BGSU alum elevates career with master’s degree from Ohio’s No. 1 criminal justice program

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4. BGSU alum elevates career with master's degree from Ohio's No. 1 criminal justice program

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - A Bowling Green State University alumnus is leveraging their master's degree in criminal justice to continue to rise through the ranks of the Lorain Police Department, where they most recently promoted to captain.

A firm believer in lifelong learning, Capt. Jacob Morris knew that professional excellence required more than just time on the beat. To advance his career and sharpen his skills, Morris enrolled in the top-ranked BGSU criminal justice master's program while working full-time.

"I always wanted to be the best officer I could be," Morris said. "Because so much of this career is based on opportunities, there is no guarantee you will become a detective or sergeant. I knew that if I stood out from my peers, opportunities would find me. My BGSU education allowed me to do exactly that, and it has already resulted in three promotions."

A top-ranked pathway for professionals
The Master of Science in Criminal Justice program - recently ranked No. 1 in Ohio and among the top 15 programs in the nation - is designed specifically for working professionals. Its flexible format allows students to learn online, in-person or through a hybrid model. Morris took full advantage of this, completing his master's degree in just one year.

For Morris, a Lorain, Ohio, native, the program did more than check a box for a promotion; it changed his approach to the job.

"The Lorain Police Department promotes strictly from within, meaning you don't necessarily need an advanced degree to progress," Morris explained. "The challenge is that without outside education, officers only know what experience has taught them, which doesn't always foster organizational or cultural change."

A continuous journey of learning
Morris credits BGSU with pushing him outside of his comfort zone and encouraging him to challenge the status quo.

"I am now more critical of current practices and find myself asking, 'Is there a better way?'" Morris said. "This shift in perspective has encouraged me to combine academic research with departmental data to bolster my decision-making."

Today, Morris leads by example, hoping to inspire his fellow officers to view education as a continuous journey rather than a destination.

"I believe critical thinking is a perishable skill," Morris said. "It is necessary to provide a venue for complex discussions and find ways to blur the line between the police and the communities we serve.

"Everything I learned at BGSU and while on the job gets deposited right back into the policies and culture at the Lorain Police Department."

When Morris isn't serving his community, he spends his time educating BGSU criminal justice students as an adjunct professor. Morris also arranges three on-site visits to Lorain for students to experience real-world policing, which informs the topics they discuss in class.

To show his gratitude to BGSU and help future students in the criminal justice program, Morris donates his BGSU salary back to the criminal justice program through the establishment of the Criminal Justice Legacy Scholarship.