Southwest Baptist University and the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) have reached
an affiliation agreement to deliver quality, flexible, and low-cost degree programs
to KCPD employees working hard to keep their community safe.
In addition, the university has announced an expansion of a transfer credit program for police academy graduates. As of the Fall 2025 semester, any graduate of a qualified police academy will receive 45 transfer credits toward SBU’s Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (Organizational Leadership) program.
The KCPD agreement opens up new opportunities for one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the state of Missouri. As part of the KCPD agreement, employees of the Kansas City Police Department will be eligible for the following benefits:
- Discounted tuition of $250 per credit hour for online undergraduate programs through SBU’s Worldwide Campus
- A per credit discount of $100 for online master’s and doctoral programs through SBU’s Worldwide Campus
“The discounted program will be of big help to KCPD employees who strive to further their education,” said Major Jon Patton, supervisor over the Regional Police Academy. “SBU offers an extensive list of degree programs and disciplines. We are thankful for the university’s support of law enforcement.”
The KCPD agreement follows an existing partnership with the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) offering the same benefits to employees of that law enforcement agency. The university continues to seek out other agencies across Missouri and the region to offer its online programs to the brave men and women who serve in law enforcement.
One of the highlighted programs is the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, with a concentration in Organizational Leadership. SBU offers 45 credit hours toward this 120-credit hour program to graduates of a qualified police academy. SBU has expanded this offer to any police academy graduate, regardless of whether their agency has an agreement such as the ones with KCPD and MSHP.
“At SBU, we hold public servants and those in law enforcement in the highest regard. It is our privilege to make our Worldwide Campus programs available to them at a price point that makes achieving their educational goals more accessible than ever,” said SBU President Dr. Rick Melson.
Other law enforcement agencies interested in affiliation agreements with SBU can contact Ron Miller, Vice President for Online Learning, at rmiller@sbuniv.edu.
Published on August 19, 2025