Both Kenneth Anderson and Ronald Clare are the sons of former New York City police officers. That fact may have a bearing on their enthusiasm for a new dual joint degree program created by BMCC and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. But its hardly the only factor. On many levels, says Anderson. this is an incredibly exciting development.
Anderson and Clare, faculty members of BMCCs Business Management Department, are co-coordinators of the program, which will debut this fall and enable BMCC students to earn a Bachelors degree in criminal justice. Upon graduation, participating students will transfer seamlessly to John Jay where they will go on to complete their Bachelors degree and take a first step toward an exciting and deeply satisfying profession.
Keeping their options open
According to Anderson, the program will prepare students for careers in various areas of law enforcement at the local, state and federal levels as well as the private sector.
The BMCC part is weighted toward Liberal Arts, with five courses in criminal justice—introduction to criminal justice, criminology, police work, corrections and substantive criminal law, he says. Structuring the course that way allows students to decide whether to continue on the criminal justice track. If not, theyll have completed 60 credits that can be readily applied to other areas.
Anderson and Clare anticipate that first-year enrollment will be around 100, growing incrementally to 500 by year five. One reason we think the program will be popular is that, as a profession, criminal justice tends to be recession-proof, Anderson says. As unemployment mounts, crime increases, creating a heightened need for criminal justice professionals.
Anderson also sees the program as a way to encourage an expanded minority presence in criminal justice field. As the son of a retired police officer, Ive long been aware that minorities are underrepresented in this profession, Anderson says.
Clare—who, like Anderson, practiced law in a former life—notes that the program addresses the more exacting academic requirements benchmarks must meet to enter the law enforcement profession today.
Not that long ago, all you needed was a high school diploma to get a job as a police officer in a local municipality, he says. Today, the Nassau and Suffolk County police departments require 30 college credits, the NYPD requires 60 and the federal government requires a Bachelors degree.
Competitive salaries—and retirement benefits
The program also reflects a growing interest in criminal justice as a profession. Im approached almost daily by students who want to know more about the program and are seriously interested law enforcement as a career, Clare says. Its a great field with incredible benefits, including highly competitive starting salaries and eligibility to retire after 20 years at half pay.
Anderson and Clare are quick to note that professional opportunities in criminal justice range far beyond the mundane. Once you enter the field, the possibilities are endless, says Clare. If youre into aviation, you can become a helicopter pilot. If you like animals, you can become a mounted police officer. If youre into swimming and underwater sports, you can become a police scuba diver. There are federal opportunities with the FBI and DEA as well as diplomatic protective services, the Department of Energy and many more government agencies.
Police work is just a part of the whole picture, adds Anderson. There is also criminology, corrections, IT, counterterrorism. The field is wide open. And the timing for his joint degree program couldnt be better.
Click here for more information on the Criminal Justice program
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Zeroing in on the Perfect Jobby CUNYBMCC1,435 views
very important information, thank you for that!! im one of many students that likes law enforcement careers, actually a former JJC student pursuing a Criminal Justice BS :) good luck to all!
EASF87 2 years ago
so whats a good major for me since i wanna be a criminal defense attorney
MacPr0xnxx0 2 years ago
No, Criminology is good if you want to be a social worker, rehabilitation officer or something like that in any case where there is law involved you need to study it directly. Criminology is mainly : Crime studies, psychology, sociology, etc...
Seemerot1 2 years ago
i wanna become become a criminal defense attorney is criminology a good major?
MacPr0xnxx0 2 years ago