Criminal Justice, A.A.S.
A.A.S. Degree—62 credit hours
Curriculum Code 1260
This program prepares students for entry-level careers in the criminal justice system, including careers in policing, the courts and corrections. Employment of police officers is expected to grow faster than the average, while employment of correctional officers is expected to increase much faster than the average. Because of the attractive salaries and benefits, the number of qualified candidates exceeds the number of job openings in federal law enforcement agencies and in most state, local and special police departments, resulting in increased hiring standards and selectivity by employers.
Students may be able to receive an A.A. (Associate in Arts) degree with their A.A.S. degree. Refer to the A.A. degree graduation requirements or contact an academic advisor. Students also may consult the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) recommended curriculum in criminal justice.
Required General Education Courses
32 credit hours as follows:
(Note: Take MTH-120 or higher.)
MTH-120: A minimum level of competency in mathematics is required for graduation for all A.A.S. degrees. This minimum competency may be demonstrated in one of three ways:
- Placement into MTH-120 or higher; or
- Successful completion with a minimum grade of “C” in BUS-120, MTH-102, MTH-109, MTH-121 or MTH-133 or higher-level mathematics course for designated career programs; or
- An equivalent transfer course from another college with a minimum grade of “C”.
Select 8 credit hours Physical and Life Sciences:
BIO, CHM, EAS, GEL, NAT, PHS, PHY (two lab science courses recommended)
Select 3 credit hours from Humanities and Fine Arts:
ARB, ART, FRE, HUM, LIT, MUS, PHI, SPA, THE
Required Career Courses
24 credit hours as follows:
| CRJ-101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRJ-105 | Criminology | 3 |
| CRJ-106 | Introduction to Corrections | 3 |
| CRJ-107 | Juvenile Delinquency & Procedures | 3 |
| CRJ-201 | Police in American Society | 3 |
| CRJ-202 | Investigation & Criminal Evidence | 3 |
| CRJ-206 | Substantive Criminal Law | 3 |
| CRJ-207 | Procedural Criminal Law | 3 |
Electives
Select 6 credit hours from the following course groups or specific courses:
| ADC-230 | Special Topics in Addiction Studies | 1 |
| BUS-142 | Financial Accounting | 4 |
| CRJ-___ | (any Criminal Justice) | 1-3 |
| EMS-101 | Emergency Medical Technician | 8 |
| CIS-115 | Microsoft Office I | 3 |
| MTH-139 | Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| MTH-141 | College Algebra (Functions) | 4 |
| PEH-107 | Introduction to Group Fitness | 1 |
| SLP-___ | (any Security and Loss Prevention) | 1-3 |
(Note: In addition, any course that fulfills the general education requirement for an A.A. degree can be taken as an elective. See the Transfer Programs section in the catalog for more information.)
Suggested Schedule
Semester 1 (15 credit hours)
| COM-101 | Composition I | 3 |
| CRJ-101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRJ-105 | Criminology | 3 |
| SOC-101 | General Sociology | 3 |
| ___-___ | Humanities and Fine Arts Elective | 3 |
Semester 2 (15 credit hours)
Semester 3 (16 credit hours)
| COM-103 | Speech Fundamentals | 3 |
| CRJ-201 | Police in American Society | 3 |
| CRJ-206 | Substantive Criminal Law | 3 |
| ___-___ | Career Elective | 3 |
| ___-___ | Physical and Life Sciences Elective | 4 |
Semester 4 (16 credit hours)
| CRJ-202 | Investigation & Criminal Evidence | 3 |
| CRJ-207 | Procedural Criminal Law | 3 |
| MTH-120 | General Education Mathematics | 3 |
| ___-___ | Career Elective | 3 |
| ___-___ | Physical and Life Sciences Elective | 4 |