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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What the LESB college credit waiver covers (and what it does not)
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
The LESB college credit waiver covers prior learning the board lists on form DJ-LE-331: military training recommended in the ACE military guide (with a Joint Services Transcript) and completion of certain academies, such as 20 credits for the 720-hour law enforcement academy. It does not cover civilian online courses; those need a college transcript.
What the waiver covers
Attachment A of form DJ-LE-331 (Rev. 6/2026) lists the prior learning methods the board uses when it evaluates a waiver. Each has a fixed credit value or depends on a recommendation.
| Prior learning | Credits that may be waived | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| 720-hour law enforcement academy | 20 | Completed at a non-degree granting institution |
| 200-hour jail officer academy | 5 | Non-degree site, or a technical college that gave no diploma credit for it |
| 160 or 184-hour secure juvenile detention academy | 4 | Same condition as the jail academy |
| Wisconsin DOC correctional officer academy | 8 | Completion of the academy |
| Military service school courses and skills | As recommended in the ACE military guide | Joint Services Transcript required |
What the waiver does not cover
The list names military evaluation and academies. It does not name civilian course providers, online course platforms or work experience outside those methods. ACE appears on the form only through its military evaluation program, which reviews military training, not civilian online courses.
That is why we say plainly: a UPI Study course is not a waiver item. Its ACE or NCCRS recommendation is for colleges to consider, and it helps with the LESB rule only after an accredited college lists it on its transcript.
- Not covered: online courses from any provider, ours included.
- Not covered twice: academy training a technical college already turned into diploma credit.
- Not automatic: every request is reviewed and decided by the board.
How to apply for a waiver
The form sets out three steps. First pick the prior learning method from Attachment A. Then send form DJ-LE-331 and the supporting documents by email to the address printed on the form. The Training and Standards Bureau reviews the request and makes a recommendation, and the LESB acts on it at a regular quarterly meeting. You are told the decision by email.
Because the board meets quarterly, a request sent late in your fifth year may not be decided in time. Send it early.
How much is the cap?
The current form says a maximum of 60 credits may be waived. The version of Wis. Admin. Code LES 2.01(1)(e) published online says the board may waive a maximum of 30 college level credits for documented experience. The two texts do not use the same words, so before you plan around a large waiver, ask the bureau in writing which limit applies to your method.
Filling the gap after a waiver
Most officers who complete the 720-hour academy at a non-degree site still have about 40 credits to earn. Those come from accredited college courses: a Wisconsin technical college, a UW campus, an online college, or courses with ACE or NCCRS recommendations that a college then lists on its own transcript. Our main page sets out that path step by step with costs.
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
Can I get the LESB waiver for online college courses?
No. The waiver methods on form DJ-LE-331 are military evaluation through the ACE military guide and completion of listed academies. Online courses count instead as ordinary credit, and only when they appear on a transcript from a college accredited by an agency the US Secretary of Education acknowledges.
How long does an LESB waiver decision take?
The board acts on waiver recommendations at its regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, after the Training and Standards Bureau reviews the request. Plan for a wait of up to a few months, and send the request well before the end of your fifth year of employment.
Do veterans get the full 60 credits waived?
Not automatically. Military credit depends on what the ACE military guide recommends for your training, shown on your Joint Services Transcript. Some military applicants have received large waivers and others small ones. Send the JST and ask the bureau in writing what it expects to recommend.
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 →
Ethics in the Social Sciences
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 →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.