Have a technichal AAS degree (CJ) but want to pursue business (BBA, etc)

Thanks to everyone in advance,:biggthumpup:

I am trying to find a university or program(preferably online) that will take me on as a transfer student with my technical degree(Criminal Justice). I have had about zero luck with transferring to business schools for the BBA(my credits won't transfer), but am now looking into interdisciplinary programs that have a business component.

I would really like to get a degree in business but don't want to start all the way over as I do not have the pre-reqs for the BBA. I am open to this interdisciplinary option, but am concerned top employers will look down on it.

----I do have 105 college credits with 50 of them coming outside criminal justice.

----Also considering a bachelor of professional studies, tho I am unconvinced it will help me find a job in the business world.

I would really appreciate any advice:nervous:

 

Since criminal justice is not related to business, pretty much only your general education courses would be applicable to a business degree. The Big 3 (Charter Oak, Thomas Edison, and Excelsior) are the most liberal in accepting transfer credits, but your criminal justice credits will more than likely be counted as free electives if you even have room. Some might be counted as social sciences.

Charter Oak has the Individualized Studies program where you can build your own concentration (equivalent to major at COSC). You can list on your resume that you concentrated in business or something else, but it won't be your official major. TESC has the LDAS programs (learner designed area of study). Again, your designed area of study will not be an official title. TESC offers the LDAS option in a BS, BA, BSAST, and BSBA. There is really no point in designing an area of study for the BSBA. The BSBA in General Management is flexible enough and TESC will not accept an LDAS that is not business related such as criminal justice.

 

Check out Excelsior's Bachelor of Professional Studies in Business and Management at Bachelor Degrees | Professional Studies Business & Management, Online - excelsior.edu because it is designed specifically for AAS degree holders who want to follow up with a business degree.

 

A Criminal Justice degree is a "technical degree"? Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what the OP is saying.

 

Was the school you went to a 4 year or 2 year? Fort Hays State University has a Bachelor of General Studies with a concentration in General Business and accepts 64 credits in transfer from a 2 year college and 94 from a four year school.

General Education - Fort Hays State University

 

Thomas Edison State College will accept up to 80 credit hours from a 2-year school.

Thomas Edison State College: Transfer credit earned at other colleges and universities to Thomas Edison State College

 

He has an AAS in criminal justice, which makes it a technical degree, which leans more towards the vocational-technical side.

An AA in CJ is not technical and has more general education classes, which makes it easier to transfer into a Bachelors program.

 

Bellevue University will accept your technical degree as satisfaction in full for all of their general ed and associate degree requirements. All you'll have to complete is the business major of your choice (they have a few) and your free electives, most of which can be satisfied with FEMA credits.

Pug

 

I think vocational is a better word than technical for non-technical, applied science degrees. It's kind of like getting an AAS in Paralegal Studies which is supposed to prepare you for a career, except an AAS in Criminal Justice doesn't train you to do anything.

 

You sound very much like a candidate for the University of Wyoming's Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership: Bachelor of Applied Science | College of Agriculture and Natural Resources | University of Wyoming

Good luck!

 

This reminds me of the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science programs offered by several Texas universities. They are quite flexible with transfer credits even though they still have the 30-credit residency requirement, and they are also pretty liberal in accepting CLEP/DSST.

 

Certainly an AAS in paralegal studies would prepare someone for an entry level paralegal position. Same as an AAS in CJ would prepare someone for an entry level LE position (academy to follow of course) or parole or probation officer (entry level) or corrections career (entry level). I'll agree that CJ limits you in career choices but so does a degree in paralegalism. And yes I know that a degree in CJ is not necessary for all LE positions as a HS diploma or GED suffices for some and academy teaches you everything you need to know (ad nauseam). And yes I know that the FBI and CIA are not looking for CJ grads because they want a more diversified workforce.

But saying a degree in CJ doesn't train you to do anything? I say at the very least it show a future employer that you're serious about the subject matter. Serious enough to get a degree.

 

CJ courses don't train you to do any CJ job except for maybe some forensic science-based positions if you concentrated on that. As I have said many times, A CJ degree doesn't teach you how to handcuff, how to drive a patrol vehicle during a chase, how to write tickets, defensive tactics (although I've seen some community colleges do offer these courses to non-academy students), how to shoot, how to use a baton/taser/OC spray, or state or local laws. I'm certified in handcuffing, baton, OC spray, armed security, personal protection, defensive tactics, TCIC/NCIC, and TLETS/NLETS. I also took various continuing education courses for active shooter situations and terrorism response. I have around 30 CJ credits and none of them covered much of what I learned in my certification courses. If I had to choose between CJ courses and certification courses to prepare me for criminal justice work, I would choose the certification courses. The only reasons why I'm going to get a PhD in Criminal Justice is because 1. It's going to be funded and 2. There should be plenty of work out there for CJ professors. I like studying the subject, but I don't expect it to prepare me for any specific job outside of academia. I went on a ride along with a police officer. I don't think I would be any more prepared for an entry-level LE job than a physics major if it weren't for my work experience and training in private security and a civilian job at a law enforcement agency.

