "display_order": 5, "created_at": "2020-01-27T17:21:48.497953-08:00", "updated_at": "2022-01-25T11:42:26.727713-08:00"}], "degree_specializations": []}">
