Personal Degree Plan Issues - Essay Example

?Shawn Engelbrecht Associate of Science Community and Human Services Studies in Criminal Justice Rationale Essay I have enrolled at Empire College to complete a Bachelor of Criminal Justice degree. I feel the degree program I have personally developed will enable me to focus in social sciences, and acquire breadth in my courses that will make me a well-educated person. Obtaining my associates degree is my short term goal that will assist me with performing better in a competitive society. My long term goals are to obtain a bachelors degree and to discover a career in law enforcement. I believe that having a well-established degree program at Empire State College with a broad range of courses will provide me the confidence necessary to become successful in life. With my current military experience, I have confidence in my ability to remain focused therefore allowing me to accomplish these two long-term goals Concentration I believe the concentration of courses that that I have selected constitute a well-focused, in-depth program that will grant me the ability to perform well in my desired career goal. I started my studies at Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC), and focused on criminal justice related courses such as Ethics in Criminal Justice, Juvenile Delinquency, and Introduction to Criminal Justice. These courses were introductory level components that have prepared me for more advanced courses at Empire State College. These courses increased my knowledge within the criminal justice field, and they also fit the degree program similar to MVCC. The courses that I selected at Empire State focus primarily on social science related subjects. They include a broad range of subjects within this field which will make me a well-rounded individual. I have focused heavily on advanced-level courses not only to meet Empire State advanced standards, but to increase my knowledge extensively within the field of criminal justice. The course that I have chosen in my degree program that focuses heavily on terrorism is Terrorism and Homeland. This study will offer me the in-depth focus on terrorism by examining the roles of law enforcement in managing terrorist events. It will also familiarize me with history, politics, and policies of terrorism. Having a subject in terrorism will benefit me if I look into a Homeland Security field as a career goal. In addition, I selected a class on deviant behavior, and it will allow me to explore socially deviant behavior of adults, and youth. General Learning and General Educational Requirements In every degree program, I believe a breadth of learning is necessary in order to become a well-educated individual, instead of being narrow-minded towards education. In my criminal justice program, I find it to be extremely important to have the required liberal arts classes to understand the complex nature of the world around me. Throughout life an individual is met with tasks on a daily basis that require a broad-range of learning, and having a variety of liberal arts courses can provide that. For example, when I traveled to many countries and saw ancient buildings, I was unaware of the architectural features these buildings had. I took a class called Western Architecture, and it provided me with the knowledge to understand these magnificent architectural masterpieces. Without this course I would have simply looked past the design aspects. Many of the courses that I have taken, and the ones I selected to develop my degree plan provide me the opportunity to enhance my knowledge and skills in writing, math, history, science, art, and language. During my service in the military I have gained a great deal of knowledge that correlates with some educational aspects at Empire State College. These courses include Physical Education, Military Science, Ethics, First Aid and Safety, and Principles of Leadership. All of the skills gained from these courses will enable me to become a more productive individual with my desired career choice. Not only does my military education bring breadth into my degree, but they share many similarities with a job in the criminal justice field. General learning is a key factor associated with having a successful degree. The courses I have selected not only contribute to my personnel interest, but enhance my overall educational goals. Communication is important in a criminal justice degree and that is why I focus heavily on writing courses like introduction to college writing, and academic writing. Communication courses correlate significantly with a career in law enforcement. I will be writing on a daily basis while working in law enforcement, so it is vital to my success. I have also incorporated a Spanish course, which will diversify my knowledge of other ethnicities. It will also grant me the ability to communicate effectively while living within the United States with its ever increasing diversity. If I happen to find myself working in a community with a large Hispanic population, I will be able to communicate with them effectively. American National Government, Global History to the 15th century, The United States Since 1877, and Introduction to the History of Western Architecture provide me the ability to analyze historical events. They provide a wide-range of knowledge that will contribute to my overall degree plan, and fulfill my personal interest in history. Dynamic Earth: Introduction to Earth Science provided me the ability to understand the Earth in a more comprehensive manner. I was able to identify key geological features, cloud patterns, and a variety of elements within the Earth. With this knowledge it diversified my criminal justice major, and made me intrigued by science in general. I was never interested in science prior to this course, and this course opened my eyes to a whole new educational experience. Introduction to Psychology and Introduction to Sociology contribute to my degree plan in a more practical way, than my other general learning courses. These courses are important components of my overall degree, and provide me with the understanding of social structure of human behavior and the scientific study of the human mind. This will help me understand the criminal mind, and how an individual is affected by his or her surroundings. The majority of these general learning courses contribute to my general education requirements necessary to complete my associate’s degree. Instead of the seven required general education courses, I increased mine to include eight areas. This will increase my overall diversity of liberal arts courses, and provide me with additional knowledge to deal with everyday situations. I have planned to fully meet all general education requirements necessary to receive an associate’s degree at Empire State College. Area of Study I believe that I have met the guidelines for my area of study under Community and Human Services. I have gained the knowledge of historical contexts and the nature of people living in communities. Global History to the 15th Century and Sociology further enhanced my knowledge within the study of community and human services. Also a great deal of my studies includes in-depth research skills. Attitudes and values relate to my course in Ethics in Criminal Justice. Experience, application and practice are associated with my studies in a number of my social science courses. My planned courses are deeply related to my area of studies as they enable me to understand different communities, social policies, criminal policies, ethical dilemmas, human rights, social change, administrative skills, diversity, and prevention/intervention skills. I feel confident that in my desired degree plan, I will be able to understand the four essential foundations within the Community and Human Services area of study. Ethics in Criminal Justice and Military Ethics I want to clarify the difference between Ethics in Criminal Justice, and Military Ethics. Ethics in Criminal Justice focuses primarily on criminal ethics and procedures, and the theories associated with them. Military ethics is hands on experience learned throughout my military service on proper treatment of detainees, and civilians. Conclusion I feel confident in my overall degree program, and know that it meets all the general education requirements. It also meets the appropriate credits in my liberal arts courses. This degree plan will enable me to reach my ultimate goal of a desirable profession in law enforcement. Empire State College focuses on the importance of education and this program will enable me to have the necessary skills needed to gain the knowledge in my anticipated degree. Read More