How much training is required for police officers in most major American cities?

Standards for prospective police officers are set by the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET). The guidelines seek to ensure that all officers hired by Oklahoma state agencies are professional, ethical and qualified to perform their duties. Those minimum state guidelines require that candidates for police officer training:

• Are U.S. citizens or resident aliens
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent degree
• Are 21 years or older
• Have no felony convictions or domestic violence incidents
• Have been evaluated by a state-licensed psychologist
• Have not been committed to an Oklahoma mental institution
• Have had their fingerprints cleared by the FBI and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation

Individual jurisdictions set additional requirements. Tulsa, for example, requires that law enforcement officers have a bachelor's degree. There are a number of incentive programs for police officers who wish to pursue college credits.

If you are planning to pursue a career in law enforcement or to advance your current law enforcement career, Southeastern Oklahoma State University's Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice online is designed to improve your foundational knowledge and analytical skills as they pertain to criminal justice. The online courses are taught by SOSU faculty, who bring years of professional experience to your educational pursuits.

According to The National Police Foundation, around one-third of police officers in the United States have a four-year college degree, while roughly half have a two-year degree. Just over 5% of police officers have a graduate degree. Beyond the minimum requirements set by CLEET, individual municipalities can set higher standards, which can include a requirement for a bachelor's degree.

Oklahoma cities that require police officers to have a bachelor's degree include:

• Tulsa 

Oklahoma cities that require some college credit include 

• Edmond
• Broken Arrow
• Moore

Oklahoma cities that do not require college credit include:

• Norman
• Lawton
• Stillwater (college experience is preferred)

There are many benefits to having a college degree if you serve in law enforcement. A college degree may be needed for certain promotions. Many cities offer increased pay for officers with college credit or a college degree. Having a college degree in criminal justice is a proven way to improve your on-the-job skills and effectiveness.

Even when an executive position, such as captain or major, does not require a college degree, the advanced level of education can raise your chances of being promoted. Today's modern police force manages millions of dollars while handling complex logistical problems. Even if a GED was sufficient decades ago, the types of skills that are only taught in college are becoming more needed than ever among law enforcement officers.

Police officers who have earned a college degree are:

• Better trained in independent problem-solving
• Less likely to experience on-the-job injuries
• More adept at using technology
• Less likely to engage in unethical behavior
• More likely to exhibit cultural awareness
• Less likely to show authoritarian or dogmatic behavior
• Better at communication

Many Oklahoma police departments offer educational incentives for working police officers who want to earn a college degree. Broken Bow, for example, offers a $1,500 annual education incentive for college graduates and $2,400 for officers who hold a master's degree.

SOSU's BA in Criminal Justice online program provides a broad base of law enforcement-related skills that are needed in police departments across Oklahoma and the United States. All online classes are taught by SOSU faculty.

Police officers require a wide range of skill sets in order to execute their day-to-day roles as community liaisons, peacekeepers and criminal investigators. A few of their duties include:

• Interviewing suspected criminals
• Recording statements
• Logging crime reports
• Filing paperwork
• Gathering evidence
• Providing evidence in court
• Fostering goodwill in the communities they serve
• Performing foot patrols
• Making arrests
• Searching suspects

The online program's core classes include:

• Introduction to Criminal Justice
• Introduction to Policing in the U.S.
• Juvenile Delinquency
• Introduction to Social Research

Criminal justice electives include:

• Victimology
• Administration of Criminal Justice
• Drugs in Society
• Correctional Law

Beyond criminal justice-related classes, students must select a minor that will range from 18 to 24 credit hours and take 44 credit hours of general education courses.

While not every city requires a college degree to join its police force, an undergraduate degree can lead to better promotion opportunities, greater preparedness and a higher starting salary. SOSU's online curriculum teaches the practical application of theoretical approaches. SOSU's esteemed faculty prepare tomorrow's law enforcement leaders with insights into complex criminal justice issues like victimology and criminology from a legal, psychological and sociological perspective.

Learn more about SOSU's Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice online program.

Sources:

How to Become a Police Officer: How to Become a Police Officer in Oklahoma

OK.gov: Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET)

PoliceOne.com: Why Cops Should Pursue Higher Education

PoliceFoundation.org: How Educated Should Police Be?

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