Kellogg Community College offers a variety of programs in criminal justice.

Select the career you are interested in for more information:


Police Officer
Federal Law Enforcement
Forensic Science
Corrections Officer
Probation Officer
Parole Officer
Juvenile Probation Officer
Private Investigations
Security Guard


Police Officer:
Michigan law requires police officers to be licensed by the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES). Kellogg Community College operates an MCOLES approved basic police academy. Student’s interested in entering a career in law enforcement immediately upon graduation should click on Police Academy.

Student’s interested in entering a career in law enforcement after obtaining a four-year degree should follow the Associate Degree in Criminal Justice curriculum. If you have already selected a 4-year college, you should follow the transfer guide for that program.

Federal Law Enforcement:
Most federal law enforcement agencies (such as the Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) require a four-year college degree and give hiring preference to those with law enforcement employment experience.

Students looking for a career with a federal law enforcement agency should follow one of two courses of study through Kellogg Community College. If you plan on transferring to a four-year school and earning your bachelor’s degree before gaining any work experience you should follow the Associate Degree of Criminal Justice. This program is designed to meet the MACRAO agreement and will transfer well to most Michigan four-year colleges and universities. If you have already selected a 4-year college, you should follow the transfer guide for that program.

If you prefer to gain experience while working on your four-year degree you should click on Police Academy for more information.

Forensic Science:
Forensic Scientists can be hired on the local, state, or federal level. Large police agencies, state agencies, and federal agencies generally employ civilian personnel who have formalized education in chemistry, biology, and physics. If you have a particular agency in mind you should request information directly from that agency regarding their employment requirements. Otherwise, it is recommended that students follow an Associate in Science with an emphasis on Chemistry or Biology for transfer to the four-year school of your choice.

Many forensic science professionals originally began their career as a police officer and then received specialized training from their department. Most medium and small agencies still follow this practice. Student’s who prefer to follow this career path should click on Police Academy for more information.

Corrections Officer:
In Michigan, there are two main employers of Corrections Officers. The largest employer is the Michigan Department of Corrections. Student’s interested in a career with the MDOC should follow one of three programs at Kellogg Community College.

The Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice is designed for career entry and advancement opportunities within the MDOC, and other state and federal corrections agencies.

The Associate Degree in Corrections is designed for career entry and advancement opportunities in corrections and also meets the MACRAO requirements for easier transfers to a bachelor’s degree program.

The Corrections Certificate fulfills the state-mandated requirement for MDOC corrections officers to obtain 15 college credits in an approved curriculum. Having a Corrections Certificate (or one of our Corrections Associate degrees) also gives you a much better opportunity to pass the civil service test and will give you an educational bonus of 10 points in an overall hiring point system where 40 points is a perfect score.

The other main employer of corrections officers are county sheriff departments. Most of the 83 counties in Michigan have jails and hire corrections personnel to supervise inmates. State law requires that local corrections officers successfully complete a Michigan Sheriff's Coordinating and Training Council (MSCTC) 160 hour Local Correctional Academy.

Probation Officer:
This career normally requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Student’s interested in becoming a probation officer should follow the Associate Degree in Criminal Justice curriculum. This program is designed to meet the MACRAO agreement and will transfer well to most Michigan four-year colleges and universities.

Parole Officer:
This career normally requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Student’s interested in becoming a parole officer should follow the Associate Degree in Criminal Justice curriculum. This program is designed to meet the MACRAO agreement and will transfer well to most Michigan four-year colleges and universities.

Juvenile Probation Officer:
This career normally requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Student’s interested in becoming a probation agent should follow the Associate Degree in Criminal Justice curriculum. This program is designed to meet the MACRAO agreement and will transfer well to most Michigan four-year colleges and universities. Many juvenile homes have jobs in direct supervision of juveniles that do not require bachelor degrees. If you are interested in this employment area you should check directly with the agency and follow their educational requirements.

Private Investigations:
To be a licensed private investigator in the state of Michigan you must have either three years experience as a police officer, or have a bachelor’s degree in the field of police administration, or be employed for three years by a private detective business as an investigative employee

Student’s following the first option (three years experience as a police officer) should click on Police Academy for more information. Student’s following the second option (a bachelor’s degree in police administration) should follow the Associate Degree in Criminal Justice curriculum. This program is designed to meet the MACRAO agreement and will transfer well to most Michigan four-year colleges and universities.

Student’s following the third option should apply directly to the private detective business of their choice.

Security Guard:
Qualifications vary greatly for this profession. Those wishing to give themselves the best opportunity for employment and advancement should follow the Associate Degree in Criminal Justice curriculum.