LCCC, UMSL sign criminal justice 2+2 agreement
GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College and the University of Missouri-St. Louis have announced a new transfer agreement for criminal justice students that will help provide a more seamless transfer between the two institutions.
“This articulation agreement with UMSL will provide our students with a transfer option to a highly ranked university, where they will continue to receive a quality criminal justice education,” said LCCC Criminal Justice Coordinator Jessica Noble. “They will also be provided with options to complete a master’s degree and a PhD in criminal justice/criminology. I am truly excited for this opportunity for our students.”
Criminal justice majors study police, courts, corrections and the law in society through their coursework, which includes case studies, current news and related discussions on topics like dispute resolution, drugs and crime, child abuse and neglect, gangs, policing, crime theory, private security and more.
Graduates of LCCC’s Criminal Justice program, which offers an Associate in Applied Science (60 credit hours) and Certificate of Proficiency, go on to work in local law enforcement and as state correctional officers upon graduation. The program also has a 30 and Out option, which means that students who already hold another degree can complete the AAS in only a year (two semesters, 10 courses, 30 credit hours).
For those looking to continue their education in the criminal justice field, higher education opens even more opportunities. Graduates with bachelor’s degrees will be able to work in federal and state law enforcement, juvenile probation and adult probation and parole. More advanced degrees open the doors for promotion in the field.
“Access to quality education is a long-standing tradition at UMSL,” Chancellor Tom George said. “And, we are always searching for new ways to increase access, which is why I’m excited for UMSL’s collaboration with Lewis and Clark Community College’s Criminal Justice program. Together we can help usher in the next generation of criminal justice scholars and solutions.”
The UMSL Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice offers degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. UMSL’s program is consistently ranked fourth in the nation for Best Graduate Schools by U.S. News and World Report.
“We are pleased to enter into this agreement with Lewis and Clark and the opportunity it presents to recruit excellent students from their program into our Bachelor of Science degree program,” said Dr. Finn Esbensen, chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at UMSL.
“As a comprehensive community college serving more than 200,000 people in the college’s five-county district, we welcome this academic alliance in criminal justice with UMSL as an opportunity for L&C students to serve in the criminal justice system throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area and across the nation,” said LCCC President Dale Chapman.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for police and detectives was $60,270 in 2015, and employment is expected to grow 4 percent through 2024.
— From the Illinois Business Journal
