Beyond Confused Here...

[AndrewTheC]

I didn't see this question answered, if so please redirect me.

I've been searching all around for days, no one gives a solid answer on the best major if you want to be a cop, specifically a detective(i know i have to be patrol for x amount of years first). I was thinking criminology just because it seems interesting and i think it would help me in this field of world. But people have said that doesn't set you apart when getting hired, but i feel like it's not necessarily about being set apart just by your major. I feel like you should pick the best major for you and then set yourself apart in other ways.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Andrew

[mcsap]

While it won't hurt you , there is no guarantee that you will make it as a det. You may not want to do it or you may not make the cut. There are many opportunities for officers to progress into and some are much better on the street in uniform than not being in uniform and doing more specialized work.

I have done both. I took the Det. slot mainly because nobody else was available and the hours were GOOD. It still is a lot of work but I don't consider myself a "detective" , just the Det Sgt. I do more managerial duties than investigating. I have dets' that are GREAT at what they do and we have uniforms that are GREAT at what they do.

Do a good job on the street, dont be so quick to turn cases over to the Det's , use your brain to work on some cases and you may find the road ahead a little easier if you still want to get into investigations. plan on at least 5 years on the street first. Learn all you can because you will NEED and USE all of it.

[kels]

Take it for what it is worth,
but I had a supervisor who loved
trainees with English degrees.
He said that they could write good reports
and that they could be taught everything else.

This opinion and a buck fifty, might get you a refill....

[scott715us]

I didn't see this question answered, if so please redirect me.

I've been searching all around for days, no one gives a solid answer on the best major if you want to be a cop, specifically a detective(i know i have to be patrol for x amount of years first). I was thinking criminology just because it seems interesting and i think it would help me in this field of world. But people have said that doesn't set you apart when getting hired, but i feel like it's not necessarily about being set apart just by your major. I feel like you should pick the best major for you and then set yourself apart in other ways.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Andrew

There's no definitive answer. You're going to have to decide for yourself. I have a b.s. in Criminal Justice and the US Secret Service was more concerned with my undergrad GPA than my major. I had a C+ average in undergrad, but a 3.9 GPA in grad school, so I guess that made up for it. I couldn't go with USSS because of my color vision, but if I had to do it over again I would still major in criminal justice, because that's what interested me at the time. In the core CJA classes I did well (As and Bs), but I had screwed around the first 2.5 years of college and paid for it. Even making better grades that last 1.5 years, I could only get my GPA up to a 2.5. I went to grad school ten years later and was serious about my education, hence the far better GPA (and I'm currently in law school).

Many here will encourage those entering the field to stay away from a CJ degree because it limits you in the job market if the LE career doesn't pan out. If you absolutely hate history, finance, or other subject fields, the question you have to ask is will it affect your grades? If you can still do well in the other subjects than consider a minor in criminal justice. If you think it's beneficial to major in it, then do it. If I had any recommendations, it would be to get a bachelor's degree at minimum. You want to stay ahead of the curve for education and associate programs in criminal justice are popping up at any community campus that breaks ground. Some programs are decent, some are horrid, and some aren't even recognized by Board of Regents (or other education oversight folks).

Your degree is just one tool on your belt. If you have a higher degree, then you will have an advantage over those who don't. You want to do as many things as possible to help the department you're interested in pick you over other applicants. You DO want to stand out in other areas, but LE has developed into a more professional career, hence why many agencies are requiring a minimum amount of college, so education does play a role in this. Hope this helps.

[Switchback]

I would try putting your investigative skills to work. There have been a TON of threads on this over the years. The Cliff NOtes version of an answer is that it doesn't matter what you major in with 99.9% of the agencies/departments out there. I would study something you like, your grades will likely be better.

[Citicop]

As usual, Switch is right.

The reason you can't get an answer on what degree is best is because there is no answer.

For (nearly all) police departments, a degree is a checkmark. If the answer to the question "does he have a degree" is yes, then it's yes regardless whether the degree is in accounting, chemistry, criminal justice, history, business, or art. Any degree from any accredited institution will work just as well as any other.

Law Enforcement is not like some other careers where the name of the school makes a difference, or where you aren't qualified if you don't have a specific degree.

A degree will help you become a detective, but your on the job performance will mean much MUCH more than what you studied in college. They may not even ask.

-Citicop.