Academic Programs

Criminal Justice

Program Options

• Associate Degree

  This is geared toward working professional looking to enhance their on-the-job training with specialized CJ courses as well as class work in communications, computing, health, and human relations.

• Associate Degree with Academy

  This is aimed at student aspiring to law enforcement careers and want the academic credentials and the police academy experience. (The academy also prepares its students to sit for the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards certification exam, a prerequisite for employment in this state.)

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the requirements to enter the police academy?

   • Associates degree or eligible for Associates degree upon completion of academy.
   • Pass MCOLES 4-event pre-enrollment test and reading and writing test within 180 days of start of academy (information found online: www.mcoles.org)
   • Complete physical examination within 120 days of start of the academy (hearing/vision/color blind test/medical history form/drug screening). Information found in packet given with second application.
   • Fingerprinting
   • Personal History form
   • Must be a United States citizen
   • Must be at least 18 years of age
   • Must have good moral character
   • Must have a valid Michigan driver’s license
   • No license suspension in the last 5 years
   • No serious violations in the last 5 years
   • No more than 3 minor violations within the past 3 years

2. What are my chances of getting into the police academy?

   The academy takes up to sixty recruits twice a year. If there are more applicants than there are spaces, applicants are considered in the following order:

   • In-service recruits, those sponsored by a department
   • Pre-service recruits those not sponsored by a department, and are considered in the following order:
     • Current enrollment Schoolcraft College students
     • Past graduates of Schoolcraft College
     • Students from other institutions

3. What characteristics do I need to work in this field?

   A strong sense of right and wrong, self-discipline, and a commitment to public safety are key qualities. You must be a physically fit, constantly alert, and ready to deal appropriately with threatening situations.

4. Can I be hired without a degree?

   Yes. The City of Detroit and Wayne County Sheriff hires with a high school diploma and places recruits into their department’s academy, but you will be required to work for the city for three years after completion of the academy. If you leave before three years, you will be responsible for the cost of the academy, which is approximately $5,200.00.

5. Will I find employment after completion of the academy?

   Ninety-five percent of the recruits find employment within two years of completing the academy. Starting salaries fall in the high $20,000 range. There is a wide range of salaries from department to department. The top of the salary range is $55,000.00

6. What if I do not find employment after the academy?

   If you are not employed within a year of leaving the academy, you will need to access the waiver of training program (www.mcoles.org). It is 40 hours in length and than retake the state certification exam again. If you have not found employment after two years, you will have to repeat the academy.

7. Where could I find a job?

   Typical employers include municipalities, sheriff’s departments, state police organizations, and a variety of federal agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administrations, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Colleges and universities are another possible job source.

8. What is my employment outlook?

   Employment opportunities for Law Enforcement Officers are expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2010.

Professional Affiliations

Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (517) 322-5615

Related Websites

• Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards
• Fraternal Order of Police
• National Sheriffs Association
• Law Enforcement Jobs
• Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police

Criminal Justice Program Office