Criminal Justice, A.S.

(60 credits)

The Associate of Science in Criminal Justice, under the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, is a two-year undergraduate degree designed to prepare students for employment in those social services and criminal justice sectors which directly support police and government law enforcement efforts while providing a foundational education in liberal arts.

The focus of the program will be to ensure that students understand the criminal justice system in the United States as it is related to class structure, race, ethnicity, and gender so that they will develop a more person-centered understanding of crime and law enforcement. Counseling skills, coupled with an understanding of individuals’ behavior within families and groups in society, will ensure that students, as leaders in the community and as professionals, are prepared for respectful and effective interaction with citizens.

Our students receive extensive field experience through participation in at least one guided internship. This experience provides a more broad set of career options, including graduate education in fields such as criminal justice, law, social work or public administration.

Upon completing the program of study in Criminal Justice, students will:

• Develop and demonstrate a basic understanding of the Criminal Justice system: the police, courts, corrections.
• Develop and demonstrate an understanding of core specialized criminal justice vocabulary.
• Develop and demonstrate a college-level understanding of the foundations of American criminal law.
• Develop and demonstrate a college-level understanding of constitutional law in America.
• Develop and demonstrate a college-level understanding of criminal theory.
• Develop and demonstrate an ability to read analytically and to produce college-level writing.

To satisfy the requirements of the Associate of Science in Criminal Justice degree, students need to complete 60 hours of coursework that include 30 credits in general education requirements; 21 credits in criminal justice; and 9 credits in Liberal Arts electives. 

Students must complete a minimum of 21 credits as matriculating students at the College. These 21 credits must be the last credits toward the degree.

Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for all work attempted at the College.

COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS

REQUIRED CORE (30 credits)

EN 106 - Written Expression I
EN 107 - Written Expression II

Select one (3 credits): Mathematics (MA) course designated A 

Select one (3 credits): Science (SC) course designated A

Select one (3 credits): History (HI) course designated B or C or Fine Arts (AH, AR, CO, MU) course designated A

Select one (3 credits): Philosophy (PH) course designated B or C

Select one (3 credits): Religion (RS) course designated B or C

Select three (9 credits): Courses designated B or C in three different disciplines

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC (21 credits)

CJ 111 - Introduction to the Criminal Justice System
CJ 231 - Deviance and Criminology
CJ 232 - Juvenile Delinquency
CJ 233 - Corrections
CJ 234 - Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice
CJ 248 - Correctional Administration
CJ 380 - Internship

ELECTIVES (9 credits)

Select three (9 credits): Liberal Arts courses