Criminal Justice AAS
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 plan 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 the 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 Year First Semester | ||
|---|---|---|
| CRIJ 1301 | INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 credit hours |
| CJSA 1348 | ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 credit hours |
| CJSA 1317 | JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM | 3 credit hours |
| CRIJ 2313 | CORRECTIONAL SYSTEMS & PRACTICES | 3 credit hours |
| CRIJ 2328 | POLICE SYSTEMS & PRACTICES | 3 credit hours |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 | |
| First Year Second Semester | ||
|---|---|---|
| CJSA 1342 | CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION | 3 credit hours |
| CRIJ 1310 | FUNDAMENTALS OF CRIMINAL LAW | 3 credit hours |
| CRIJ 1306 | COURT SYSTEMS & PRACTICES | 3 credit hours |
| CJCR 1304 | PROBATION & PAROLE | 3 credit hours |
| CJSA 2334 | CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE | 3 credit hours |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 | |
| Second Year First Semester | ||
|---|---|---|
| CJSA 1325 | CRIMINOLOGY | 3 credit hours |
| ENGL 1301 | COMPOSITION I | 3 credit hours |
| SPCH 1315 | PUBLIC SPEAKING | 3 credit hours |
| OR | ||
| SPCH 1321 | BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION | 3 credit hours |
| SOCI 1301 | INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | 3 credit hours |
| MATH 1314 | COLLEGE ALGEBRA | 3 credit hours |
| OR | ||
| MATH 1342 | ELEMENTARY STATISTICAL METHODS | 3 credit hours |
| OR | ||
| MATH 1332 | CONTEMPORARY MATHEMATICS | 3 credit hours |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 | |
| Second Year Second Semester | ||
|---|---|---|
| GOVT 2305 | FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (Federal constitution & topics) | 3 credit hours |
| PSYC 2301 | GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 credit hours |
| ENGL 2311 | TECHNICAL& BUSINESS WRITING | 3 credit hours |
| CORE | LANGUAGE, PHILOSOPHY, AND CULTURE/OR CREATIVE ARTS | 3 credit hours |
| CJSA 2388 | INTERNSHIP | 3 credit hours |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 | |
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.
