Professional Advice Needed

Okay serious discussion here.

In the past I’ve debated getting 2 masters degrees, one an MBA and one a MSCJ (criminal justice).

I spoke to my training Lt. who has a M.Ed (Texas Tech) and MPA (North Texas) and he thought my choice of an MBA is odd at best and is telling me that if I instead elected to get an MPA, I would be technically qualified to teach college level Criminal Justice courses, thus negating the need for an MSCJ and would still be in a position to attain rank or management consideration via the MPA, thus negating the need for an MBA, which he said makes me look confused.

Now I am a serious professional and would like to have the letters MBA after my name because of the image of success that comes with the MBA, but the only MBA I’ll even consider is St. Josephs College of Maine, every other MBA curriculum is a turn off quite frankly.

So since I am making the jump in the next 4 weeks to a grad program my questions are thus:

1.) Is an MPA really capable of all he claims?
2.) If getting an MBA does that make a cop with a BSCJ look confused or diverse?

He also recommended SMU (Southern Methodist University’s) MSM or 10 month Master of Science in Management and then getting a “career specific” degree like a MSCJ rather than a generalist degree, which he considers the MBA and MPA to be.

Being that he has 20 years experience on me and 2 master’s degrees, I have to take his advice seriously, but since everyone on this board lives, breathes and eats this stuff, I am taking serious advice here as well.

My options:

A.) MBA from St. Josephs College of Maine and possibly an MSCJ one fine day when I can afford it from Troy University or American Public University or Sam Houston.
B.) MPA and call it a day.
C.) MSM from Southern Methodist University or a price conscious alternative of Amberton U. (which both have a great reputation here) and a MSCJ from Troy, APUS or Sam Houston (Sam being the Alpha and Omega of Texas CJ schools).

As far as costs go, the MBA from St. Joes is cheaper than the MSM from SMU, but there is a $5,000 MSM also available from Amberton, who also has a good rep here.

If I get the MBA, that will be my last degree until much later in life due to cost, effort, etc..
If I get the MPA, I could get an MSM as well and still pay the same amount as if I got the MBA alone.
If I got the MSM, theoretically I could also get the MSCJ for about $4,000 less combined than any of the other combinations mentioned above.

So………price is a factor, but not the factor that utility is.

I would like to stay in law enforcement and public sector work. Eventually I would like to teach others to do the same. And there is a good likelihood that one day I may wind up applying for a position in public sector management or an executive in charge of a private security endeavor or going into a quasi political or social work type of job.

What says the galley? I would really like to hear from the cops.

I feel that since I am a law enforcement professional, no matter my degree, I will not be accepted into the private sector as anything other than some form of security professional at best. And honestly, my interests lie that away anyhow unless I’m working for myself.

 

FriendorFoe,

Well, I guess you need to state more details about the purpose of your degree. Are you in the Lawenforcement and looking for promotion? Are you a Government worker/contractor? Do you want to obain a Master degree for opening business, or getting a different job? For example, if you are trying to get a job at EDS or Perott Systems as Accounting Department Manager; then, I don't think MPA is fit into that category. Just curious, what part of Tejas do you live?

Have you check out: University of Texas - Telecampus System? http://www.telecampus.utsystem.edu/index.cfm/4,0,82,56,html

Well, if you are in the Lawenforcement..then MSCJ is better. Then go to NCU get your Ph.D in Business Administration - Criminal & Justice.

oh, BTW. It seems that all your degrees from the National accredited agency. Mybe, you'll have a problem for applying graduate school.

Good Luck....Let us know what is your decission.

Yeeah!

 

Actually Tek, the Southwestern BSCJ is RA.

As for working in private sector, I don't really have any interest in doing so unless in a related field to security, etc.

 

FYI, Southwestern College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.

 

If your objective is to stay in the public law enforcement sector, you should go with the MPA hands down over the MBA. I currently work at the executive level of city government (14+ years experience in city government, 6 years of which in law enforcement) and can tell you flat out that an MBA does not prepare you for the public sector, just as an MPA does not prepare you for the private sector. The course work and applicable theories are separate and distinct. I can also tell you first had many members of city government in executive positions hold MPA’s, it has almost become the standard. In fact, I don’t know one that holds an MBA. As far as the CJ portion of your question, if you do your homework you may be able to find an MPA program with a CJ specialization. However, if you can't find an MPA with a CJ specialization, no worries, simply get the MPA and then follow that up with a post graduate CJ certification program with at least 18 criminal justice credits. You will be qualified to teach CJ if you have 18 post graduate related courses in CJ. This should suit your needs, save you money and can be done in a shorter period of time.

Good luck

 

Have you considered Troy University?
http://www.troy.edu/ecampus/onlinegraduateprograms/programs/index.html

They have both an MSCJ as well as an MS in Public Administration.

$295/credit hour isn't terribly expensive.

Congratulations on finishing your undergrad. Good luck!

 

Walden University offers an online MPA with a concentration in Criminal Justice.

http://www.waldenu.edu/c/Schools/Schools_804.htm