College Credit

The curriculum of the Law Enforcement Academy is embedded within 18 credit hours of Criminal Justice courses, with the credits earned being applicable to Missouri Western’s associate’s degree and bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.

Western students seeking POST certification to qualify for a career in law enforcement will be simultaneously earning credits that apply toward a college degree. A college degree is required for many law enforcement positions as it is recognized that the additional knowledge obtained through a college degree is of significant value to law enforcement officers.

While we believe that a college degree is highly valuable to individuals seeking a career in law enforcement, POST certification may be obtained without enrolling as a degree seeking student. However, only degree seeking students are eligible for most forms of financial aid (e.g., Pell grants) - see Financial Aid page.

Students seeking admission to the University as degree seeking students must submit ACT scores. Students with an ACT Math score lower than 20, an ACT English score lower than 19, or an ACT Reading score lower than 19 will be required to complete developmental courses in the appropriate discipline(s).

Summary

1. Want POST certification only, not presently seeking a degree
   • No ACT required
   • Financial aid options limited
   • Hours earned may be applied to a degree at a later time.
2. Want POST and a degree, and have ACTs above 20/19
   • Financial aid potentially available, depending on income and other factors
   • No developmental work required prior to enrolling in CJ courses leading to POST
3. Want POST and a degree, and have ACTs below 20/19
   • Financial aid potentially available, depending on income and other factors
   • Development work required prior to enrolling in CJ courses leading to POST

ACT Requirements for new students seeking a degree at MWSU who are under the age of 20:

ACT math sub-score - 20 or higher
Students with a score lower than 20 are required to enroll in developmental math (MAT081) or take a placement test to determine the level of knowledge.

ACT English sub-score - 19 or higher
Students with a score lower than 19 are required to enroll in developmental English (ENG100) or take a placement test to determine the level of knowledge.

ACT reading sub-score - 19 or higher
Students with a score lower than 19 are required to enroll in developmental reading (RDG095) or take a placement test to determine the level of knowledge.

Students without ACT scores must take the placement tests to determine if they should enroll in developmental courses.

• Placement tests will be offered on campus.
• Please contact the academy office to schedule your placement test.

Please note: students who are placed in developmental courses must continually enroll in these classes until they are completed.