California College Fast Tracks Criminal Justice Degree

Hartnell College in Salinas, CA has found a way to compete with online schools and new campuses in its area by offering a criminal justice degree that can be completed in three semesters - or one year, including a summer session.

Hartnell is a community college near the Monterey Peninsula in Central California, established in 1921 and continuing today as a regional public school. They are getting into the online education business a little more aggressively than some of the other community colleges in California, many of which have been held back by massive budget cuts from the state.

Hartnell is moving ahead with its Fast Track Program, which graduates the student in a hurry with an associate's degree in criminal justice after twelve months of intensive study. The Fast Track option is ideal for students coming out of high school who are interested in law enforcement careers. Many of the police departments in California insist on post-secondary education credentials for their police recruits. Degrees in criminal justice and police science are often keys to police academy acceptance; in recent years a forensics degree has also become an option.

The criminal justice degree is the first associate's degree program being offered in Fast Track mode. The school intends to expand on the concept, as its enrollment has been swollen by the recession just as every other community college in the country. Hartnell is also part of the California Virtual Campus, an online clearing house for distance learning options throughout the state.

Students who need an affordable, quick college credential can search this database for new course offerings as well as by major. Community colleges are beginning to understand the importance of a quick turnaround to students seeking to start a career - whether it is the first career or the second. Hartnell is providing an excellent example, both in developing the education modules for a three-semester program and in its marketing of the degree opportunity.