Technical College System of Georgia Over the last decade there has been a huge increase in criminal justice programs within the Technical College System to meet the demands of criminal justice organizations . These schools have been on the leading edge of this initiative , providing a variety of educational opportunities including certificates , diplomas and associate degrees . Some colleges are also offering certificates in specialty areas such as crime scene technology and criminal justice technology . It is important to note a large number of technical colleges are located in smaller , rural areas . While broad generalizations are never suggested , it is likely to assume many students may desire the quality of life offered in smaller communities .
One of the metrics for many of these programs is student employment in their chosen field upon graduation . Because of this , program leaders welcome the opportunity to build strong relationships with agencies , share recruiting materials , and sponsor networking opportunities .
The Georgia Northwestern Technical College offers criminal justice certificates , diplomas and degrees . In addition , the college also sponsors a police academy that requires 700 hours training as compared with 408 in state-sponsored academies . After graduating from the academy , individuals need only complete 1 to 2 semesters to obtain an associate degree . Northwestern Technical College Police Academy Director James Pledger said , “ the program is essentially a fast track to earning an associate degree ”.
As part of their academy , students attend firearms and EVOC training one day a week for an entire 16- week semester instead of compressing it into one week . Director Pledger added because they had more time to spend with the students , he felt they were turning out a better product and “ agencies are hiring them as soon as they come out of the academy ”.
South Georgia Technical College in Americus also sponsors a police academy where graduates may receive credit from their academy classes toward an associate degree . The academy staff have found that about one-half of their graduates received their associate degree in criminal justice through the college ’ s on-line program . In addition ,
the technical college ’ s credits are transferrable to most of the colleges in the University System of Georgia as well as private universities such as Mercer University .
University System of Georgia Colleges and university programs under the University System of Georgia still emphasize concepts and theories that guide public policy decisions . Many of these programs require students to participate in an internship with a police agency during their last year . Still , some these programs are placing increased focus on transitioning toward being more relevant for the employment market .
One of the State ’ s outstanding criminal justice programs is located at the University of North Georgia . UNG Criminal Justice Department Head , Dr . Douglas Orr , said several years ago program leaders recognized the need to make their program more competitive . To accomplish this , they created several approaches for students to obtain a degree . As a result of these initiatives , the pro-
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