Although a college degree is not required to become a state police trooper, a new collaborative effort between Slippery Rock University and the state police aims to raise the bar for those interested in a future career in law enforcement.
The partnership will allow criminology and criminal justice SRU students to earn 15 credits through the State Police Academy, with the academy training counting toward elective internship and workshop credits, said David Champion, criminal justice professor.
“This will give them the opportunity to learn about the profession, and understand this is a pathway for them,” Champion said. “This will, at the very least, expose them to the career.”
Students would need to complete all general education and graduation requirements before entering the academy the second semester of their senior year, Champion said.
Instead of classroom time to earn remaining credits, students finish their training at the State Police Academy and earn the remaining credits needed to graduate, allowing them to receive their degree and become a trooper at the same time, said Chris Caracino, state police spokesman.
Caracino said the agreement “demonstrates our commitment to higher education and lifelong learning, formally recognizing the academic rigor, discipline, and professional standards necessary to become a member of the Pennsylvania State Police.”
Slippery Rock is the 17th college and the only state-owned school participating in the program, Caracino said. Locally, Saint Vincent and Waynesburg universities are involved.
“We understand the importance of having educated law enforcement officers,” Champion said.
In 2023, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration removed the college degree requirement for many government jobs, including state troopers, in an effort to expand the applicant pool during a nationwide law enforcement staffing shortage.
The educational requirement for cadets is a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Caracino said the state police have seen a nearly 60% increase in the number of cadet applicants since the requirement was dropped. Nearly half of the state troopers accepted into and graduated from the State Police Academy after the change took effect would not have been eligible to apply if the requirement had not been eliminated.
Champion said there are benefits to law enforcement officers that hold college degrees: they are more attractive for promotions and specialized units, and research indicates that police officers with college degrees generally have fewer disciplinary issues and instances of misconduct compared to those without degrees.
“In a job like law enforcement, or corrections, or criminal justice, people need to have basic skills for writing reports, and verbalizing things,” Champion said. “They also learn about the human aspect and soft skills, and the nature of human kind. These are things they learn through a college education.”
Slippery Rock and state police also established an initiative for enlisted and retired troopers to earn college credit for their academy training. Slippery Rock is the only Southwestern Pennsylvania college among the 12 institutions that participates in that program.
”Under this agreement, troopers who successfully complete their training at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in Hershey will receive a predetermined number of academic credits applicable towards their degree programs,” Caracino said. “This ensures that the troopers’ extensive training is formally recognized, allowing them to transition into higher education smoothly and potentially accelerate their degree completion.”
Champion anticipates the agreement will support student enrollment and retention at the college. Already, there has been interest from students taking advantage of the police academy opportunity, he said.
“Students like the program,” Champion said, “but they always want to see things more hands-on and career oriented.”