Criminal Justice (Associate)

The Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice is a comprehensive 18-month program designed to prepare graduates for entry-level careers including, not only law enforcement, courts, and corrections, but also private sector employment such as private investigations, security, and victim advocacy agencies.  The program emphasizes critical thinking and analysis, problem solving and decision-making, in the context of professional ethics, Constitutional protections, and citizens’ rights. Graduates will have amassed vast knowledge and skills in law enforcement procedures, correctional operations, and court systems supported by a healthy foundation of criminal justice fundamental theories and applications.

Additionally, the program offers a robust general education component intended to provide graduates with a healthy and broad base of knowledge, skills, and abilities for both personal and professional development.  Graduates will have a broad exposure to the elements of the criminal justice system including structure and interrelated agencies of the criminal justice system, social theories, law, policy and procedures, correctional operations, as well as current trends and practices in the field.  Graduates of the program are expected to have successfully developed the requisite knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitude to attain and succeed as a criminal justice professional in this high demand field.