<p>I am a serving police officer, from a police family. I have been in uniform some 9 years now, witnessed 2 promotions and am happy with my lot to date. However, further promotions both vertically and horizontally will pass me by unless I can boost my management and leadership skills.</p>
<p>I have a bachelors in Economics and was content with that, until I found from my own investigations that the senior posts and jobs in the elite agencies (FIA, anti terror forces, anti narcotics force etc) typically go to candidates with higher degrees.</p>
<p>So I was wondering whether I should go for a MBA as a general management degree or a MS in Management.</p>
<p>Roomate from college is in federal law enforcement, and after undergrad went on to get his MBA before joining his agency. An MBA is a good idea because, there are many professional programs that offer classes at night and are condensed (which may or may not be a problem if you are a good/poor student) so you won’t be spending three years getting the degree (probably 18 months), and don’t have to write a thesis. The only down side to these programs is that schools know that the majority of the students that attend such programs will have them paid for by their employer, therefore, they are expensive. So, see if your employer will pay for it before anything.</p>
<p>I agree that an MBA is probably what you want. The MS in management is more for people who want to study the science of management, and at many schools are designed for people who intend to go on to get a PhD in management. The MBA is the degree for people who want to take it into the workforce and be actual business leaders. You may also consider a master’s of public administration (MPA), especially if your closest public university has that program instead of an MBA.</p>
<p>I think that since you are looking to move up within your own organization, you don’t need to go to a top 15 school or anything like that. Hopefully you live nearby (commuting distance) a state flagship university that has a good MBA program that will enable you to advance. Even a public regional would be good, for your purposes. Even if you did live nearby a fancy private school, you probably don’t need that top degree to do what you need to do, and your employer is far more likely to cover the public than the private.</p>
<p>Look into executive programs that will allow you take classes around your work schedule - there are so many that even the tippy-top schools have them. You also may be able to find a low-residency or online program, but steer clear of for-profits like Kaplan, Walden, and Capella.</p>