Criminal Justice (BS) Law Enforcement Leadership Emphasis Competency-Based

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Protect Your Community, Lead with Confidence

Advance your career while continuing to serve and protect with this FULLY ONLINE competency-based program.

Learn Law Enforcement on your schedule

Law enforcement needs strong leaders. Are you ready to respond to the call? Earn your Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice while continuing to prevent crime, protect others and promote peace. Designed for working professionals, our competency-based program lets you study at your own pace. Our fully-online curriculum is divided into 7-week terms so you can focus on what matters. The courses are self-paced, enabling you to set your own schedule and study when you are able. Whether you’re a police officer or a member of the military, we're putting you first. Discover how you can lead others towards success through our criminal justice program.

Where It Is Offered Online

Duration 2 year average

Foreign Language No foreign language credits required

Delivery Fully Online, Only Offered Online (100% Online)

Total Credit Hours 120 hours

Thesis Requirements No Thesis Required

Law Enforcement leadership :: 1.03 SEE YOURSELF SUCCEED

SEE YOURSELF SUCCEED WITH A DEGREE IN Criminal Justice

Learn the Foundation

Develop strategies to promote police trust within your community. You’ll study the historical, philosophical and ethical development of policing and how that affects law enforcement today.

Flexible, personalized pace

Take credit for what you already know. Our competency-based program lets you receive credit for skills developed through work and military experience. You deserve credit. We’re ready to give it to you.

Policing the Future

Study cutting-edge developments in law enforcement, like cryptocurrency and the problems it poses for policing. You’ll learn innovative strategies for monitoring an increasingly digitized world.

Excel in your career

Managing a policing organization takes work. We want to make this easier for you. Learn how to improve your team’s effectiveness, resolve conflict and promote wellness within the workplace.

CID:CJCB::Student Support

student support

Academic Advisor

Professional clothes offered to students at the Lion Wardrobe.

Career Development

Admissions Counselors

Financial Aid

Criminal Justice :: Competency

You’re closer to a degree than you think.

Earn credit for what you already know through our competency-based program. Designed specifically for first responders with professional experience, this program allows you to receive course credit based on your work experience and military training. Our fully online curriculum is divided into seven-week terms so you can focus on what matters.

TCOLE or Law Enforcement Training

Earn up to 30 hours of course credit based on your TCOLE or other law enforcement training.

Military Training

Find out how you can receive a Joint Service Transcript for your military experience.

Law Enforcement leadership : 1.06 PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

A degree in Criminal Justice-Law Enforcement Leadership emphasis offers you the opportunity to:

Advance to management positions within law enforcement
Study the federal, state and local judicial system to promote law within your community
Identify the needs within the workplace to ensure the overall wellness of your team
Learn how to design, establish and fund a crime analysis unit

Law Enforcement leadership :: 1.07 Careers

Careers

Advance your career with a degree in criminal justice. Our program prepares you for a wide range of professions at the city, county, state or federal government levels.

Career Possibilities and Current Median Salaries

Police Officers

$65,460

Detectives and Criminal Investigators

$85,020

First-line Supervisors of Law Enforcement

$86,350

First-line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

$93,100

US DOL Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2018

Law Enforcement leadership :: 1.11 WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

What You Will Learn

You’ll take a closer look at the legal aspects of law enforcement, criminal analysis and police practices. Investigate the ethical dilemmas surrounding first responders today and how that affects law enforcement decisions. You’ll also learn practical organizational and leadership skills to promote a healthy and productive work environment.

Courses to Prepare You for Your Career

Core courses include Criminal Investigation, Police and Law Enforcement, and Correctional Systems.
Support courses include Evidence-Based Policing, Homeland Security and Critical Thinking.

Law Enforcement leadership :: 1.12 FEATURED COURSES

Featured Courses

Introduction to Criminal Justice CJCB 1301

This course provides you with a historical, philosophical, ethical and practical overview of the American criminal justice system. You will focus on the nature and definition of crime, its impact on society and the processes of the justice agencies.

21st Century Policing CJCB 302

This class introduces you to policing strategies as best practices designed to help agencies promote effective crime reduction while building public trust and safeguarding officer well-being. Areas of emphasis are internal processes affecting culture, policy, administrative process and training as well as external processes affecting transparency, community engagement and interactions with various populations.

Crime Analysis CJCB 308

This course introduces you to crime analysis and an understanding of its application within smaller jurisdictions. You will learn how to design, fund, establish and staff a crime analysis unit using evidence and statistical data for a smaller jurisdiction.

