Introduction to Law Enforcement

A Bachelor's degree is considered a pre-requisite for employment by a growing number of law enforcement agencies. A degree denotes not only practical knowledge, but a deep understanding and appreciation for the field. The Law Enforcement Track prepares students for any number of careers or for post-graduate education.

Many LAJ graduates have gone on to police forces within and outside of Washington State, federal law enforcement, like the FBI, and graduate school, to obtain advanced degrees in the field of criminal justice.

After graduation most people go into the workforce. If you want a heads up on everyone, visit the careers page.

It is important to know that as a LAJ graduate you are not limited in your choice of careers or vocations. Precisely the opposite is true. In fact, the LAJ degree opens up more doors than one expects. We recently conducted a survey of 1998 LAJ graduates that showed that.

Here are some of the careers that LAJ graduates have gone into from their respective tracks, outside of the careers that they specifically prepared for at CWU:

Law Enforcement Track

• Probation officer
• Juvenile corrections officer
• Processor for department store
• Sales at an auto dealer

For information on jobs we have compiled several sources, local and national, that are of great value to graduates searching for their positions in law enforcement. A general search for law enforcement jobs can also be done by visiting and accessing the links on the "Careers page". The links to the left are for both Washington State and federal resources.

Did you know that the beginning salary of a municipal police officer is between $23,000-$28,000? The pay for a sheriff's deputy is even higher, up to $40,000, and an FBI agent generally begins at around $34,000. Different jurisdictions in different counties or states can pay more or less, depending on any number of factors.

For information on CWU's General Ed. Requirements for graduation, click here.

Helpful Links

AWCO
WSP Home
DOP
SPD
SPDPAN
Jobs
Criminal Justice Institutes