For just about every job I've seen in parole/probation in Texas, a bachelor's degree is required at minimum. Texas has very specific requirements for juvenile probation officers. You need a bachelor's in an allied field plus experience in counseling, social work, corrections, etc. If you don't have experience, you need a year of graduate education in an allied field. Allied fields are criminal justice, law, social work, psychology, sociology, human services, counseling, etc. In my opinion, someone with a degree in psychology, social work, or counseling would be better prepared for probation/parole since it basically is a social work job. That is why I've seen some job ads from TJJD that specifically say they do not want degrees in law enforcement or police science (criminal justice is okay) since those degrees don't focus much on the behavioral sciences.

 

Texas is not the only state in the union. You can get a parole/probation officer job in other states with just an associates. I don't know which ones but I'm sure anyone interested can research for their own particular situation. I already knew about Texas so no new info there.

Of course CJ degrees don't teach you how to handcuff, drive in a high speed chase, etc. The academy and further training, which you pointed out, would teach you these skills. So what's your point? All I'm saying is I'm tired of hearing you and others bash the CJ degree, regardless of whether it's an AA, AS, AAS, BS whatever...
And to top it off you are going to go for a Phd in CJ???!!! Really. So you want to teach this supposedly useless discipline to unsuspecting others? You need to reconcile this in your own mind before you teach others. If you don't believe fully in what you're teaching, trust me your students will figure you out very quickly.

 

My point is what I originally said: an AAS in CJ does not train you to do a job. You'll get a superficial look at constitutional law, law enforcement operations, and the behavioral sciences. I'm sorry that offends you, but most of the people who annoy you so much have actually worked in the criminal justice field.

I would like to teach future researchers and administrators in the field. I'm not going to lie to undergraduate students and tell them they need the degree for a job as a police or corrections officer. Too many people have this false assumption, and I don't see anything wrong with warning people. I also think a bachelor's in psychology is pretty useless when it comes to securing a decent job, but I still think it's an important subject to study for those who plan to get a graduate degree and become licensed.

 

I was coming here to post this! In reading through the first few posts, I wondered why Bellevue had not been mentioned. It's good to see that they still accept the full AAS transfer.

 

What annoys me is that here we have a degree discipline that would seem to fit so cohesively with LE and it may or may not be doing the job. I commend you for wanting to train the trainers, something I've done in my own industry for many years. Perhaps with curriculum change, practicums, job shadowing, etc. CJ degrees can be looked on favorably in LE and criminal justice.

 

I'm mostly interested in the policy issues in the industry as a whole. Training is just a small part of that. As far as college education, I think it would be hard for it to be more than supplement given the nature of law enforcement. LE is a very hands-on field while criminal justice courses are mostly the study of theory. For law enforcement agencies that don't accept lateral transfers, you have to attend their academies regardless of current licensure and prior experience. However, I think all police officers could benefit from an education in the behavioral sciences. Management personnel could benefit from business or public administration training. Administration of Justice programs tend to focus more on the management side.

There are plenty of small LE agencies in every state that don't have academies. Some of them will sponsor you through a regional or community college academy, but many mostly hire people who paid their own way. If someone is a traditional student or able to spend a lot of time on campus, I like the idea of Texas' academic alternative programs. I believe there are only 3 or 4 left, and I'm not sure of other states have similar programs. These programs make it easier to complete an associate's in CJ while also going through the academy. I know Austin CC offers its CJ courses online making it a little easier to work while going through the academy.

Even by distance, I think CJ programs could focus more on state laws. The academic portions of the academy can easily be taught in degree programs. Of course, that would mean students would be best served by attending universities in their state of residence. Although, the education wouldn't be very helpful to those who are open to moving for a job.

 

Some AAS CJ degrees lead to law enforcement certification in respective states. The hands-on technical portions can include:
- marksmanship
- handcuffing techniques
- high speed driving
- defensive tactics
- etc.

An AA in CJ is not technical and would not include these kinds of hands-on technical skills/classes.

 

Just wanted to drop back in and thank everybody for the advice. I just applied to ASU's Bachelor of interdisciplinary studies which will take 60 of my credits, leaving two years. I also want to apply to a couple more programs, so Ill check out some that were suggested.