Criminal Justice, AAS

The purpose of this program is to offer preparation for career employment in law enforcement, adult and juvenile corrections, security management, and other public service careers. Transferable to four-year colleges and universities, the program is also job entry oriented, depending on the student needs. Public safety careers require criminal and personal background checks.

90 credits

Program Contacts

Cost

Estimated Cost: $ 18,406

  • Resident Tuition: $ 13,410
  • Technology Fee: $ 1,260
  • One Time Credit Enrollment Fee: $ 31
  • General Student Fees: $ 850
  • Online Course Fees: $ 210
  • Books / Course Materials: $ 2,625 (Some courses use Open Educational Resources (OER), which are free or low-cost materials.)
  • Program Specific Fees: $ 20

Costs provided are estimates only, and may differ depending on course type and/or modality. Learn more and view current tuition and fee information.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete this program will be able to:

PLO 1 - Apply theories of crime and criminal behavior to describe crime and deviance at individual, community, and societal levels

PLO 2 - Discuss and apply the established practices and methods of criminal investigation

PLO 3 - Explain the philosophy, organization, and function of the criminal justice system and justice processes

PLO 4 - Analyze criminal justice issues through the perspective of differing theories and/or disciplines

PLO 5 - Locate and navigate information resources and apply the information to specific professional criminal justice contexts

PLO 6 - Evaluate the influence of humanistic philosophies and principles on the nature and development of substantive and procedural criminal law in the United States

Program Requirements

All courses in a program require default grading (completed with a letter grade of C- or better, or Pass) unless specified otherwise below.

General Education

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
WR 121Z/WR 121HZComposition 1

4

WR 122Z/WR 122ZComposition 2

4

MTH 105ZMath in Society

4

COMM 218ZInterpersonal Communication

4

Math: see Footnote 1. 

COMM 218Z: see Footnote 2.

Complete one of the following:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
COMM 111Z/COMM 111HZPublic Speaking

4

COMM 112Persuasive Speech

4

Complete one of the following:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
HE 250Personal Health

3

HE 252First Aid

3

HE 275Lifetime Health and Fitness

3

Complete one of the following:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
ANTH 103Cultural Anthropology

4

ES 101Historical Racial and Ethnic Issues

4

ES 102Contemporary Racial and Ethnic Issues

4

HST 203History of the United States

4

SOC 213Race and Ethnicity

4

Social Science Track

Complete all courses from one of the following Social Science tracks -

a. Political Science:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
PS 201U.S. Government and Politics

4

PS 203/PS 203HState and Local Government and Politics

3

b. Psychology:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
PSY 201Z/PSY 201HZIntroduction to Psychology I

4

PSY 202Z/PSY 202HZIntroduction to Psychology II

4

c. Sociology:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
SOC 204Z/SOC 204HZIntroduction to Sociology

4

SOC 205ZSocial Change and Institutions

4

d. Open Social Science:

Complete two courses from the Social Science list

Science Track

Complete all courses from one of the following Science tracks -

a. Forensics:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
ANTH 101Physical Anthropology

4

BI 101Cell Systems

4

*complete "Introduction to Genetics" section of BI 101

CH 114/CJA 114Introduction to Forensic Chemistry

4

b. Geographic Info Science:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
GIS 151Digital Earth

4

GIS 245GIS 1

4

GIS 246GIS 2

4

c. Open Science:

Complete 3 courses (two with labs & one with or without lab) selected from the Science/Math/Computer Science List.

Program Core Courses

Must be completed with a grade of C or better. P/NP not accepted

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
CJA 100Introduction to Criminal Justice

4

CJA 200Introduction to Criminology

4

CJA 210Crime Scene Investigation

3

CJA 210LCrime Scene Investigation Writing Lab

1

CJA 213Interviewing and Interrogation

3

CJA 213LInterviewing and Interrogation Writing Lab

1

CJA 214Introduction to Forensic Science

4

CJA 220Introduction to Criminal Law

3

CJA 222Criminal Law: Procedural Issues

3

PHL 201/PHL 201HEthics

4

 

PHL 221Critical Thinking

4

Or

COMM 105Listening and Critical Thinking

4

Program Electives

Must be completed with a grade of C or better. P/NP not accepted.

Complete three of the following:

Course NumberCourse TitleCredits
CJA 201Juvenile Delinquency

3

CJA 207Gender, Crime and Justice

4

CJA 280Co-op Ed: Criminal Justice

3-12

HS 102Psychopharmacology

4

HS 209Crisis Intervention and Prevention

3

SOC 211Deviance, Power, and Prisons

4

PSY 239Mental Health and Psychological Disorders

3

CJA 280: repeatable up to 9 credits

Note: Students using lower-credit courses to meet General Education requirements may need to take additional Electives to meet the 90-credit minimum.

Footnotes

 1 – Any math (MTH/STAT) higher than MTH 105Z is also accepted

2 – COMM 218Z satisfies the Human Relations requirement and cannot be substituted

Notes

  • To view all important info for all programs (grading, total credits, honors, etc.), visit the Programs of Study page.
  • Co-op internship placements may require a term or more to coordinate. Students who are interested in enrolling in CJA 280 must contact the program coordinator no later than the beginning of the prior term. For example: For a spring-term co-op, the student should contact the program coordinator at the beginning of winter term.
  • For questions about transferring to a four-year university, contact your Academic Advisors for help.

Sample Term Planner

Criminal Justice Sample Term Plan

*Subject to change. Connect with an academic advisor to create an individualized academic planner.