>>1440853I'm in California. In most states you need to have a four-year degree in a related field. I'm studying wildlife biology at a UC; any biology/forestry/life science/chemistry degree or a four-year degree in criminal justice is sufficient for most places, as long as you have a working knowledge of natural resources and hunt and fish, though my degree is preferred. If you don't have the education, law enforcement or experience in the Coast Guard is sufficient in some states.
California requires the equivalent of two years of college (along with two simple or one really hard semester of science classes), but hiring occurs infrequently, so unless you have law enforcement experience in addition to the minimum units, anything other than a B.S. or B.A. puts you below the curve. While in school I'd look into internship opportunities at local law enforcement agencies - going into law enforcement, law enforcement references are huge since moral character is such a huge part of getting hired (at least in CA).
