Associate’s Degrees
More and more police, public safety, and
fire departments and agencies are requiring
at least some college education, including a
two-year associate’s degree.
Collin County Community College, with
campuses in Plano, McKinney, and Frisco,
for example, offers an associate’s degree
in fire science, as well as certifications for
basic firefighter, fire officer, and emergency
medical technician. Recruits for positions as Texas state planning
The program includes courses in troopers face similar college requirements. or political
fire control and rescue taught by active Applicants for the Texas Department of science. A
firefighters. Over the past 10 years, 100 Public Safety’s trooper training program number of social
percent of program completers have passed must be at least 20 years old and have a science degrees
the basic firefighter state certification exam. minimum of 90 hours of college credit or prepare students for
Pat McAuliff, the program’s director, equivalent work experience. further study toward
says most people in the program are active The department’s 26-week program trains law degrees.
firefighters seeking to advance, not people the state’s highway patrol, criminal law
earning the degree to get an entry-level enforcement, and Texas Ranger divisions. graduate school
job. “However,” McAuliff adds, “there is The department encourages active officers Graduate school is an option for students
a trend among some fire departments to to pursue continuing education at one of pursuing high-level specialization in
require 40 to 60 college hours for entry-level the 73 law enforcement programs at colleges a particular area of Law, Public Safety,
employment.” in Texas. Corrections & Security. Some legal occupations,
such as mediator, paralegal, and
court reporter, are accessible with an
Get the cRediT
emergencY responders undergraduate degree or certification,
from around THe world parTIcIpaTe
but to become a lawyer or judge, you
you deserve
must earn a four-year degree and then
In searcH and rescue TraInIng
attend three years of law school.
T
ech prep in Texas is a great way to start
exercIses aT THe 52-acre dIsasTer Texas has eight law schools,
earning college credits toward a technical
cITY

In college sTaTIon.
including some of the nation’s best.
career while you’re still in high school. Tech prep
The University of Texas at Austin, for
programs center on “articulation agreements,”
example, was ranked 16th in a 2007
signed contracts between the student, his or
bachelor’s Degrees list of the nation’s top law schools by U.S.
her high school, and one or more community
Bachelor’s degrees help students seeking News & World Report. In 2006, the school
colleges the student would like to attend.
higher-paying positions in law and public had nearly 5,000 applicants, only 433 of
The agreement includes recommendations
safety. Four-year universities across the whom were admitted.
for high school courses to be completed before
state provide a variety of programs that With increased competition in law school
graduation and outlines a two-year degree
qualify people for administrative and admissions, several Texas colleges have
or certificate program. selected courses in a
supervisory jobs. started programs to help prepare students
Tech prep plan cover the same material as the
At the University of North Texas in for legal careers. One of the first was at the
equivalent college course, allowing the student
Denton, for example, the criminal justice University of Texas at El Paso’s Law School
to receive credits toward the college degree.
program is the largest in the Dallas/Fort Preparation Institute, which includes two
It’s like a bank account. The credit is banked
Worth area. Required courses for the major intensive summer sessions modeled after a
for you at the college, and you withdraw it when
include Crime and Justice in the United first-year law class.
you enroll.
States, Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice, According to cofounder Robert Webking,
for more information on Tech prep, visit
Diversity Issues in Criminal Justice, Criminal the institute helps participants improve their
www.techpreptexas.org. ask your counselor
Procedure, Criminal Law, Police Systems, grades and ability to catch on quickly in law
about advanced placement or dual credit
Correctional Systems, and Criminology. school. About 90 percent of the program’s
courses and other opportunities to earn college
University of North Texas students can students who complete applications for law
credit in high school.
also major in emergency administration and school are admitted.
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