When students enroll in the
online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
program at East Carolina University®, one of the first people they meet is
Christopher Harrison, PhD
. He teaches the introduction to criminal justice course, fills in for other classes as needed, and is also the program coordinator.
Once students get to know him a bit more, they understand why ECU hired him in 2024.
Before he began his academic career in 2016, Dr. Harrison was a police officer, SWAT operator, and police chief. He also trained law enforcement officers in everything from basic policing tactics to rapid deployment and the use of specialized firearms.
It’s easy to look at an experienced professional like Dr. Harrison and imagine he was born for law enforcement, and that his career trajectory must have been a straight line from start to success.
However, like many of his students in the program, Dr. Harrison faced challenges and setbacks throughout his career. He’s been in his students’ shoes and works hard to make sure they get all the benefits of a
criminal justice degree
, no matter where they’re starting from or where they want to go.
An Undergraduate Degree in Criminal Justice
Dr. Harrison’s father owned a large electrical contracting company in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Early in his life, Dr. Harrison assumed he would one day take over the business.
“If you want the business when I retire,” Dr. Harrison remembered his father saying, “you have to go get a degree. I don’t care what you get a degree in, but you’re going to get a degree.”
When Dr. Harrison enrolled in college, however, he took an intro to criminal justice course as an elective in his freshman year. He was so enthralled that he became a criminal justice major, setting the stage for him to pursue a different career.
As he earned his undergraduate degree, Dr. Harrison was unsure what professional path to take. “So I said, ‘Alright, so let’s go to grad school,’ because I wanted to figure it out.”
At the time, Dr. Harrison’s older brother was a student at ECU, which had one of only two graduate-level criminal justice programs in North Carolina. Dr. Harrison enrolled in ECU’s program.
Interest and Talent in Training
Not long after Dr. Harrison started his graduate studies, he began to feel burned out and he disenrolled. It just didn’t feel like the right time for more schooling. When a local police officer, whom Dr. Harrison had befriended, urged him to enroll at the police academy in Greenville, North Carolina, it seemed like the right next step. And when he graduated, he quickly began to make an impression.
“Straight out of the academy, I went to patrol like everybody else,” he said. “I developed a really good knack for talking to people and building rapport on the street. In just over a year’s time, I went to a specialized unit, a street crimes unit, and we worked on narcotics and gangs.”
Before long, Dr. Harrison was training new officers in the field and getting certified to teach in the police academy. He both loved and excelled at it.
“I started thinking back to undergrad, that intro to criminal justice course,” Dr. Harrison said. “My professor was a retired police officer. He had that field experience to bring into the classroom, and so the wheels started turning. That’s about the point I said, ‘Hmm, it’s time for me to go back to grad school.’”
Going Back to School
Armed with a renewed passion for criminal justice, Dr. Harrison returned to ECU to complete the master’s degree in criminal justice program he had started all those years earlier. Many of his instructors worked closely with him at the police department, which enabled them to gain unique insights that they could incorporate into the curriculum and provided Dr. Harrison with the opportunity for mentorship. Both proved instrumental to his career development.
After graduation, Dr. Harrison became the chief of police at a community college. This was a calculated move. From that position, Dr. Harrison was able to pivot into adjunct instructor positions at different colleges.
In 2023, Dr. Harrison decided to add to his skill set by enrolling in a PhD in Workforce and Organizational Development program. This gave him an advanced understanding of organizations’ needs, operations, and hiring, making him an invaluable resource to students eyeing jobs and promotions.
But Dr. Harrison didn’t want to take these skills just anywhere. He wanted to go back to ECU. And in 2024, he became an instructor and the program coordinator for the school’s new Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Flight Path program.
“I’m a Pirate,” Dr. Harrison said. “This is where I want to be.”
Get the Benefits of a Criminal Justice Degree at Your Own Pace
ECU’s
online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program
is a completely online program designed specifically for students who need flexibility in their schedules as they pursue their degree. Even though he’s far along in his career, Dr. Harrison understands that need well.
“Just recently, I finished my PhD, and I have a full-time job,” he said. “Even when I finished my graduate degree, I was working rotating shifts, working 12-hour shifts, had family, had commitments. I try to help my students out as much as I can. You can do it.”
As such, many of the classes in the program are offered in an asynchronous format. This means students can attend classes at a time that fits their schedule and get all the benefits of a criminal justice degree while going at their own pace.
Whatever goals a student has, Dr. Harrison said the curriculum is designed to help them develop career-ready skills. Considering he still teaches at the police academy and is actively involved with North Carolina’s criminal justice community, he knows what today’s employers want.
“Employers are looking for people who can think critically, be team players, and problem solve. That is what this program’s all about,” Dr. Harrison said.
To find out more about the BS in Criminal Justice Flight Path program, request more information today.
