(Special to the American Press)

Special to the American Press

Sowela Technical Community College recently received approval from the Louisiana Board of Regents and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System to offer the College’s Associate of Applied Science in criminal justice online in addition to its well-established on-campus program.

The new format increases educational access to working adults, including law enforcement professionals.

“Offering our criminal justice degree fully online will allow flexibility and accessibility for people with work and family commitments to pursue their education,” said Sowela Criminal Justice Program Coordinator Lisa Quibodeaux. “The job growth in the criminal justice field is rising, thus obtaining a degree can open doors to many career paths as well as lead to potential career advancement. Providing courses in a format that meets our students where they are is one of the ways Sowela continues to put students first.”

Across the country, law enforcement agencies struggle to fill vacant positions. Locally, Southwest Louisiana is no exception. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, police and probation offers have a job growth of about 4%.

Sowela’s criminal justice degree provides practical experience to prepare students for employment or promotional opportunities in criminal justice agency positions in crime prevention, public safety, corrections or other related fields. It emphasizes safe and efficient work practices, basic occupational skills and the application of federal, state and local laws as they apply in emergency and routine situations.

Sowela provides credit for three criminal justice classes to post-certified individuals.

The program offers a concentration in death investigation. Additionally, Sowela has transfer agreements with four-year universities that enable students to seamlessly transfer credits into a criminal justice bachelor’s degree program.

Registration is open for the 2025 fall semester. Interested individuals can apply now at www.sowela.edu/apply. Scholarships and financial aid are available for those who qualify. For assistance or for more specific information about the Criminal Justice program, contact the One Stop Enrollment Office at (337) 421-6550 or onestop@sowela.edu.