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Post by Tony on Oct 13, 2002 16:19:39 GMT -5
I am 26 and a student. I will be graduating in about one year with my B.S. in CJ. I am
very anxious to get into the field but have been contemplating whether or not I want to
stay for an extra year and get my Master’s Degree. How much would having this extra
degree help in getting hired onto a department? Would this better chances for
advancement in the future?(one of my goals is Homicide or Robbery Det.) Lastly,
someone told me that if you are a white male, you have to have a “connection” already on
the force to get hired on to a large dept.; has anyone found this to be true? I hope not.
Thank you for any and all advice!
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Post by Drakor on Oct 13, 2002 18:04:57 GMT -5
It definately wouldn't hurt to have your Masters but why not get on board with your department and then the credits from the academy. Most will be overkill but you can earn your masters while serving you probation period.
If you chose to get your Masters first you 'll still have to serve your probation and then earn you way to becoming a Detective.
It is hard for anyone to get hired regardless of race but it still doesn't hurt to know anyone already on board as far as using them as a reference. Larger Departments are more diversified and you have a better chance of being hired, sometimes it takes more then once thru the process to get hired. Good Luck K.U.P.
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Post by Cpl Mike on Oct 15, 2002 3:49:16 GMT -5
Most municipal agencies are looking for educated applicants-(believing and sometimes accurately so, that the applicant will use better judgement and be more articulate,ALTHOUGH this isn't always the case). a Masters degree is a good idea , but it comes down to this-what agency, and whether you pass the entrance requirements.A higher education degree doesn't mean that an agency will throw open its doors(federal and state investigative agencies ,maybe? most municipal agencies are HAPPY to still recruit 6ft+ former H.S. football players, LOL!!).As far as being in the "W/M" category-most URBAN muni and some suburban agencies are trying still to diversify to reflect their communities, but that doesn't mean that you'd be any less desirable than a qualified Blk, Hisp,Female,or Gay/Lesbian candidate,so don't let that hinder you. Also realize that there will be , in most agencies , a LARGE applicant pool of qualified ,employable W/Ms, and this is where your education could be the key factor to your being hired.Other than school, what are you doing to prepare yourself as an applicant, i.e. are you volunteering at an agency(internship),ridealongs, citizen academies? something as simple as community service officer or student escort for your Campus safety Dept or College/Univ. Police Dept.(if your campus has a sworn dept) could give you that experience ( and a recommendation letter ) that you'd need to enhance your chances.THe maters degree will only help in the beginning as far as add'l pay when you start(avg is 3-7.5% more for most agencies) and later when you try to go past the rank of Sgt. or Det. (most Lts and above are considered mgm't and are EXPECTED to have degrees).Start applying now, but continue with the education while in the process....Good Luck....
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