Adelphi, Md. — Dec. 18, 2025 — University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) has graduated the first police officer to complete the university’s accelerated law enforcement degree track, which awards college credit to officers for their work and academy experience.
Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department Lt. James Martinez celebrated the completion of a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice on Thursday, Dec. 11, at the university’s Grad Walk commencement event in Adelphi. Martinez completed his degree through the Criminal Justice program’s Law Enforcement track — also known as CJLE — which allows officers to transfer up to 60 credits from their professional experience toward a bachelor’s degree.
“Maryland’s communities rely on highly skilled and trained public safety professionals, and we are proud to support officers like Lt. Martinez with education options that fit the reality of their service,” said UMGC President Gregory W. Fowler, PhD. “By translating on-the-job learning into measurable academic progress, UMGC is helping meet Maryland’s workforce needs and providing law enforcement professionals with an affordable, efficient path to their education goals.”
To qualify for the CJLE track, applicants must be currently or recently certified state, local or municipal police officers with arrest powers. They must also have attended a state-sanctioned police academy and completed any required field training programs.
“UMGC’s innovative CJLE pathway allowed me to take the next step in my professional life while connecting with law enforcement professionals from across the country,” Martinez said. “Whether you are an aspiring law enforcement officer or a seasoned first responder, the CJLE program offers a tremendous value and environment that can’t be found elsewhere.”
In addition to transferring into the program up to 60 credits for their police academy graduation and law enforcement experience, applicants can transfer in up to 30 additional credits for college coursework they have completed.
Beyond opening the CJLE track to eligible officers from any state, local or municipal agency, UMGC has also partnered with individual agencies — such as the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department — to offer these benefits directly to their sworn and recently retired officers.
“Police officers undergo months of rigorous training and education in the police academy and graduate with the skills necessary to perform a very difficult and complicated job,” said Christopher Swain, collegiate professor and portfolio director for the Criminal Justice program. “We value the learning they have already acquired and want to acknowledge with college credit the skills they bring with them to our program.”
About University of Maryland Global Campus
University of Maryland Global Campus was founded more than 75 years ago specifically to serve the higher education needs of working adults and military service members. Today, UMGC is the largest provider of postsecondary education in Maryland. It continues its global tradition with online and hybrid courses, more than 175 classroom and service locations worldwide and more than 135 degrees and certificates backed by the reputation of a state university and the University System of Maryland. For more information, visit https://www.umgc.edu.
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