M.S. in Law Enforcement & Public Safety Leadership
FBINA Transfer Credit
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Recognized as one of America's Best Online Programs by US News & World Report
FBINA Graduates:
Take the next step in your leadership development by earning your master’s degree in Law Enforcement Leadership – 100% online
University of San Diego’s 100% online, leadership-focused master’s degree builds upon the excellent training you received at the FBI National Academy, with a practical curriculum designed specifically for law enforcement command staff.
If you have a bachelor’s degree and enrolled in mostly graduate-level coursework while attending the FBI National Academy, you could complete your M.S. in Law Enforcement & Public Safety Leadership (MS-LEPSL) with as few as 19 credits. University of San Diego will accept up to 12 units of graduate level coursework from your FBINA training (see chart below), allowing you to save both time and money while earning a Master’s degree that is endorsed by law enforcement and highly rated by students. Please note that any courses submitted for transfer credit must have been completed with a grade of B or better in the past five years.
Build on Your FBINA Leadership Experience While Exploring Current Issues in Law Enforcement
As a student in USD’s online M.S. in Law Enforcement & Public Safety Leadership program, you will delve into some of America’s most pressing public safety issues while learning practical management and leadership skills specific to law enforcement, including:
- Organizational leadership frameworks, and how to influence others for the common good
- Constitutional law and how it shapes law enforcement policy
- Budget, finance and resource allocation
- Collective bargaining and contract negotiation
- Communication techniques, including interpersonal dialogue, written/electronic communications, report and grant writing, media relations and communicating to large audiences
- Techniques for successful community engagement
- Dispute and conflict resolution skills that emphasize ethics, personal and professional integrity
- Research methods for conducting community and organizational assessments
- Analytical procedures for evaluating crime trends
Program Structure
In its entirety, USD’s online M.S. in Law Enforcement & Public Safety Leadership is a 31-unit program designed to be completed in 5 semesters (20 months). Coursework is taken year-round, with three 14-week semesters each year. Each 14-week semester consists of two courses running for seven weeks each back to back, allowing you to focus on one course at a time.
When you have received transfer credit for a specific course, you will simply take a break during that 7-week period, and rejoin your cohort for the next course.
Benefits to FBINAA Members
- Application fee waived
- $50 per unit discount on tuition
- Free transcript ordering service (ask your enrollment advisor)
- Receive transfer credit for up to 12 units of eligible graduate-level FBINA courses
FBINA/MS-LEPSL Course Equivalencies
If you’ve already attended the FBINA, use this table to determine how your coursework would transfer into the MS-LEPSL program. If you are currently selecting your FBINA courses, this table can help you maximize your eligible transfer credit.
| FBINA COURSE | MS-LEPSL COURSE EQUIVALENT |
| 5020-Behavioral Analysis as Decision Support | Data Fluency and Analysis for Law Enforcement Leaders |
| 5030-Executive Leadership | Organizational Leadership for Law Enforcement |
| 5070-Managing Organizational Change & Development | Organizational Leadership for Law Enforcement |
| 5140-National Security & Intelligence for LE | No transfer equivalency |
| 5190-Conflict & Crisis Management for Leaders | Law Enforcement Management and Conflict Resolution |
| 5200-Psychology of Leadership | Organizational Leadership for Law Enforcement |
| 5210-Critical Analysis of Present Day Policing (formerly: Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement) | Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement and Public Safety |
| 5220-Seminar in Organizational Communication for Law Enforcement Executives | Communication Skills for Law Enforcement Leaders |
| 5240-Interviewing Strategies through Statement Analysis | No transfer equivalency |
| 5250-Seminar in Executive Writing | No transfer equivalency |
| 5270-Advanced Psychology of Communication | Communication Skills for Law Enforcement Leaders |
| 5280-Promoting the Law Enforcement Image | Best Practices in Community Engagement |
| 5290-Emotional Intelligence: Context and Communication | Law Enforcement Management and Conflict Resolution |
| 5300-Navigating Leadership Crises | Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement and Public Safety |
| 5450-Enlightened Leadership | Organizational Leadership for Law Enforcement or Law Enforcement Management and Conflict Resolution |
