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Searching for an Online MBA?: "Several websites can help .. first, GetEducated.com offers free rankings of distance-learning MBA programs."
"Beware diploma mills... Go to GetEducated.com and ask the Diploma Mill Police."
"For a distance MBA you can pay from $6,000 to $120,000. To get the most bang for your buck ... check out GetEducated.com"
GetEducated.com – "a great source for weeding out phonies" (among online colleges).
"Thanks much for your wonderful site! I've recommended it to my students and entered a program I found at GetEducated.com." --Charles Balch, MBA, Ph.D. --Professor, Arizona Western College
Vicky Phillips -- Founder of GetEducated.com ... "for 20 years the leading consumer advocate for online college students" ... Different Paths to a College Degree, Sept. 2009
Vicky Phillips ... founder of GetEducated.com ... "one of the nation’s leading experts on educational fraud" ... . ~Joyce Lain Kennedy~ (Nov, 2009), LA Times
"Kiplinger Personal Finance" partners with Get Educated - Top 15 Picks Prestigious Online Masters Degrees
Get Educated helps LATimes Consumer Reporter David Lazarus in "Getting an Education Learning Over the Internet" -- Nov. 10, 2010
Get Educated's beloved mascot, Chester Ludlow, dog with online MBA, helps Neely Tucker, Washington Post reporter, expose murderous minister with degree mill pedigree - Dec. 2010
Being a federal air marshal means long hours in airports and even longer hours sitting in airplanes. But it also means travel—often overseas. And it means serving your country. The U.S. Federal Air Marshal program is expanding, due to an order by President Obama in January to put more air marshals on flights after the Christmas 2009 attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines jet. Applications for new air marshals are now being accepted.
An estimated 3,200 to 4,000 air marshals currently work to protect passengers on overseas and domestic flights. These positions are part of the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration. What does it take to become an air marshal?
According to the TSA, air marshals:
• must be between 21 and 36 at the time of application (if you will turn 37 before training is finished, you aren't eligible—unless you are a veteran; veterans receive preferential hiring)
• must complete a rigorous, 16-week training session and be capable of arduous physical exertion
• must be able to pass top security clearances and drug and alcohol screening
• cannot have been convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense
• must be able to carry a firearm and maintain proficiency in its use.
The TSA also requires either three years of experience, a bachelors degree in any field from an accredited college or university, or a combination of experience and education. The experience that the TSA asks for includes "progressively responsible general experience," showing the ability to analyze problems, plan and organize work, and communicate effectively.
Dave, an air marshal for the past eight years, says having a college degree helps "if you have goals of management—the government favors it and it can make it faster to accomplish your goals."
An online criminal justice degree can prepare you for this position, as well as other government law enforcement jobs. Distance degrees in justice are available with specializations in homeland security, military management, law or public administration.
What are the pluses and minuses of being an air marshal?
Salaries for air marshal positions now open range from $46,950 to $82,417 annually.
Dave says he likes the travel, the "outstanding" training, and the independence the job provides.
"You're on your own—you are your own boss—to accomplish your mission."
On the other hand, he says: "If you want to be a regular street police officer, this is not it. There is a lot of down time."
Air marshals are expected to be on call 24/7, according to the TSA hiring directive. "Your schedule can change in a second," says Dave.
Air marshals also may be reassigned to different geographic locations and must sign a "mobility agreement" as a condition of their employment.
How do you apply to become an air marshal?
The government has opened up the position for applications through Sept. 30, 2010 in various metropolitan areas around the U.S. To find openings in your region, visit the USAJOBS website and search for “federal air marshal.”
If positions are not available, you can sign up on the website to be notified of future openings.
