Criminal Justice AAS

(R): 314

The AAS in criminal justice is designed to prepare students for careers within the criminal justice system. The program offers a combination of liberal arts and specialized career courses to help students upon entry into the criminal justice field. The curriculum is offered for those already employed in the criminal justice profession as well as for high school students interested in pursuing careers with local, state, or private agencies within the field. Students are encouraged to seek assistance from criminal justice faculty in making course selections to suit their career goals and interests. Those students interested in transferring to obtain a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university should consult advisers regarding our AA degree in general studies.

General Education Course Selections

Click here to view the Foundation/Distribution Courses for selection to fulfill the General Education Course Requirements.

Suggested Course Sequence

All students should consult an advisor.

First Semester

ENGL 101 - Introduction to College Writing 3 semester hours *
CCJS 110 - Administration of Justice 3 semester hours (BSSD)
COMM 108 - Introduction to Human Communication 3 semester hours (GEEL)
OR
COMM 112 - Business and Professional Speech Communication 3 semester hours (GEEL)
SOCY 100 - Introduction to Sociology 3 semester hours (GEEL)
Mathematics foundation 3 semester hours (MATF)

Second Semester

CCJS 201 - Introduction to Law Enforcement 3 semester hours
OR
CCJS 230 - Introduction to Corrections 3 semester hours
CCJS 221 - Criminal Law 3 semester hours
PSYC 102 - General Psychology 3 semester hours
English foundation 3 semester hours (ENGF)
Arts or humanities distribution 3 semester (ARTD or HUMD)

Third Semester

CCJS 215 - Organization and Administration 3 semester hours
POLI 101 - American Government 3 semester hours
Natural sciences distribution with lab 4 semester hours (NSLD)
CCJS elective 3 semester hours ‡
Elective 2 semester hours

Fourth Semester

CCJS 242 - Theory and Practice 3 semester hours
CCJS 244 - Contemporary Issues 3 semester hours
CCJS or behavioral and social science elective 3 semester hours
CCJS elective 3 semester hours ‡
Elective 3 semester hours

Total Credit Hours: 60

* ENGL 101 /ENGL 101A , if needed for ENGL 102 /ENGL 103 , or general elective.

‡ CCJS electives include CCJS 211 , CCJS 216 , CCJS 222 , CCJS 232 , CCJS 246 , CCJS 250 , and CCJS 255 . Students can also use CCJS 201 or CCJS 230 as a CCJS elective if not already used to satisfy a program requirement.

Program Outline / Degree Requirements

General Education Requirements

Foundation Courses

English Foundation 3 semester hours (ENGF)
Mathematics foundation 3 semester hours (MATF)

Distribution Courses

CCJS 110 - Administration of Justice 3 semester hours (BSSD)
Arts or humanities distribution 3 semester hours (ARTD or HUMD)
Natural sciences distribution with lab 4 semester hours (NSLD)

General Education Elective

COMM 108 - Introduction to Human Communication 3 semester hours (GEEL)
OR
COMM 112 - Business and Professional Speech Communication 3 semester hours (GEEL)
SOCY 100 - Introduction to Sociology 3 semester hours (GEEL)

Program Requirements

CCJS 201 - Introduction to Law Enforcement 3 semester hours
OR
CCJS 230 - Introduction to Corrections 3 semester hours
CCJS 215 - Organization and Administration 3 semester hours
CCJS 221 - Criminal Law 3 semester hours
CCJS 242 - Theory and Practice 3 semester hours
CCJS 244 - Contemporary Issues 3 semester hours
ENGL 101 - Introduction to College Writing 3 semester hours *
POLI 101 - American Government 3 semester hours
PSYC 102 - General Psychology 3 semester hours
CCJS elective 6 semester hours ‡
CCJS or behavioral and social science elective 3 semester hours
Elective 5 semester hours

Total Credit Hours: 60

* ENGL 101 /ENGL 101A , if needed for ENGL 102 /ENGL 103 , or general elective.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of this program a student will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the criminal law and the criminal justice process (police, courts, and corrections).
Explain the function and role of various criminal justice practitioners in the operation of an ethical and professional system of justice that exists within a diverse society.
Analyze the history, functions, policies, and procedures used in each subsystem of justice and creatively offer alternatives to current practices.
Explain the impact of political and economic considerations as it relates to criminal justice theory, research, practice, and policy.