Question about my degree

[patesguy]

Ok. Well a bit about me first. I am 23 y/o and I have been looking into law enforcement for a while now. I do not have a criminal justice degree but I was told that you don't need one to be an officer.

Now my question. I have a BS in Accounting. Will this help or hurt my chances or do I need to look into taking some criminal justice classes?

[mosetti]

A CJ Degree is not required to be a Police Officer, not in any place I have heard of anyway. With a BS in Accounting, you could look to Federal LE. The FBI loves Accountants.

[Badkharma]

Most depts. I've seen have minimum requirements of high school, let alone a degree. For the most part, the people I've talked to, it doesn't really matter what degree you have, but the fact that you went to university and got the degree - which is more instruction on how to critically think compared to actually do your major - you learn all your job stuff in the real world after graduating. They do favor business and law though. I think you'd be fine. I have a B.S. in Finance.

[CarCop]

Crim Jus degree means absolutely nothing to the hiring process. If you want to take the classes for your own interest, then knock yourself out. You don't NEED them. You are more than fine with what you have. If I had it to do over I would have taken anything other than CJUS.

Just make sure you stay out of trouble.