A partnership with the Justice Institute of B.C. is making it possible to pursue a degree in Law Enforcement Studies at Okanagan College.
The Justice Institute and the college are offering two information sessions in Penticton on Feb. 24 outlining student options for the baccalaureate program. In 2015, the two public post-secondary institutions announced a partnership that will see the degree program offered at Okanagan College’s Penticton campus.
Students can take the college’s two-year Criminal and Social Justice program and then ladder into the third year of the Institute’s Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies degree program, offered in Penticton. The first intake into the third year of the bachelor program will be in September 2016.
“Given the development of the prison in Oliver, and the ongoing human resource needs of various agencies across the country, this degree program is a good choice for those whose goal is a career in law enforcement,” said Shaun Machesny, co-ordinator for the Law Enforcement Studies program for the Justice Institute.
The first information session is at 1 p.m. on Feb. 24, with the second session at 5:30 p.m.
“There is a great deal of excitement about this option, not just among current and prospective students of our Criminal and Social Justice diploma program, but also among many of the alumni of the program,” said Donna Lomas, regional dean for the South Okanagan Similkameen.
The option of laddering into the degree program is open to other students who have completed undergraduate diplomas, but those students should consult the Justice Institute calendar or education advisors.
To register, or for more information about the information sessions, call 250 492-4305 or visit Okanagan.bc.ca/Penticton. For more information about the program visit www.jibc.ca/bles.