Special Officer Education Requirements And Courses

Special officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Usually, special officers don't need a college education. The most common degree for special officers is bachelor's degree with 54% graduates, with only 18% special officer graduates earning associate degree. Special officers who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York. Some good skills to have in this position include real estate, patrol and credit analysis.

What education do you need to become a special officer?

What degree do you need to be a special officer?

The most common degree for special officers is bachelor's degree, with 54% of special officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Associate, 18%

High School Diploma, 12%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a special officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a special officer. 32% of special officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a special officer include business and psychology.

Criminal Justice, 32%

Business, 19%

Psychology, 6%

Finance, 4%

Other Majors, 39%

Best majors for special officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	32.2%
2	Business	19.4%
3	Psychology	5.8%
4	Finance	4.4%
5	Communication	4.0%

Show more common special officer majors

20 best online courses for special officers

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How To Analyze Office and Industrial Real Estate Investments For Smarter Investing...

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Active Shooter/Violent Intruder Prevention and Response...

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Advanced Level - Case studies on electric powertrain technology of automotive OEM's...

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Real Estate Asset Management Training From Acquisition, To Ownership, Through Sale For Profitable Real Estate Investing...

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Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO) Certification Exam Prep Course...

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Battery management system battery design & modelling Electric vehicle Lithium ion battery management Simulation...

17. Microsoft Office: Word, Excel and Access Productivity Bundle

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1 Billion+ Use Office Apps as Their Primary Productivity Tool. Get the Tips in 200+ Lectures to Help Office Work for You...

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Learn the essentials of Microsoft Office in this 4-course bundle for Office 365 or Office 2019 users...

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20. Ultimate Microsoft Office; Excel, Word, PowerPoint & Access

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Learn basic to advanced Microsoft Office skills in this 9-course bundle for Office 365 or Office 2019...

Average special officer salary by education level

According to our data, special officers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $44,233 annually. Special officers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $40,748.

Special officer education level	Special officer salary
Master's Degree	$44,233
High School Diploma or Less	$36,857
Bachelor's Degree	$40,748
Some College/ Associate Degree	$38,273