Introduction to Criminology
Self-paced online Introduction to Criminology course (Criminology 150). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →WisconsinPublic safety
Wisconsin's 60-credit rule for law enforcement, in plain words
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
Wisconsin's 60 credit rule for law enforcement means an officer first hired on or after 1 February 1993 needs an associate degree or 60 college credits, reached within five years of hire. Pre-service academy students need 40 first. Credits must come from a college accredited by an agency the US Secretary of Education acknowledges.
The rule in one sentence
Wis. Admin. Code LES 2.01(1)(e) and the LESB form DJ-LE-331 say the same thing in different words: hold a two-year associate degree, or earn at least 60 college credits from an accredited college, and do it by the end of your fifth year as an officer. The rule applies to law enforcement and tribal law enforcement officers first hired on or after 1 February 1993.
Officers hired before that date are not covered by the credit standard. Everyone else is, whether they work for a city, a county sheriff or a state agency.
Who needs what, and when
The rule has two entry points. The deadline depends on which one you use.
| Your situation | Credits needed | By when |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-service student (academy before hire) | 40 credits | Before you enrol in the academy |
| Hired officer without a degree | 60 credits or an associate degree | Within your first 5 years of employment |
| Officer with an associate degree | Already met | Nothing more to earn for this rule |
What the LESB means by a credit
The form defines a credit as technical diploma level credit (Wisconsin Technical College System aid codes 10, 20, 30, 31 or 32), associate degree level credit, or higher. The credit has to come from a college or university accredited by an agency the US Secretary of Education acknowledges. Overseas credit can count after a NACES member evaluation service assesses the transcript.
In practice this means the proof is a college transcript. A certificate of completion from a training company, or a record held only by a course provider, is not a college transcript.
- Counts: WTCS technical diploma credit, associate credit, bachelor-level credit from an accredited college.
- Counts after evaluation: overseas college credit assessed by a NACES member.
- Does not count by itself: a course provider's own record, including UPI Study's.
Where waivers fit in
The LESB can waive part of the 60 credits. The current form lists two kinds of prior learning: military training that the ACE military guide recommends for credit, shown on a Joint Services Transcript, and completion of certain academies. The 720-hour law enforcement academy completed at a non-degree institution is worth 20 credits. Waivers go through the Training and Standards Bureau and the board decides at its quarterly meetings.
Note one difference between documents: the current form says the board may waive up to 60 credits, while the published code text says 30 credits for documented experience. Ask the bureau in writing which limit it applies to your request.
How online courses can fit the rule
Courses with an ACE or NCCRS credit recommendation, like UPI Study's, are not college credit on their own. They become credit from an accredited college only when a college that considers these recommendations reviews them and lists them on its own transcript. That is the step that makes them usable for the LESB.
So the order is: choose the college, get its written answer on which courses it will consider, take the courses, send the record, then hand the college transcript to your agency.
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
Does the 60 credit rule apply to officers hired before 1993?
No. The education standard in LES 2.01(1)(e) applies to officers first employed on or after 1 February 1993. If you were hired earlier and later move agencies, ask the LESB in writing how your original hire date is treated before you assume you are covered either way.
Is 60 credits the same as an associate degree in Wisconsin?
Not exactly. An associate degree meets the rule on its own. Without a degree, any 60 credits from an accredited college meet it, even if they do not form a degree. Most associate degrees are about 60 credits, which is why the two are treated as equal routes.
Can the 40 pre-service credits include online courses?
They can if the credits are on a transcript from an accredited college. Online courses taken directly at such a college count. Courses with an ACE or NCCRS recommendation count once an accredited college lists them on its transcript, so finish that step before the academy checks your record.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
English Composition 1
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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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
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.