Shift commander education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a shift commander. Shift commanders usually study criminal justice, business, or law enforcement. 47% of shift commanders hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 700 real shift commander resumes to see exactly what shift commander education sections show.

The most common colleges for shift commanders are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online shift commander courses to help get the education required to be a shift commander.

There are certain shift commander certifications that you should consider. These shift commander certifications include Certified Law Enforcement Analysts (CLEA) and Certified Security Supervision & Management (CSS).

What education do you need to become a shift commander?

What degree do you need to be a shift commander?

The most common degree for shift commanders is bachelor's degree, with 47% of shift commanders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 47%

Associate, 25%

High School Diploma, 13%

Master's, 9%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a shift commander?

You should major in criminal justice to become a shift commander. 37% of shift commanders major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a shift commander include business and law enforcement.

Criminal Justice, 37%

Business, 13%

Law Enforcement, 8%

Fire Science And Protection, 6%

Other Majors, 36%

Most common colleges for shift commanders

Shift commanders often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Columbia Southern University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for shift commanders in the US based on their resumes.

Shift commander common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	17.33%
Columbia Southern University	8.00%
Pennsylvania State University	6.67%
Saint Leo University	6.67%
Eastern Michigan University	5.33%

Show more common shift commander colleges

Best majors for shift commanders

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	37.1%
2	Business	13.1%
3	Law Enforcement	7.7%
4	Fire Science And Protection	6.2%
5	Law	5.3%

Show more common shift commander majors

Best colleges for shift commanders

The best colleges for shift commanders are Northeastern University, Boston University, and George Washington University, The.

A shift commander with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for shift commanders. 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 shift commanders.

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 shift commanders

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Top 10 most affordable universities for shift commanders

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

If the best universities for shift commanders 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 shift commanders.

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 shift commanders

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

Some great schools for shift commanders 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 shift commanders 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

SAT average

1,497

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

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 shift commanders

The easiest schools for shift commanders 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 a shift commander 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 shift commanders.

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 shift commander salary by education level

According to our data, shift commanders with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $45,263 annually. Shift commanders with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $43,266.

Shift commander education level	Shift commander salary
Master's Degree	$45,263
High School Diploma or Less	$36,958
Bachelor's Degree	$43,266
Some College/ Associate Degree	$38,321

Shift commander education FAQs

What is the best college for Shift Commanders?

Have more questions? See all answers to common protective service questions.

Search for shift commander jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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