Frequently Asked Questions About the Thomas College Criminal Justice Administration Program

How will the program benefit local Maine law enforcement agencies?

At the present time, a high percentage of applicants for openings in Maine law enforcement agencies have not received training in law enforcement areas and, in most cases, have little or no education in areas such as management, human relations, computer science, or accounting.  In order to prepare the new recruits selected for the job, the state or local agency or city or town must assume the cost of the recruits’ training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.  Graduates of the Thomas College Criminal Justice Administration program will have already completed the 18 week Basic Law Enforcement Course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.  In addition, they will bring education in a strong management core of learning, including communications, accounting, finance, ethics, management, marketing, business law, math, and economics.

How will this change the hiring process for Maine law enforcement agencies?

As the Thomas College Criminal Justice Administration program becomes established and a steady number of students successfully complete and graduate from the program each year, Maine law enforcement agencies will find that the pool of applicants for openings will be of higher quality and better prepared.  Thomas College prides itself on having graduates who can “hit the ground running” in their first positions out of school, and this will certainly be true of graduates of the Criminal Justice Administration program.

How will Maine law enforcement agencies be involved with students as they progress through the program?

The success of the program depends heavily on the support of Maine law enforcement agencies well beyond the obvious hiring of graduates. Thomas College will be establishing an Advisory Board for the Criminal Justice Administration program, and representatives of law enforcement agencies will be invited to serve on this Board, along with students in the program and Thomas College faculty and administrators.

We also anticipate participation by members of the law enforcement community as guest lecturers in classes held on campus. Thomas College has strong ties to the community outside the classroom, and we have dozens of speakers on campus each semester, including participants in the Trailblazer and Entrepreneurship 2000 lecture series.  We are anticipating a large number of law enforcement professionals will come forward to share their expertise and experience with students in the program.

Job shadowing early in a student’s academic career is an excellent means of determining that a particular career area is, indeed, the right choice.  We encourage our students to spend some time with professionals in their chosen field, and we anticipate we would develop a pool of resources for such on-site experiences.

What is different or unique about this program?

The most exciting difference between the Thomas College Criminal Justice Administration program and other criminal justice or law enforcement programs in Maine is the partnership between the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and the College.  The program was designed in conjunction with criminal justice professionals to offer a solid foundation for a career in this field. Over many months, Executive Director of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy Steven Giorgetti and Dr. Martin Bressler, Thomas College Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, worked closely with members of the Maine law enforcement community and the faculty at the College to create this excellent program.  At Thomas College our program is titled “Criminal Justice Administration” as the management skills students develop will assist them in reaching supervisory or management positions in Law Enforcement.

The partnership between Thomas College and the Maine Criminal Justice Academy is the only such agreement in the state.

What are the expectations of students entering the program?

The Thomas College Criminal Justice Administration program is a demanding one.  Students who enroll in it must be highly motivated to succeed.  Students will be required to successfully complete a rigorous academic core in management and administration.  In order to complete the eighteen-week Basic Law Enforcement Course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, students must meet all entrance requirements for that program.  These requirements include a criminal background investigation and medical and physical fitness requirements set by the Academy.  Students must also meet all of the typical requirements for admission to Thomas College and maintain satisfactory progress while at the college.

What kind of skills will students have when they graduate from this program?

Graduates of the Criminal Justice Administration program will have completed the 18 week Basic Law Enforcement Course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.  In addition, at Thomas College they will have completed core courses such as:

• Introduction to Criminal Justice
• Police Patrol Procedures
• The Corrections System
• Probation and Parole
• Police Administration
• Criminal and Constitutional Law
• Multicultural Issues in Criminal Justice
• Juvenile Crime and Justice

In addition, they will bring education in a strong management core of learning, including communications, accounting, finance, ethics, management, marketing, business law, math, and economics.

Will students get the same training at the academy as everyone else?

Thomas College students have the opportunity to attend the 18 week Basic Law Enforcement Course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy as part of their Criminal Justice Administration program. In order to be admitted to this program, they must qualify under the same requirements as any other recruits and they receive the same training as new recruits from agencies and cities and towns across the state.

When will students participate in the Criminal Justice Training Council component of the program?

Eligible students may attend the Maine Criminal Justice Academy’s eighteen-week Basic Law Enforcement Course during the fall or spring semesters of their senior years.

What are the expectations for students who will graduate from the program?

Career opportunities in the law enforcement field are excellent.  In addition, each year more law enforcement agencies, both in Maine and throughout the country, are requiring that their officers hold college degrees.  In most cases, a degree is an essential for men and women who want to advance in their career field.

Students who successfully complete the Thomas College Criminal Justice Administration program, which includes the eighteen-week Basic Law Enforcement Course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, may enter a wide variety of law enforcement fields such as:

• Municipal Law Enforcement Officer
• County Law Enforcement Officer (Sheriff’s Departments)
• Maine State Trooper
• Federal Law Enforcement Officer (Border Patrol or Immigration Agents)
• Probation and Parole Officer
• Inland Fish & Wildlife Warden
• Court Officer
• Maine Coastal Warden
• Corrections Officer

Why do we anticipate strong interest in this program among potential students?

A number of studies take place on a regular basis that evaluate and determine the areas of career focus high school students are seeking. Recently conducted studies have found that, among young men, careers in law enforcement are one of the top three employment choices.

Another attractive feature of the Thomas College Criminal Justice Administration program is its “portability.”  The depth of the concentration of learning gained through the eighteen-week Basic Law Enforcement courses at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and the breadth of the Thomas College business education courses such as accounting, communication, finance, ethics, and computer applications will result in a combination of skills, knowledge, and experience that will be attractive to law enforcement agencies nationwide.