Public safety is all about ensuring the safety and well-being of your community. Various
careers in this field involve enforcing laws, responding to emergencies, and taking
care of the overall welfare of those you serve.
Why public safety at OSU?
This program is based in Tulsa and is designed for students who already have some
college credit. Designed with input from law enforcement agencies, our public safety degree emphasizes
the crucial human interaction skills essential in this field. Qualified students can
include police academy training as part of their degree program.
With a focus on cultural awareness, conflict resolution, and effective communication,
our graduates are well-prepared to serve and protect diverse communities, fostering
trust and cooperation between public safety professionals and the public they serve.
In addition to careers with police and sheriff’s departments, public safety majors
can make a difference in their communities through work in government agencies and
private industry.
The bachelor's degree in public safety is flexible and can be customized to fit your
career and training goals. Our students have backgrounds in the military, as first
responders and as EMTs, with goals of serving in law enforcement, fire departments
and civil service. For example, one public safety student recently graduated from
the Broken Arrow Police Department academy.
Partnership with Tulsa Police Department
OSU-Tulsa has partnered with the Tulsa Police Department to include the Tulsa Police
Academy as part of the Bachelor of Professional Studies. Students who complete all
prior degree requirements and are accepted into the Tulsa Police Academy will earn
the final 15 credit hours of their bachelor’s degree by completing the approximately
28-week academy.
Students interested in attending the Tulsa Police Academy must pass a background check,
maintain physical fitness standards, meet regularly with a TPD recruiter/mentor and
maintain your eligibility to work on the police force. VisitJoinTPD.comfor more information.
If approved, police academy training will be counted as an internship as part of the
Bachelor of Professional Studies. If you wish to participate in this option, you will
work with your academic advisor to set up the internship. You will then complete all
OSU degree requirements except for the internship credit before applying for and attending
the police academy. While at the academy, police academy staff will direct your curriculum.
This depends on the department with which you train. Generally, upon completion of
the academy, you will graduate with your OSU bachelor's degree and begin field training.
There are other ways to meet the degree requirements and credit hours. You will work
with your academic advisor to create a plan that works for you and fulfills degree
requirements.
The best way to ensure acceptance to the Tulsa Police Academy is to maintain your
physical fitness, meet regularly with a mentor or recruiter assigned through TPD and
maintain your eligibility to work on the police force. There are a limited number
of recruits admitted to each Academy and they are ranked by scores in multiple areas.
Your TPD mentor/recruiter will help you understand this process and aid in your success.
The Tulsa Police Academy is paid by the taxpayer. In fact, they will pay you a salary
and benefits while you attend. Because you will also be earning college credit from
OSU, you will pay for 15 credit hours’ worth of tuition during the semesters you are
enrolled and attending the Academy.
During the Tulsa Police Academy, you are employed by the City of Tulsa and are eligible
for a tuition waiver equal to half of your tuition costs for up to six credit hours
per semester. Since the Academy will stretch across two semesters of enrollment, you
will qualify for the waiver for both semesters. More details can be found here.