Criminal Justice AAS

Associate of Applied Science Degree

The AAS in Criminal Justice degree is 60 credit hours in length.  The AAS degree may be transferred to local universities for those students wishing to obtain a BAAS degree. Transferring students should check with the university he/she plans to transfer to for information about the number of classes that can be transferred. Experiential Credit may be available for students currently working in the field of Criminal Justice. For more information, see the Division Chair. (Dr. Cherly Gary-Furdge)

Upon completion of this Associate of Applied Science Degree, students will be able to:

  • Exhibit critical thinking skills related to areas in the Criminal Justice Field.
  • Demonstrate professional, ethical, respectful conduct to those of diverse cultures, customs and beliefs in stressful situations.
  • Communicate both verbally and in writing on areas related to the criminal justice field.
  • Demonstrate the ability to use employment strategies related to the field of criminal justice.

This degree can be completed through a mix of face-to-face, hybrid, and online classes. The program is designed to take two years, or 64 weeks, to complete and is comprised of the following suggested pathway or course of study.

Degree Requirements

First Semester

First semester courses and credits required to earn the Criminal Justice AAS
RUBRIC NUMBER COURSE TITLE SEMESTER
CREDIT HOURS
CRIJ 1301 INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3
CJSA 1348 ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3
CJSA 1317 JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM 3
CRIJ 2313 CORRECTIONAL SYSTEMS & PRACTICES 3
CRIJ 2328 POLICE SYSTEMS & PRACTICES 3
CJCR1304 PROBATION AND PAROLE 3
Total credit hours for this semester
TOTAL HOURS 18

Second Semester

Second semester courses and credits required to earn the Criminal Justice AAS
RUBRIC NUMBER COURSE TITLE SEMESTER
CREDIT HOURS
CJSA 1342 CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION 3
CRIJ 1310 FUNDAMENTALS OF CRIMINAL LAW 3
CRIJ 1306 COURT SYSTEMS & PRACTICES 3
CJSA1325 CRIMINOLOGY 3
CJSA 2334 CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE  3
CJSA2306 POLICE ADMINISTRATION, SUPERVISION, AND RELATED TOPICS 3
Total credit hours for this semester
TOTAL HOURS 18

Third Semester

Third semester courses and credits required to earn the Criminal Justice AAS
RUBRIC NUMBER COURSE TITLE SEMESTER
CREDIT HOURS
ENGL 1301 COMPOSITION I 3
SOCI1301 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY 3
MATH 1314 OR
MATH 1342 OR
MATH 1332		 COLLEGE ALGEBRA OR
ELEMENTARY STATISTICAL METHODS OR
CONTEMPORARY MATHEMATICS 		 3
CORE LANGUAGE, PHILOSOPHY, CULTURE/OR CREATIVE ARTS 3
Total credit hours for this semester
TOTAL HOURS 12

Fourth Semester

Fourth semester courses and credits required to earn the Criminal Justice AAS
RUBRIC NUMBER COURSE TITLE SEMESTER
CREDIT HOURS
SPCH1315 PUBLIC SPEAKING 3
OR
SPCH1321 BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION 3
PSYC 2301 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 3
ENGL 2311 TECHNICAL & BUSINESS WRITING 3
CJSA 2388 INTERNSHIP 3
Total credit hours for this semester
TOTAL HOURS 12

Total Credit Hours: 60

Capstone Requirement: CJSA 2388 Internship - Criminal Justice/Safety Studies is the capstone requirement and may not be substituted. It should be taken the last semester before graduation.

Note:  Most agencies require a criminal background check as part of the internship hiring process.  Having a criminal record may prevent you from being accepted in an internship program.

Related Links