English Composition 1
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →WisconsinPublic safety
Finishing 60 credits on shift work
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Finishing 60 credits on shift work is a five-year job for a Wisconsin officer, not a five-month one. Count what you have, take the academy waiver if it applies, choose an accredited college first, then take self-paced courses between shifts. About 8 to 12 credits a year closes a 40-credit gap in time.
Start with the real gap
Most officers do not start at zero. Write down three numbers: credits already on accredited college transcripts, any academy waiver (20 credits for the 720-hour academy at a non-degree site), and any military credit on a Joint Services Transcript. Subtract them from 60. That is your gap.
Then write down your hire date and add five years. That is your deadline under LES 2.01(1)(e).
A pace that fits rotating shifts
A 40-credit gap over five years is about 13 three-credit courses. Spread out, that is fewer than three courses a year. Officers on rotating shifts often find a fixed class time hard to keep, which is where self-paced study helps.
| Gap | Courses (3 credits each) | Pace to finish in 4 years | Pace to finish in 2 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 credits | About 7 | 2 a year | 4 a year |
| 40 credits | About 13 or 14 | 3 to 4 a year | 7 a year |
| 60 credits | 20 | 5 a year | 10 a year |
Pick the college before the courses
Credit counts for the LESB only on a transcript from an accredited college. So the first decision is which college will hold your credits. A Wisconsin technical college gives you a transcript directly; resident tuition at Fox Valley Technical College is $157.45 per credit for 2026-2027. An online college that considers ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, such as our partner colleges TESU and UoPeople, can review outside courses and list them on its transcript.
Ask that college in writing which courses it will consider before you start any of them.
Courses that suit short study blocks
General education courses work well between shifts because they break into short lessons. Writing, psychology, sociology and criminology also connect to daily police work. Self-paced courses with an ACE or NCCRS recommendation let you study after a night shift or on rest days and take the final when you are ready.
- Writing: English Composition 1, Advanced Technical Writing.
- Social science: Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology.
- Criminal justice: Introduction to Criminology, Ethics in the Social Sciences.
- Quantitative: College Algebra or Principles of Statistics, if your college plan needs one.
Keep the paperwork moving
Do not wait until year five to send records. After every two or three courses, send your ACE or NCCRS record to the college so the credit lands on its transcript, then give the updated transcript to your agency's training officer. If you are applying for a waiver, send that early too, since the board decides waivers at quarterly meetings.
Keep a simple file: each course, the date you finished it, the date you sent the record, and the date the college transcript showed the credit. If your agency or the LESB asks where you stand, you can answer in one page, and you will see early if a course is stuck with the college.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the college that will hold your credits in writing which courses it will consider, and ask your agency's training officer or the LESB Training and Standards Bureau in writing how many credits you still need, 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
How many credits a year should a Wisconsin officer take to finish on time?
Divide your gap by the years left before your fifth anniversary of hire, then leave a few months for transcripts and paperwork. For a 40-credit gap after the academy waiver, about 10 credits a year, or three to four courses, finishes inside the five years.
Can I study during a night shift break?
Self-paced online lessons can be read in short blocks whenever you have time. Proctored final exams need a quiet block of time, so schedule those for rest days. Check your agency's rules on personal study during paid time before you do it on shift.
Should I finish an associate degree or just 60 credits?
Either meets the rule. An associate degree may help later with promotions or a bachelor's degree, while 60 loose credits only meet the LESB standard. If the gap is similar, asking a college to build your credits into a degree plan is often worth it.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Introduction to Sociology
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 →
Advanced Technical Writing
Self-paced online Advanced Technical Writing course (English 120). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Every course in one plan; move the credit via a college transcript once the college confirms in writing.
Sources
- LESB College Credit Waiver Application, form DJ-LE-331 (Rev. 6/2026) (official)Associate degree or 60 credits for officers first hired on or after 1 Feb 1993; 5 years for employed officers; 40 credits to enter the academy; only colleges accredited by an agency the US Secretary of Education acknowledges are a source of credit; up to 60 credits may be waived; methods listed are the ACE Military Evaluation Program (Joint Services Transcript) and academy completion (20 credits for the 720-hour academy, 5 for the jail academy, 4 for juvenile detention, 8 for the DOC officer academy). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Wisconsin Administrative Code LES 2.01, employment standards (official)LES 2.01(1)(e): a 2-year associate degree from a WTCS district or accredited equivalent, or a minimum of 60 fully accredited college level credits, met by the end of the fifth year of employment; applies to officers first employed on or after 1 Feb 1993. The published code text says the board may waive a maximum of 30 credits for documented experience. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- Fox Valley Technical College: Tuition 2026-2027 (official)Wisconsin resident tuition of $157.45 per credit for post-secondary and associate of arts or science credits in 2026-2027 (a WTCS college). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.