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Kaplan University
Samantha Buss
Social worker
bachelor’s degree in criminal justice
Kaplan University
In 2003, Samantha Buss was an adolescent treatment specialist working with adjudicated youth at Focus House, a shelter-care facility run by the Ogle County Probation Department in Illinois. In less than a year, she was promoted to the house manager of the female residential home unit where she was responsible for providing a safe and structured living environment for the adolescent girls in the program. While Buss enjoyed her job, she knew that she would not be able to advance any further in her probation career without a specialized education. Motivated to move up within her place of employment, she made it her goal to complete a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
“I chose Kaplan University because I was working full time and needed a flexible schedule that would allow me to complete school and still work,” she explained. “I’d seen Kaplan advertised on several occasions and decided to call and get information.”
To begin the admissions process at Kaplan, Buss visited a campus location to participate in placement testing. Kaplan University requires all applicants to achieve a passing score on an entrance examination before they are conditionally admitted or allowed to begin an academic program. Those who do not achieve a minimum score on the test may be required to complete foundational coursework before they can enroll in college-level courses.
“I had good scores on my placement testing, so I was able to get into all of the college-level general education classes,” she explained. “They also put me in the accelerated program which allowed to me to take several classes, work through the summer, and complete the program in two years.”
The education she received from Kaplan prepared her for a career in probation as coursework covered a variety of areas, such as juvenile work, probation, laws, and court process, said Buss. It was also state-specific, meaning that information concerning Illinois laws versus Iowa laws was provided.
“It was truly the start to a wonderful career working with juveniles in all settings,” she said. “Most of the classes were online were great. The professors were open to questions and gave feedback. The online courses required a lot of writing, such as papers, message boards, and live classroom chats.”
In the bachelor’s degree program, Buss was also able to take electives like forensic sciences, juvenile probation, psychology, and criminology, which allowed her to obtain additional experience and explore different areas of criminal justice. While fulfilling the responsibilities of full-time employee and full-time student was challenging, Buss said she was able to manage her schedule by using good time management.
“Kaplan made it easy because they had different class times and several times available for live chat in case there were questions,” she explained.
Shortly after Buss graduated from Kaplan University with her criminal science degree, she was promoted to juvenile probation officer/residential counselor at Focus House. But she didn’t stop there. With the degree she received from Kaplan University, Buss took her education one step further and attended graduate school.
“After completing Kaplan, I was able to transfer credits to get into Aurora University,” she said. “I now have a master’s degree in social work, my Type 73 certificate to work in school settings, and my CADC to work as a certified alcohol and other drug counselor. Thanks to Kaplan, I went on to more education and a better lifestyle.”
Earning her master’s degree from Aurora University allowed Buss to experience the difference between an online and on-campus education. While she enjoyed both learning platforms, she said it is difficult to compare Kaplan and Aurora because of where she was in her life and career at the time.
Today, with an impressive education that includes a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in social work, Buss is looking forward to beginning a new job as a school social worker for a special education cooperative. With a bright future ahead, Buss credited Kaplan University for giving her the start she needed to advance in her career.
“I would recommend Kaplan to other prospective students who were motivated to complete their degree and looking for flexibility because they were working full-time,” she said. “I have heard other students talk about having difficulty with online classes, being able to complete assignments on time, and stay on task. But for students who are motivated, the online route is wonderful.”
