Officials from UMSL and Lewis & Clark Community College pose for a photo after finalizing a transfer agreement that will provide criminal justice students a seamless transfer between the two institutions. Pictured in the back row are (from left) Lewis & Clark Professor Tricia Martin, Criminal Justice Program Coordinator Jessica Noble, UMSL Criminology and Criminal Justice Chair Finn Esbensen, and Undergraduate Director Tim Maher. In the front row are (from left) Linda Chapman, Lewis & Clark vice president of academic affairs, UMSL Chancellor Tom George and Lewis & Clark President Dale Chapman. (Photo by Louise Jett, Lewis & Clark media specialist)

Officials from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and Lewis & Clark Community College signed an agreement Monday that will help provide criminal justice students a seamless transfer between the two institutions.

“We are pleased to enter into this agreement with Lewis & Clark and the opportunity it presents to recruit excellent students from their program into our bachelor of science degree program,” said Finn Esbensen, chair of UMSL’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, who was on hand at the signing ceremony in Godfrey, Illinois.

Lewis & Clark’s Criminal Justice program offers an associate degree in applied science and certificate of proficiency, and many graduates go on to work in local law enforcement or as state correctional officers upon graduating.

But higher education can open even more opportunities in the criminal justice field. The agreement will allow those looking to continue their education a smooth transition into UMSL’s program, which offers degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels and has been consistently ranked fourth in the nation for Best Graduate Schools by U.S. News & World Report.

Graduates with bachelor’s degrees are able to work in federal and state law enforcement, juvenile probation and adult probation and parole. More advanced degrees open the doors for promotion in the field.

“This articulation agreement with UMSL will provide our students with a transfer option to a highly ranked university, where they will continue to receive a quality criminal justice education,” said Lewis & Clark Criminal Justice Coordinator Jessica Noble. “They will also be provided with options to complete a master’s degree and a PhD in criminal justice/criminology. I am truly excited for this opportunity for our students.”

Entering the agreement fits with one of UMSL’s chief missions.

“Access to quality education is a long-standing tradition at UMSL,” Chancellor Tom George said. “And, we are always searching for new ways to increase access, which is why I’m excited for UMSL’s collaboration with Lewis & Clark Community College’s Criminal Justice program. Together we can help usher in the next generation of criminal justice scholars and solutions.”

“As a comprehensive community college serving more than 200,000 people in the college’s five-county district, we welcome this academic alliance in criminal justice with UMSL,” Lewis & Clark President Dale Chapman said, “as an opportunity for L&C students to serve in the criminal justice system throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area and across the nation.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for police and detectives was $60,270 in 2015, and employment is expected to grow 4 percent through 2024.

For more information about L&C’s program, visit www.lc.edu/program/criminaljustice. To learn more about UMSL’s program, visit www.umsl.edu/ccj.