| 5460-Leadership Context & Culture | Organizational Leadership for Law Enforcement |
| 5610-Constitutional Law and Policing | Public Safety Law in a Dynamic World |
| 5620-Crime Analysis: Advanced Theory & Application | Data Fluency and Analysis for Law Enforcement Leaders |
| 5650-Intelligence Theory and Application for Law Enforcement Managers | Data Fluency and Analysis for Law Enforcement Leaders |
| 5660-Advanced Spirituality, Wellness, and Vitality Issues in Law Enforcement Practices | No transfer equivalency |
| 5680-The Cyber Threat Landscape for Law Enforcement Executives | No transfer equivalency |
| 5710-Conflict Resolution for Law Enforcement Executives | Law Enforcement Management and Conflict Resolution |
| 5720-Seminar in Media and Managing the Law Enforcement Image | Communication Skills for Law Enforcement Leaders |
| 5740-Emerging Technology & Strategic Influence on Public Safety | Public Safety Law in a Dynamic World |
| 5770-Advanced Investigative Interviewing Seminar | No transfer equivalency |
| 5810-Solving Ethical Dilemmas in Law Enforcement | Law Enforcement Management and Conflict Resolution |
| 5820-Leadership in Advanced Investigative Strategies for Violent Crime | No transfer equivalency |
| 5890-Essentials for Law Enforcement Executives | Organizational Leadership for Law Enforcement or Organizational Theory & Change |
| 5930-Leading At-Risk Employees for Executive | No transfer equivalency |
The following FBINA courses are considered “undergraduate coursework” and have no transfer equivalency in the MS-LEPSL program:
- 4820-Leadership in Investigative Strategies for Violent Crime
- 4730-Overview of Forensic Science for Police Administrators and Managers
- 4670-Law Enforcement Approaches to Counterterrorism
- 4490-Critical Incident Leadership: Crisis Negotiations
- 3930-Leading At-Risk Employees
- 3890-Essentials for Law Enforcement Leaders
- 3720-Contemporary Issues in Police and Media Relations
- 3690-Public Speaking
- 3680-The Cyber Threat Landscape for Law Enforcement Leaders
- 3670-Effective Writing
- 3660 Leadership: Spirituality, Wellness and Vitality
- 3610-Behavioral Science for Law Enforcement Leadership
- 3490-Legal Issues Impacting Law Enforcement Operations
- 3400-Fitness in Law Enforcement
- 3370-Employment Law Issues for Law Enforcement Executives
- 3290-Emotional Intelligence
- 3210-Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement Seminar
- 3120-Drugs, Society, and Contemporary Drug Enforcement Strategies
Are we missing a course? Please contact us with the course name, description and, if possible, the syllabus, so it can be evaluated for transfer credit.
“A Truly Unique Educational Experience”
I have to say in my 24-year law enforcement career, this experience ranks up there with the FBI National Academy as one of the most rewarding and insightful ones of my career and life. The program learning outcomes of LEPSL have equipped me with the tools needed to advance, not only in my career but also in my personal life. The program critically addresses the challenges arguably facing law enforcement in modern times, it covers the inward examination of the organizations, and conflict resolution to name a few. It is highly recommended for ALL law enforcement leaders, both present and aspiring ones, who care about the profession and are committed to the improvements needed as we face today’s challenges, and diligently focus on rebuilding relationships and trust with the public we swore to protect!
For those who say they don’t have the time or ability to continue their education, I wholeheartedly disagree with them. The LEPSL degree is not only manageable, but its applicability to real-world career dynamics has also already paid me dividends! The interaction with top-notch professors and students alike adds to the value this program delivers. I am so glad I took the leap to pursue my master’s degree and believe the same is true for anyone that puts forth the effort!
I am convinced that the skills amassed throughout the program were largely responsible for my appointment to Chief of Police. From all-inclusive budgeting practices to reformist community engagement ideologies, I have successfully applied those principles toward the transformation of an agency starved for change.
The Law Enforcement Public Safety Leadership degree at the University of San Diego was designed in a true collaboration between academics and law enforcement professionals. LEPSL offers you the opportunity to understand the theory and origins of topics central to our profession while simultaneously demonstrating how your new, and deeper, understanding can be put to work immediately. The opportunity to learn from other professionals across the United States is invaluable. Combining all this with unequaled support from professors and university staff makes this a truly unique educational experience!
