Offered by John Jay
Cops Given Shortcut To College Degrees

By REUVEN BLAU

John Jay College announced last week that it will soon be easier for NYPD officers to earn bachelor's degrees from the school.

Under a new program set to start this summer, officers would be able to complete their degrees by earning just 30 credits at the criminal justice college by applying their prior college credits and Police Academy experience.

'A Big Deal'

"This is a big deal," asserted college spokeswoman Chris Godek. "It's going to be easier for them to advance their career with a John Jay degree."

While NYPD Sergeants only need to have 64 college credits before being promoted, many officers seeking to get and continue their education have looked to obtain their bachelor's degrees, which is a requirement for Police Captains. Officers seeking to be promoted to Lieutenant must have 96 credits by the time they advance.

According to Ms. Godek, over the past few years there has been a decrease in police officer enrollment at the college. In response, the college developed the fast-track undergraduate degree program specifically for NYPD officers.

Currently, NYPD officers seeking to obtain their bachelor's degree from the college often have to complete added education requirements that leave them with close to 200 credits before graduating.

"This is an unintentional obstacle for many NYPD officers who want to complete their degrees in a timely and cost-efficient manner," Ms. Godek said.

Students who enroll in the program will be required to complete 30 credits at John Jay, finish at least 50 percent of their major there, and earn 120 credits including prior academic experience and NYPD training.

Officers may complete those credits in as few as six semesters, and the approximate cost for tuition and fees is less than $6,000, according to Ms. Godek.

John Jay officials reached out to Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly to find a way to attract more officers, Ms. Godek remarked. "The faculty thought it was very important to have them in classes," she added, referring to veteran officers, who have work-experience knowledge about law-enforcement issues.

Police officers can learn more about the program by attending one of the workshops being held at John Jay on Jan. 23, 24 and 25 at 6:00 p.m. Individuals interested in reserving a place should call 212-237-8118 or e-mail nypd@jjay.cuny.edu.