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Operations sergeant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an operations sergeant. Operations sergeants usually study business, criminal justice, or general studies. 47% of operations sergeants hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,948 real operations sergeant resumes to see exactly what operations sergeant education sections show.

The most common colleges for operations sergeants are the Texas A&M; University - Central Texas and the Texas A&M; University - Central Texas.

There are also many online operations sergeant courses to help get the education required to be an operations sergeant.

There are certain operations sergeant certifications that you should consider. These operations sergeant certifications include Physical Security Certification (PSC) and Certified Law Enforcement Analysts (CLEA).

What education do you need to become an operations sergeant?

What degree do you need to be an operations sergeant?

The most common degree for operations sergeants is bachelor's degree, with 47% of operations sergeants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 33% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 47%
  • Associate, 33%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Master's, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an operations sergeant?

You should major in business to become an operations sergeant. 24% of operations sergeants major in business. Other common majors for an operations sergeant include criminal justice and general studies.

Most common colleges for operations sergeants

Operations sergeants often get their degrees at Texas A&M; University - Central Texas, American University, and Troy University. Here are the most common colleges for operations sergeants in the US based on their resumes.
Operations sergeant common collegePercentages
Texas A&M University - Central Texas20.52%
American University11.57%
Troy University9.88%
Excelsior College9.57%
University of Phoenix8.02%

Best majors for operations sergeants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business23.8%
2Criminal Justice19.4%
3General Studies18.7%
4Management5.6%
5Liberal Arts5.5%

Best colleges for operations sergeants

The best colleges for operations sergeants are Northeastern University, Boston University, and George Washington University, The.

An operations sergeant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for operations sergeants. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become operations sergeants.

1. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

4. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

5. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

6. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

7. Mercyhurst University

Erie, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$37,170

Enrollment

2,374

8. University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ • Private

In-state tuition

$12,467

Enrollment

33,509

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Enrollment

41,777

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

20 best online courses for operations sergeants

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Operations Research (OR) is a field in which people use mathematical and engineering methods to study optimization problems in Business and Management, Economics, Computer Science, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, etc. The series of courses consists of three parts, we focus on deterministic optimization techniques, which is a major part of the field of OR. As the second part of the series, we study some efficient algorithms for solving linear programs, integer programs, and nonlinear...

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Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...

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5. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff

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Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...

6. Operational Research for Humanitarians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for operations sergeants

The most affordable schools for operations sergeants are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and florida international university.

If the best universities for operations sergeants are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for operations sergeants.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,270

Cost of attendance

14,177

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for operations sergeants

The hardest universities for operations sergeants to get into are Northeastern University, Boston University, and George Washington University, The.

Some great schools for operations sergeants are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for operations sergeants based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

3. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

8. American University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,320

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

10. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,345

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for operations sergeants

The easiest schools for operations sergeants to get into are Notre Dame College, nyack college, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an operations sergeant without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for operations sergeants.

1. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average operations sergeant salary by education level

Operations sergeants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $62,508 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, operations sergeants earn a median annual income of $59,069 compared to $50,728 for operations sergeants with an Associate degree.
Operations sergeant education levelOperations sergeant salary
Master's Degree$62,508
High School Diploma or Less$48,474
Bachelor's Degree$59,069
Some College/ Associate Degree$50,728

Operations sergeant education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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