Shaquille O’Neal, the 54-year-old basketball star whose wealth is estimated at $500 million, is pursuing a fifth university qualification: a master’s in criminology at Sacramento State University. Having begun the programme in summer 2026, he plans to complete it through a combination of online and in-person study by autumn 2027 or summer 2028. His existing qualifications comprise a bachelor’s degree, an MBA, a doctorate in education and a master’s in liberal arts.
His commitment to education began with a promise to his mother. After three seasons at Louisiana State University, he left without graduating and became the first overall selection in the 1992 NBA draft. He subsequently returned to fulfil that promise, maintaining that basketball should not define the limits of his knowledge. His current subject also reflects a longstanding interest: since the late 1990s, he has worked part-time with several police departments, including as a reserve officer in Los Angeles and Miami. Continuing his studies, he says, demonstrates to his children that neither age nor success should end their education.
O’Neal also urges young people to recognise university’s value beyond academic qualifications. In his view, it develops discipline, collaboration and the ability to complete commitments. Although he uses artificial intelligence himself, he distinguishes access to information from learning through experience. Technology, he argues, cannot substitute for sitting opposite someone more knowledgeable and asking questions. For students anxious about AI’s influence on education and employment, his emphasis remains on practical experience and direct human interaction.
