Hello, I am a retired police officer with experience in many areas of law enforcement. I would like to teach CJ online or on campus I have been accepted by Florida State and Troy for their online masters degrees in criminal justice. FSU is the more prestigious program but they cost (Out of State Tuition) three times as much as Troy. When seeking a job in academia, is the academic reputation of the program that important?
I'd go with the cheaper program. Schools will want you for work in law enforcement above all else. They will see your degree as secondary. You're likely to find the most opportunities in 2-year community college and votech schools, and these places often want people with real-world experience without much regard for the ranking of their degree program.
In agreement with Tony (experience will be priority). Fort Hayes State probably offers the least expensive option at $6975 (MLS in Criminal Justice) vs. Troy Univ. eCampus MS in CJ at $10950. http://www.fhsu.edu/mls/conc/conc-criminaljustice/ Have you considered Sam Houston State University’s online MS in CJ Leadership and Management (Criminology Grad School Ranked 22 by US News & World Report)? http://www.shsu.edu/~grs_www/CJLeadershipManagement_Online.html Tuition http://www.shsu.edu/admissions/cost.html Best Buys in online graduate Criminal Justice: http://www.geteducated.com/online-college-ratings-and-rankings/best-buy-lists/best-buy-master-criminal-justice
Troy I dont hold a criminal justice degree, but I really enjoyed attending Troy. The online program there is very user friendly. I learned a lot in the public administration program and would recommend the school to anyone.
Since you stated that FSU was more expensive then Troy due to out-of-state tuition I would take it that you live in Georgia. In that case have you loked at the SREB Common market site (http://www.sreb.org/page/1304/academic_common_market.html)? The SREB (http://www.sreb.org/) has other programs that may interest you also. You also state that you are retired, check for special programs for retirees.
I think the OP might be from Alabama. Troy is a state school in Troy, Alabama, not Georgia. In regards to his original question, with his experience I would recommend the FHSU or Troy as they are substantially less expensive than FSU and will be satisfactory in meeting applicant requirements for adjunct positons.
I agree with everyone that Troy or Fort Hays; but if you're looking for name. Then Boston University is the choice....
Thank you everyone for your feedback. Regarding BU, I thought about them; however, the price is steep for a program that does not have a criminal justice/criminology department and is administered by a company in Florida. I hope everyone has a happy and safe Easter!
