Napa Valley College to offer National University bachelor’s degree in criminal administration
Aspiring law enforcement officers will now be able to complete a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration without leaving Napa, thanks to a partnership between Napa Valley College (NVC) and National University (NU), a nonprofit university in San Diego.
Under the partnership agreement, which the NVC Board of Trustees approved at its April 2021 board meeting, students will be able to access NU higher-level courses online and in hybrid classroom/online formats on the NVC campus. In addition, students who have already earned their two-year criminal justice degree at NVC will receive a 25 percent discount on NU tuition for the upper-level courses. The new program will begin on August 13, with the fall semester.
Previously, students could complete their two-year degree at NVC, and then they would be required to transfer to a four-year program elsewhere to earn their bachelor’s degree.
“This partnership with National University offers Napa Valley College students and working criminal justice professionals in the region a flexible way to earn a four-year degree without the expense and sacrifice of having to leave home,” said Greg Miraglia, NVC’s Administration of Justice Program coordinator. “We are excited to bring this opportunity to Napa.”
According to Miraglia, NU will base its Northern California criminal justice degree program exclusively at the NVC campus. The degree is desirable, Miraglia says, for people who want to work in any law enforcement capacity, including police officer, deputy sheriff, probation officer, correctional officer or 9-1-1 dispatcher, as well as private sector opportunities. Increasingly, agencies and employers are looking for a four-year degree, which includes courses that provide a broader perspective in human behavior and prepare students for promotion to supervisory or management positions. There are currently about 400 students in the two-year program at NVC.
Miraglia also highlighted that many local high schools also offer students the Introduction to Administration of Justice class, making it a true local pathway from high school to bachelor’s degree.
National University’s stated focus is on enabling students to attend college while they may also be working full-time, so the various courses are offered in four-week increments and because NU is nonprofit, the cost is less than what a student would pay at a California State University, even though the instructors are comparably qualified, Miraglia said.
Interested students are encouraged to attend one of three scheduled online info sessions offered by NU on July 27, August 11 or August 21 to learn more, including how to qualify for tuition scholarships and financial aid.
To register for an informational session, visit https://bit.ly/NU-info. To learn more about Napa Valley College’s Criminal Justice program, visit https://www.nvccjtc.org/ and to learn more about National University’s Criminal Justice Administration program, visit https://www.nu.edu/.
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