NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MARCH 2014
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“The way we’re designed, we want people to come to us with
experiences from elsewhere that enriches our virtual classrooms,” said Dr. Ann Mester, Assistant Dean of the Heavin School
of Arts and Sciences, which includes Thomas Edison’s Criminal
Justice programs. “Many of our programs are designed to link
practice to theory.”
And, oh by the way, students get credit for that practice. For
example, in the Bachelor of Science in Human Services degree
program, an officer who has worked 1,500 hours or more can get
up to 18 credits. TESC also features an option by which taking
courses for an undergraduate degree can also count as credits
toward a graduate degree.
Although TESC offers a wide array of Criminal Justice and other
courses and programs that can help law enforcement officers in
areas such as leadership and management, the market differentiator the college features is fairly simple.
“Convenience and price,” Dr. Mester asserts. “We’re very
affordable, and we’re designed for working adults. Also, not only
do we offer our courses online, but we’re not a semester-based
system. Students can start new courses every single month.”
Chief Gurney does not hesitate to point out how TESC’s flexible program made a huge impact, especially when he started
back. He was able to get a significant amount of credit for his lifework. Additionally, he was allowed to get more credits by taking
the equivalent of final exams in some of the Criminal Justicerelated courses.
He pointed out that Thomas Edison also functioned as a clearing house or sorts to pile up credits toward his degrees. He was
able to take courses at a local community college as well as online
courses from several different schools.
“The amount of credits they gave me really opened the door,”
Gurney added. “Then, once I got back in the classroom, I went
in as an adult who really wanted to do well. Thomas Edison made
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it easier because you work at your own pace. You aren’t on a
timetable for anything.”
Easing back into the classroom enabled Chief Gurney to
rebuild his study skills. Eventually, he branched out into other
academic areas, including administrative sciences. And he says
he became a bit of an education junkie. In addition to getting his
master’s, he also went to the FBI National Academy and completed 17 credits from the University of Virginia.
Gurney also says he is very proud that he finished his master’s
courses with a 3.85 grade-point average.
“Every day, I use my degrees in one way or another,” he said.
“I think I learned a lot through other adults’ experiences. That’s
why I got so much out of Thomas Edison.”
TESC has received such a good response to its Criminal Justice
programs that it recently expanded to add a Master’s in Homeland Security. That came about because of the popularity of the
school’s 12-hour Homeland Security certificate. Dr. Mester also
said TESC is considering adding a program in Juvenile Justice but
that is just in the course-development stage.
“We don’t want you to worry about not having read a book in
30 years,” Dr. Mester said. “Yes, you will have to pick tha Ё