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July 7, 2011
NETC Will Offer Criminal Justice Degree Pathway This Fall

Northeastern Technical College will add a new program to its curriculum beginning this fall semester. The Associate Degree in Criminal Justice will be a pathway to job opportunities in homeland security, border protection, fraud investigation, public and private security, law enforcement agencies and corrections.
 
The Criminal Justice program will teach students the fundamentals of the criminal justice system, building a foundation in criminal law, police administration, criminology, communications and writing skills.

The 73 credit hour program will focus on real-world application of criminological principles. Current and former law enforcement personnel will teach the courses, giving students a valuable insight into the working world of law enforcement agencies.
 
Graduates of the Criminal Justice certificate program have already earned nearly half the required credit hours toward the associate degree and are encouraged to pursue this new program. Returning graduates would earn the associate degree in fewer semesters because of the hours they have accrued in the certificate program.

A large number of courses required for this degree are offered in an online format. This option provides increased accessibility to coursework and flexibility in scheduling for working adults. Traditional classroom-based day, evening and Saturday courses are also available.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment of private detectives and investigators – one career pathway of the Criminal Justice program – is expected to grow 22 percent during the 2008-18 decade, much faster than the average for other occupations.
 
Increased demand for private detectives and investigators will result from heightened security concerns, increased litigation, and the need to protect confidential information and property of all kinds. The proliferation of criminal activity on the Internet, such as identity theft, spamming, e-mail harassment, and illegal downloading of copyrighted materials, also will increase the demand for private investigators.

“We developed this program based on feedback from law enforcement agencies in our service area that indicated a growing need for more workforce training opportunities in this field,” said Dr. Ron Bartley, president of Northeastern Technical College. “We’re proud to work with these agencies and the work involved which supports our mission to prepare the workforce of Chesterfield, Marlboro and Dillon counties through education and training.”

“As students complete this program at NETC, it will create a pool of more qualified applicants for our department to draw from,” Cheraw Police Chief Jay Brooks said. “The program will also open up some doors for people who already work for our department to advance their training and career in law enforcement.”

Bennettsville Police Chief Larry McNeil agrees.

“This program will not only benefit our department, but anyone interested in learning more about how our laws are enforced and how the judicial system works,” he said. “Today’s law enforcement requires more brains than brawn. It is important to be aware of how the Constitution impacts our laws, and this program will be an opportunity to gain the necessary knowledge to maintain this balance.”

The application deadline for enrolling in NETC’s fall semester is July 27. New or returning students planning to attend the College this fall should submit admission applications by this date.
 
Open Registration will be held August 10, and classes start August 15.  
 
NETC admission applications may be picked up and submitted at the main campus in Cheraw, or at one of the college campuses in Bennettsville, Pageland or Dillon. Students who wish to submit applications in person should do so at the campus where they intend to take classes. 

An NETC admission application may also be filled out and submitted online by going to the Admissions page and clicking on Apply Online. 

Financial aid applications may also be completed and submitted online by visiting WWW.FAFSA.ED.GOV. Paper applications are available by calling 1-800-4Fed-Aid (1-800-433-3243).

For more information, call NETC’s Admissions Office at 921-6933 or 1-800-921-7399. 

The application deadline for fall semester is Wednesday, July 27. Open registration is August 10.  Fall semester classes start August 15.