Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
For Michigan corrections officer college credits, MDOC asks for 15 semester credits (or 23 term credits) in an academic or degree-prerequisite area, or an agreement to earn them within 24 months of hire. Finishing inside that window is required to stay employed. The rule comes from MCL 791.512. A Michigan Community College Association grant has paid community college tuition for officers.
MDOC requires corrections officers to hold 15 semester credits (or 23 term credits) in any academic or degree-prerequisite area, or to earn them within 24 months after hire, and MCL 791.512 sets the 15 semester or 23 term credit hours of coursework from an accredited postsecondary institution for certification as a state correctional officer.
The rule asks for 15 semester credits (23 term credits), within 24 months of hire. The legal source is MCL 791.512.
| Requirement | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Credits | 15 semester credits or 23 term credits in any academic or degree-prerequisite area | [1] |
| Timing | Before hire, or within 24 months after hire; completion required to remain employed | [1] |
| Law | MCL 791.512: 15 semester or 23 term credit hours from an accredited postsecondary institution, or a relevant degree | [2] |
| Tuition help | MCCA grant pays community college tuition and fees for officers; renewal ran through 30 September 2026 | [3] |
Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), Recruitment and Human Resources; Michigan Civil Service Commission for the job specification decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), Recruitment and Human Resources; Michigan Civil Service Commission for the job specification.
Directly related to corrections work; NCCRS-recommended.
Self-paced online Introduction to Criminology course (Criminology 150). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
ACE-recommended and NCCRS-recommended; useful for working with people in custody.
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
ACE-recommended and NCCRS-recommended; a common first college course.
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Background on mental illness, which officers meet often.
Self-paced online Abnormal Psychology course (Psychology 180). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Ethics and decision-making in public service.
Self-paced online Ethics in the Social Sciences course (Social Science 110). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Report writing is a daily task; composition fits most degree plans.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; a partner college can review your courses and, if it awards credit, show it on its own transcript for MDOC to review.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study PRO | $99 a month, every course | $99 for each month you are subscribed; take as many courses as you finish in that time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Michigan Corrections Officer Grant (MCCA) at a Michigan community college | $0 tuition and fees for eligible MDOC officers while the grant is funded (renewal ran through 30 September 2026) | Covers the 15 credits at a Michigan community college; ask MDOC or MCCA whether it is open for your start date | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Macomb Community College without the grant (Macomb County resident) | $113 per billable contact hour, fall 2026 to spring/summer 2027, before fees | About $1,695 in tuition for 15 hours, plus fees | 15 Nov 2026 |
If the MCCA grant is open to you, it is the cheapest route by far, and the credit is on a community college transcript from the start. A self-paced online route suits people who cannot fit term dates around shifts, or who want credits before hire, and only once MDOC agrees in writing.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
Ask MDOC Recruitment or Human Resources in writing whether credit from each named course, on a transcript from an accredited college, would count toward the 15 semester credits, before you enrol.
To work as a Michigan Department of Corrections officer you need 15 semester credits, or 23 term credits, of college coursework. MDOC's current page says they can be in any academic or degree-prerequisite area. You can be hired without them if you agree to earn them within 24 months, but finishing inside that window is required to stay employed.
The rule rests on the Correctional Officers' Training Act of 1982. MCL 791.512 sets 15 semester or 23 term credit hours of coursework from an accredited postsecondary institution, or a relevant degree, as part of certification, along with an internship and new employee training. Older job postings listed set subjects such as criminal justice, psychology and sociology, or a shorter window; follow MDOC's current page and ask HR if a posting differs.
The Michigan Community College Association has run the Michigan Corrections Officer Grant, which pays tuition and fees for corrections officers at Michigan community colleges working toward the 15 credits. Mid Michigan College reported in November 2025 that the grant was renewed through 30 September 2026. Ask MDOC HR or your community college whether it is open for your start date before you choose a route.
When the grant is open and you can fit a term timetable around shifts, it is the cheapest way to meet the rule. Many Michigan community colleges offer online and evening sections.
Self-paced courses let you study between shifts without term dates. UPI Study offers Introduction to Criminology, Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, Abnormal Psychology, Ethics in the Social Sciences and English Composition 1, each 3 credits with an ACE or NCCRS recommendation. Five of them make 15 credits.
UPI Study is not a college, and MCL 791.512 refers to coursework from an accredited postsecondary institution. So the credit has to reach MDOC via a college transcript, and MDOC has to agree it counts. Build in time for the college review: start early in your 24 months, not near the end.
15 semester credits, or 23 term credits, in any academic or degree-prerequisite area. You can be hired without them if you agree to earn them within 24 months of hire. Finishing inside that window is required to keep the job.
MDOC's page says completing the education requirement before the 24-month waiver period ends is required to remain employed as a corrections officer. Plan to finish well before the deadline and send transcripts early, and talk to HR at once if you are falling behind.
A Michigan Community College Association grant has paid tuition and fees for MDOC corrections officers at Michigan community colleges. A November 2025 notice said it was renewed through 30 September 2026. Ask MDOC HR or your community college whether it is open now.
MDOC's current page says any academic or degree-prerequisite area. Older postings named subjects such as criminal justice, psychology and sociology. Courses in those fields are still a sensible choice, but ask HR in writing if you are unsure whether a course counts.
Online courses from an accredited college are college credit like any other. Recommended credit from a provider that is not a college must first be reviewed and recorded by a college. Ask MDOC in writing whether the named courses would count before you enrol.
Check the MCCA grant and ask MDOC in writing first, then study between shifts at your own pace.