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In 2018, Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings said the department had lowered recruiting standards to eliminate a requirement that applicants to the police academy have an associate’s degree or 54 semester hours of college.

It also said the Idaho State course credits were worth less — only counting as 0.5 semester hours — in the Fairfax system.

A bill in the Legislature would allow those with an associate’s degree, or at least 60 undergraduate semester hours, to receive substitute authorization for any grade, instead of the currently required bachelor’s degree.

The Houston Police Department requires at least 48 semester hours of college credit for prospective officers but a high school diploma or GED is enough in other parts of the state.

Students will take an average of three years to complete the program, which aligns with a degree in building sciences and will require 62 semester hours of graduate course work beyond a bachelor’s degree.