A few years ago I shared the reasons that I attend Liberty University, and three years into that journey, I remain a staunch advocate of a school that I believe can help every cop on the beat. First, I’ll say that college may not be for everyone but if you wear a badge and more importantly if you want to progress through a career, education certainly can help and I’ve seen that personally in almost thirty years on the job. So, if you want to finish that degree or begin to work on your next career, I believe Liberty University has an advantage over many other schools.
Cost
I covered the benefits of this in another article but after looking for years at various schools and recently doing the same for my kids, I believe that the cost combined with the 25% discount that Liberty University offers first responders is unmatched but more importantly, the quality that comes with that cost is phenomenal.
Education & Ease
One of my main concerns prior to going back to school was my time. I’m extremely busy with work, travel and training. I also have kids and they are busy and I like my wife so I enjoy being around her. The truth is, school was never going to be my number one priority because I value my family and the time spent with them. While I wanted a doctoral degree and I wanted to study leadership at a high level, I was not willing to give up my career or the time with my family.
Liberty University has no doubt made “doing it all” possible. They have over 550 degree options and while their campus is unreal, they are the largest and in my opinion the best online university out there. After two years of attending, I can tell you without a doubt that is true. My advocacy for the school has sent several readers here at Law Officer to Liberty University and their experience is just like mine. Michael Howell is a retired Captain in Kansas and he entered the PhD program in Criminal Justice. He is a year from his dissertation phase and he has loved every minute of the experience.
Howell tells me that Liberty University has literally made everything possible.
“I get to go to work and I get to spend time with my family and I am ultimately in control of when and where I attend the coursework,” Howell recently told me.
While there is work and there is time that you have to dedicate to the education, you get to do it on your schedule and when you have the time.
The Investment
There is no question that attending school is a huge decision and much of that is a financial decision but years after a graduate degree and two years into a doctorate degree, I can tell you this. The education that I have received has paid for itself ten times over and I expect it to continue into another career. In the last twenty years I have taught at several universities, served as a paid expert witness and took much of my knowledge to the classroom and taught cops around the country.
I am convinced that if you want to do as much as possible in the short life we have on earth, education is one of the best ways to ensure that occurs.
If you were ask me, Liberty University is the place to help make that happen.