View Full Curriculum In The University Catalog

Law Enforcement leadership :: 1.13 Course Delivery and Resources

cropped view of policeman typing on laptop keyboard

Course Delivery and Resources

All competency-based courses are self-paced and offered online. Our program includes a “subscription system” with a minimum of two courses required per 7-week term (There are six terms throughout the year). You may add additional courses at any point and complete the courses by the end of the term.

ICBE:: Section

Institute for Competency-Based Education

The College of Innovation and Design at A&M-Commerce is associated with the Institute for Competency-Based Education. Come learn how they can help you!

CoID::CBE.TermDates

Terms

All competency-based programs in the College of Innovation and Design are offered in two seven-week terms per traditional semester with a break between each term.

2023

Semester	Term 1	Break	Term 2
Spring	Jan. 17 – March 3	March 6 – 17	March 20 – May 5
Summer	May 15 – June 30	July 3 – 7	July 10 – Aug. 25
Fall	Sept. 5 – Oct. 20	Oct. 23 – 27	Oct. 30 – Dec. 15

Law Enforcement leadership :: Program Costs copied not edited

Benefit from Fixed Tuition

Earning a degree is more affordable than ever. Our competency-based programs offer quality education at an affordable price. Texas residents pay a tuition rate of $750 per term, and non-residents pay $1,500. These rates include online versions of required course materials. If you wish to purchase printed versions of textbooks, you may do so at your own convenience.

Note: Costs for contracting with Excelsior OneTranscript, UExcel®, CLEPs, CAEL’s and Charter Oak State College learning portfolios are not included in the per-term tuition rate and are your responsibility.

Oklahoma and Louisiana Residents

Residents of Oklahoma and Louisiana are eligible for our in-state tuition rate of $750 per term, plus $30 per credit hour, including any courses you accelerate into.

Example:

If you register for six hours in a seven-week term, you will be charged $750 + $180 (six hours x $30/hr) for a total of $930. If you accelerate into another three-hour course, an additional $90 will be added to your charges for the term for a total of $1,020.

Law enforcement Leadership :: Program Requirements

Program Requirements

To be accepted into this program, you must fulfill these requirements

To earn this degree, you must fulfill these requirements

CID :: Admission Steps

Admission Steps

Step 1: Demonstrate Your Knowledge

To demonstrate your knowledge, you will submit evidence of a level of competence in reading, writing and mathematics.

You are required to take or be exempt from the Texas Success Initiative Assessment prior to enrolling in college; students without assessment scores because of exemptions that are not test- or grade-based must take a placement test to determine entry level in math and English courses.

TSIA Exemptions

ACT scores: Composite 23; English 19 or Math 19; no older than 5 years
SAT scores: Composite 1070; Verbal 500 or Math 500; no older than 5 years
TAKS scores: 2200 Math or 2200 English/Language Arts with a 3 writing sub score
Received an associate degree or baccalaureate degree from a Texas public institution.
Out-of-state/private institution transfer who has satisfactorily completed college level work with a “C” or better in areas of reading, math and writing.
Has met readiness standard at another Texas public higher education institution; “C” or better in developmental course work.

Serving in active military.
Serving as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces for at least three years preceding enrollment.
Honorably discharged, retired or released from active duty in military on or after August 1, 1990. Please provide us with your official DD214 with discharge status in order to apply this exemption.
Additionally, you may submit scores from the THEA (Texas Higher Education Assessment), COMPASS or ASSET to satisfy the assessment requirement.

For more information about the assessment requirements, please contact the Office of Student Assessment & Evaluation.

Step 2: Submit Your Transcript(s)

Submit or request submission of official transcripts from high school or GED score report, including percentile scores, at each institution you attended. A transcript is considered official only if received directly from the sending institution or, if hand delivered, the transcript must be in a sealed registrar’s envelope.

Send Transcripts To

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Texas A&M University-Commerce
P.O. Box 3011
Commerce, Texas 75429-3011

For Faster Delivery

Check to see if your previous/current academic institution(s) can submit an electronic version of your transcript to the Admissions Office. We accept SPEEDE and Escript-Safe electronic transcripts.

Step 3: File for Financial Aid

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and designate TAMUC as the college to receive your FAFSA information. The A&M-Commerce school code is 003565. For more information, please contact Financial Aid at [email protected] or call at 903.468.6059.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hours should I take?

Students initially register for six hours (two courses per-term). You have the opportunity to accelerate into another course with the expectation that you will complete the coursework by the end of the term. You may continue to add courses, one at a time, through the 5th Friday of the term.