Graduate Degree in Management vs. MBA

I agree completely with Chief Novick. He was instrumental in my decision to attend NCU for my MBA. The best thing I ever did. It was the deciding factor for landing my administrative position in county government. I quickly learned that government must operate like a business. NCU's courses on human resources, budgeting, and even marketing were something I use daily on the job. NCU even provides and MBA with a concentration in Public Administration, the best of both worlds. It has worked well for me.
Merry Christmas everyone!

 

This is a good thread. The NCU program seems very appealing and I like the cross-over aspect, combining the CJ courses with the business courses. I will have to give this program a further look as
I am not sure what direction to take in my graduate studies. Thanks.

I agree that the St. Joe's program seems like an excellent one. My concern with "traditional" MBA programs is that they are not suited for LE. The NCU and St. Joe's programs are certainly a better fit.

You raise a very valid point.

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

Good point!!! However, I am so deep into law enforcement that there is no turning back now, at least not for another 8 years and 10 months when I will be eligible to retire!!! However, on retirement day, what kind of credentials will I have that will open up doors that are outside of law enforcement?

• AA general education - no utility (for my plans).
• BS business management - excellent utility.
• MA criminology - limited utility i.e. teaching at community college or becoming a chief somewhere, but I have no interest in becoming a chief.
• Pursuing: DBA CJ - definately opens up doors in the government sector, the private sector and the academic sector!!!

 

Another excellent point. I've been looking into the Michigan State CJ program: http://vu.msu.edu/info/cjms-sec/ as it satisfies my craving for courses on management in criminal justice, would enable me to teach CJ if I choose, and possibly open the doors in the private sector with the security background. There is also a market for consulting. A few months ago, my wife and I went to the Bahamas and met a couple from NYC. The man worked in public relations and told me that consulting is on the rise and there is a lack retired law enforcement officers who are doing it. Being a police officer definitely adds credibility. Sounds like you are on the right path for opening some doors! Good luck! Off to dinner...take care.

 

Merry Christmas.......otherwise, just another day at work. Life on the force....


Anyhow....security management would a cool minor....though I'm not sure how necessary it is in private security....since it tends to be more about the bottom line than effective security...(at least in some cases)...I wonder how it will play out?

You could also try a minor in Homeland Security....which is quickly becoming the buzz phrase with those who shell out big bucks for consultants.

 

Security management, depending on where you live, could turn out to be an excellent option.

UT San Antonio CJ/Security concentration graduates are having excellent luck seeking employment with banks, insurance companies, and even Toyota (just about to open up a plant in SA).

Most of my observations are based on watching parents I know with kids graduating, but I've seen four out of four CJ grads find jobs quickly in industry with the security specialty. Food for thought, hope this helps.

Dave

 

A retired Captain from my dept. was recently named head of security for a local suburban school district. He oversees operations at 3 high schools and several elementary schools in the district. Not a bad job to supplement his pension from the dept.

This is what attracts me to this degree. It is a MCJ degree, but also gives you a tool to use outside law enforcement. It also provides enough credits to teach CJ at the college level, if that is what I choose. Considering the price and the fact that MSU is one of the top CJ programs in the country, makes this one tops on my list so far.

As me again stated, options are limited to those who have a law enforcement background.

 

You've got that right.

Sam Houston in Texas is now offering a MSCJ online...which I will give a serious look at as well as Troy University.

One REALLY cool option is the UofPhoenix MS in the Administration of Justice and Security....what a strange but neat option. Too bad it costs $23000.00.

Later you can supplement a MS degree with certificates...like in Homeland Security or Security Management APUS ( http://apu.apus.edu/Academics/Degree_Programs/DegreePath.htm?paid=1709 ) offers both....Andrew Jackson U offers the Homeland Security (.http://www.aju.edu/cert_hs.htm ). I think with certs the accreditation thing doesn't weigh as heavily, at least according to DesElms.

 

http://www.bellevue.edu/degrees/mssm.asp


Just thought I'd let you guys know this looks like a good program for under $12,000....unless I'm missing something.

 

http://www.ncu.edu/law%5Fenforcement/

NCU is still worth a look. The law enforcement scholarship allows an active law enforcement officer to complete his/her graduate degree for $10,260. Hard to beat when you consider it is an MBA with specialization in a variety of programs.

 

True...the main thing that turned me off to them was lack of financial aid...which I need.

 

I think it's not as important that certs or diplomas be regionally accredited; and that a nationally-accredited cert or diploma -- as long as the primary degree it's "rounding-out" is regionally-accredited -- is probably okay. Of course I believe that under certain circumstances, nationally-accredited degrees can be okay, too...

...just not in friendorfoe's particular case.

Foreign certs/diplomas from entities that can be evaluated by a foreign credential evaluator as equivalent to at least "nationally" accredited (if not regionally), are probably fine, too... that is, as long as the primary degree it's "rounding-out" is regionally-accredited.

The cert or diploma needs to be "accredited" in the sense that we all tend to use that word around here; but not necessarilly regionally accredited... that is, as long as the primary degree it's "rounding-out" is regionally-accredited.

(Am I repeating myself again? Again?)

 

Um....yeah....that's what I meant.

Thanks Gregg.

 

I'd like to see the list Gregg.

Peace and happy holidays to all,

Dave C.

 

Me 3.

 

hmmm....I guess I may have to eat my words regarding the MBA. In the case of becoming a director of security or chief security officer in the "real" world, that is. This thread led me to some googling which led me to the following:

http://www.csoonline.com/career/advisor/question1862.html

Further reading on the site, led me to this article about hiring us "meat-head" cops for upper management security jobs:

http://www.csoonline.com/read/070105/world.html

 

Good find.

I may have actually respected the article if the author had the moral courage to have signed it.

Thank goodness for private security executives. Where would we dumb uneducated police officers be without these brave and anonymous crime fighters.

 

What an interesting read. Now about that MBA.....

 

Facinating article from a security perspective!!! As a LEO, it is an eye opener!!! And I would agree that being a current or former LEO does not automatically qualify us to run a security-management department. That is a common misconception. Being a police officer is vastly different then being a security officer. The two cannot be mixed. Gee, where to I begin to describe the differences???

The author pointed out that the low pay of security work (at the line level) attracts... uhmmmm... how can I say this in a politically correct way??? I can't, so I'll just say it: the low pay of security attracts an undesirable workforce that perpetuates the stigmatized image of being a "security guard." There, I said it.

The author also suggested that security officers may make more arrests than police officers on a nationwide basis, but from my anecdotal observations, I would have to highly disagree with his opinion. His statement is like mixing oil and water: the two won't mix.

I definately agree with the author that for executive-security positions:

• Being a current or former LEO is extremely overrated, even if they meet the educational criteria.
• Being a security specialist with no LEO experience is vastly underrated, as long as they meet the educational criteria.

The author did a pretty good job explaining why, so I won't rehash those points.