Military vs. Bachelor's Degree

[Law27]

Hello, I am stuck between going active duty in the Navy or furthering my education to earn a Bachelor's degree.

Now, is it true if I were to go active duty that the Navy would pay for my education?

I am here for some feedback that may or may not persuade me to go one way or another.

Thank you!

[tanksoldier]

You need to talk to a recruiter for the specifics of the GIBill.

Generally they pay for tuition, books and a stipend.

There's no reason you can't pursue a degree and perform military service. Your service will give you credits toward your degree, and there are often opportunities to take classes aboard ship.

If you apply yourself you can be half or three quarters toward a four year degree, and have your AA, after a four year enlistment.

Don't forget that most police academies will give you college credit as well.

[CityCop21]

Go in the military. A bachelor's degree is not going to be a requirement at any police agency I know of and a military background will help you get hired. Plus, you can use the GI bill to get a free education. I got my bachelor's and am almost done with my master's and it has been paid for entirely with the GI bill.

If you go to college first you will have to pay for that all yourself to get a degree that doesn't matter much. Plus, new hires with a military background will get more respect than ones with a college degree.

[slamdunc]

Get Both! It will make you much more marketable and open more doors.

It is entirely possible (through military education centers) to come out of your initial enlistment with an associates degree. If you enter military service in Illinois and then ETS back to Illinois, you are eligible for free tuition at any state funded school. Add that benefit to the MGIB and other opportunities and it can be a good way to get your education.

That having been said, military service is not for everyone; people join for a plethora of reasons. If you choose that path, make sure you are willing and capable of doing what you have to do in order to make it.

[tanksoldier]

Go in the military. A bachelor's degree is not going to be a requirement at any police agency I know of and a military background will help you get hired. Plus, you can use the GI bill to get a free education. I got my bachelor's and am almost done with my master's and it has been paid for entirely with the GI bill.

There are a few agencies here that require a bachelors for initial entry, and several more that require 60 units of college credit.
That said, requiring a 4 year degree certainly isn't the norm.

As mentioned, don't enter the military just for the benefits or to pad your resume.

However, if you're willing to put your country and your service firs for a few years, and if you want to be a cop you really should be ok with that, it can give you enormous benefits in law enforcement and life in general.

[DigitalFrenchie]

Hello, I am stuck between going active duty in the Navy or furthering my education to earn a Bachelor's degree.

Now, is it true if I were to go active duty that the Navy would pay for my education?

I am here for some feedback that may or may not persuade me to go one way or another.

Thank you!

My biggest regret in life is not joining the military right after HS. I'd still be in the same spot I am now, minus the debt. While you may not "need" a BA to get hired, it is very much becoming the new standard in a number of ways. You can very much have both, plus a graduate education if you want it. All on the arm of the government. Totally worth it.

[SHU]

College "IF" you are going to major in something that will get you a job right away like a BS in Nursing. Otherwise if you major in some crap like psychology or criminal justice etc.. you are wasting your money so go in the navy and take college classes through the navy.

[jshinobi]

Military all the way! If they haven't cut it, while you are in you have several ways of earning credits.

1. Your military service and schools: Depending on what field you go into, you can earn quite a few credits either towards some general electives or your major.

2. Dantes: Like CLEP, but you can take those test for free while on active duty. If you are a good self-study, you can buy the books and just test out of sitting in a classroom. The key is you have to be a good self-study, not a loafer. (I actually used an on line review service for three weeks before taking the test, it did the trick)

3. Tuition Assistance (TA): While on active duty you can get 100% tuition coverage for an enrolled class. This includes online classes from any regionally accredited college. With the draw down, I am not sure what the yearly amount is anymore. When I was in, it was enough to pay for 6 classes a year at $750 a class (3 credit hours each). May not seem like a lot, but it is "free" money that many do not take advantage of and then want to use it on the GI bill. That's 18 credits a year times four years = 72 credits...not all the way, but a good chuck done! (If you didn't know, most schools only charge in-state tuition to active duty military, no matter you home state)

Now combine TA and Dantes/CLEPS and you should be practically finish in a four year enlistment.


My information comes from doing this. I don't know how current my information is though, I finished doing all of this 6 years ago.

[CruiserClass]

The only people impressed by a degree and no life experience are people with a degree and no life experience.

[tanksoldier]

The only people impressed by a degree and no life experience are people with a degree and no life experience.

They complement each other. The problem with experience is you get it just after you need it, and it only covers what you've been exposed to. Education gives a broader, but shallower, view.

[slamdunc]

They complement each other. The problem with experience is you get it just after you need it, and it only covers what you've been exposed to. Education gives a broader, but shallower, view.

Education helps you to plan things in a neat, orderly manner. Experience helps you to execute them with a higher degree of efficiency. I would prefer to have officers with both, but if I had to choose, experience would win out every time.

MOST people with military experience know how to either lead or follow and to work as part of a unit / team.

[tanksoldier]

Education helps you to plan things in a neat, orderly manner. Experience helps you to execute them with a higher degree of efficiency. I would prefer to have officers with both, but if I had to choose, experience would win out every time.

MOST people with military experience know how to either lead or follow and to work as part of a unit ]

...then why are there police academies and military basic training?

Going to have cops learn to shoot on patrol?

Perhaps surgeons should learn anatomy in the OR rather than medical school?

There are hundreds of subjectsvyounhave to know before going out and getting experience does you any good.

[slamdunc]

...then why are there police academies and military basic training?

Going to have cops learn to shoot on patrol?

Perhaps surgeons should learn anatomy in the OR rather than medical school?

There are hundreds of subjectsvyounhave to know before going out and getting experience does you any good.

You either didn't read or understand the part of my post that said I would prefer to hire officers with both education and experience. There is no way any reasonable person would conclude that I am against academies, basic training or formal education. I have been through each one and practice what I preach.

If you just want to debate something, pick another topic.

[DigitalFrenchie]

...then why are there police academies and military basic training?

Going to have cops learn to shoot on patrol?

Perhaps surgeons should learn anatomy in the OR rather than medical school?

There are hundreds of subjectsvyounhave to know before going out and getting experience does you any good.

Pretty sure he was referring to LE, not medicine. I didn't think it was too hard to see what he meant. I also missed the part where he said to get rid of academies.

[CruiserClass]

...then why are there police academies and military basic training?

Going to have cops learn to shoot on patrol?

Perhaps surgeons should learn anatomy in the OR rather than medical school?

There are hundreds of subjectsvyounhave to know before going out and getting experience does you any good.

Again, no one is impressed by someone with a degree and no experience. When someone tells you they know you're job because they have a criminal justice degree, do you have any respect for their opinion? Do you think, great, this person has a broader but shallower view that I can learn from and be a more effective police officer? No, you blow them off for the amateur wannabe that they are at that point.

Of course you learn certain skills via training/education. No one disputes that, and that's not the question. However, basic training is education AND experience. You don't just learn how people march, you experience how people march, you don't just learn how people shoot, you experience shooting. You don't write papers about how to solve problems in small group dynamics, you do it. So is the police academy. Its learning AND doing.

College, as a rule, isn't learning and doing when it applies to law enforcement. Obviously it is for med students, who do internships and get hands on experience before being released into the wild. Last I checked, no CJ program has a student interrupting a domestic, though.