Introduction to Criminology
Self-paced online Introduction to Criminology course (Criminology 150). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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Michigan corrections officers: the 15-credit rule and the 24-month clock
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
MDOC lets you start as a corrections officer without the 15 semester credits if you agree to earn them within 24 months of hire. The window is firm: completing the credits before it ends is required to stay employed. Plan backwards from the deadline and leave time for transcripts.
What the rule says
MDOC's hiring page asks for 15 semester credits, or 23 term credits, in any academic or degree-prerequisite area. If you do not have them, you can agree to earn them within 24 months after hire. Completing them before the 24-month waiver period ends is required to remain employed as a corrections officer.
The legal base is MCL 791.512 in the Correctional Officers' Training Act of 1982, which sets 15 semester or 23 term credit hours of coursework from an accredited postsecondary institution, or a relevant degree, as part of certification.
Plan backwards from month 24
Treat month 20 as your real deadline. That leaves time for a late grade, a transcript request, and HR processing. Working from month 20, five 3-credit courses fit comfortably if you start in your first few months.
If you already hold some college credit, count it first. An old transcript with 6 or 9 credits cuts the work left to two or three courses. Ask HR to confirm which earlier credits they will count before you plan the rest.
| Months after hire | Goal | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 0-3 | Ask HR what counts; check the MCCA grant | Choose the route before you spend |
| 3-12 | Finish 3 courses (9 credits) | Training and early shifts are lighter on study time |
| 12-18 | Finish 2 more courses (15 credits) | Leaves a buffer |
| 18-20 | Order transcripts and send to MDOC | Paperwork takes weeks |
| 20-24 | Buffer | For any late grade or missing record |
Studying around shifts
Corrections work often means rotating shifts and overtime. Term-based courses have fixed due dates; self-paced courses let you move faster on quiet weeks and pause on heavy ones. Either can work if you set a weekly target and protect it.
- Pick one course at a time
- Set a fixed number of study hours each week
- Use days off for exams and longer assignments
- Tell your supervisor about your deadline early
Choosing a route
If the Michigan Community College Association grant is open for you, a Michigan community college costs nothing in tuition and puts the credit on a college transcript directly. Mid Michigan College reported the grant renewed through 30 September 2026; ask HR whether it is open now.
A self-paced route can suit officers whose shifts make term dates hard. UPI Study's ACE-recommended and NCCRS-recommended courses would need to reach MDOC via a college transcript; TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit. Ask MDOC in writing before you enrol.
Keep a record
Keep one page with your hire date, your 24-month date, each course and its credits, the date you finished, and the date you sent each transcript. Keep HR's written answers with it. If anything goes missing, you can show exactly what you did and when.
Questions to ask HR in writing
A short email to MDOC Human Resources at the start saves trouble at the end. Keep the reply with your records, and ask again if your situation changes, for example if you move facilities or the grant rules change.
If HR answers by phone, send a short email afterwards that repeats what you were told and ask them to confirm it. A written answer is what protects you if a record is questioned near your deadline.
- What is my exact 24-month completion date?
- Is the Michigan Corrections Officer Grant open for my next term, and how do I apply?
- Would credit for these named courses, on a transcript from an accredited college, count toward the 15?
- Where and how should I send my transcripts, and how long does processing take?
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
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.
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.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
when does the 24 month clock start for mdoc officers
MDOC's page says within 24 months after hire. Ask HR to confirm your exact date in writing, and note it somewhere you will see it. Plan to finish several months before it.
are 23 term credits the same as 15 semester credits
Yes, for this rule. Colleges on a quarter or term system give more credits for the same amount of study, so MDOC and MCL 791.512 set 23 term credits as the match for 15 semester credits.
can i earn the credits before i am hired
Yes. Applicants who already have 15 semester or 23 term credits meet the rule at hire. Note that the MCCA grant is for MDOC officers, so credits earned before hire are usually paid for another way.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Introduction to Psychology
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 →Start when you have it in writing
Check the MCCA grant and ask MDOC in writing first, then study between shifts at your own pace.
Sources
- MDOC: Officer hiring and qualifications (official)Applicants must have at least 15 semester (or 23 term) credit hours in any academic or degree prerequisite area, or agree to obtain them within 24 months after hire; finishing before the 24-month waiver ends is required to remain employed; tuition and fees for officers who must earn the credits are supported by a programme run by the Michigan Community College Association. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Michigan Legislature: MCL 791.512 (Correctional Officers' Training Act of 1982) (official)Certification as a state correctional officer requires, among other things, a vocational certificate programme or equivalent coursework of 15 semester credit hours or 23 term credit hours from an accredited postsecondary institution, or a relevant degree. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Mid Michigan College: MDOC grant renewal (24 November 2025) (official)The Michigan Corrections Officer Grant, run by the Michigan Community College Association, funds tuition and fees for corrections officers at Michigan community colleges working toward the 15 credits; the renewal ran through 30 September 2026. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.