Fighting crime and conquering the classroom

When she's not disrupting the sale of illegal narcotics or arresting criminals, Detective Sergeant Zipporah Thomas is raising her two children and earning her master's in Justice Administration and Public Service. However, crime rarely respects conventional business hours and unpredictable, demanding shifts make it difficult for active law enforcement officers to enroll in traditional graduate programs.

Luckily, the College of Saint Elizabeth understands these challenges.

"The Criminal Justice program at CSE is designed for people in law enforcement by people who've been in law enforcement," explains Zipporah. "They understand the need for flexibility with our jobs and families because they've been there themselves."

CSE's Master of Arts in Justice Administration and Public Service is a fully online program tailored to meet the needs of those currently working in the profession.

"The M.A. program is convenient for officers because it doesn't require synchronized learning," says Dr. James Ford, an assistant Criminal Justice professor at CSE. "A student doesn't have to log on at any specific day or time. This makes the master's program ideal for shift work.

"In addition to being instructed by professors who have up to decades of practical knowledge in law enforcement, CSE also offers 50% reduced tuition for sworn in officers.

"CSE is a close-knit community where students receive personal attention from all professors," says Zipporah.