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Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice

Program Description

The Associate of Arts degree in Criminal Justice is designed to provide graduates with the skills and knowledge required to work effectively in a variety of, corrections, probation, government, and private security settings. The curriculum provides a solid foundation in areas of criminal behavior, criminology methods, public policy, specialized interpersonal communication, and criminal justice and ethical issues.

Graduates from the AA in Criminal Justice program will be able to communicate effectively, as directed, for informal, formal, and quantitative tasks and will be conversant with the values and terminology of the field. They will be able to access information resources, evaluate them for credibility and relevance, and use the sources to present a wide range of alternatives. Having utilized academic processes such as feedback from faculty and self-reflection, graduates will be situated for lifelong learning. This degree prepares students to transition into the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program.

Total credits required for degree program: 60 credits

AACJ Degree Requirements:

  • General Education Requirements - 42 credits
  • Criminal Justice Core Requirements - 18 credits


Course #Course Title
General Education Requirements
Communication Arts - 12 Credits
COM 120Effective Persuasive Writing
COM 125Utilizing Information in College Writing
COM 215Written Communication
Social & Behavioral Sciences - 3 Credits
Select one of the following courses:
BEH 225Introduction to Behavioral Science
ETH 125Cultural Diversity
SOC 105Introduction to Sociology
Humanities - 3 Credits
Select one of the following courses:
CRT 205Critical Thinking
HUM 130Religions of the World
HUM 205HUM 205World Culture and the Arts
LIT 210World Literature
PHI 105Introduction to Philosophy
Mathematics - 6 Credits
MAT 115Basic Mathematics
MAT 116Algebra 1A
MAT 117Algebra 1B
MAT 205Finite Math
Science - 3 Credits
Select one of the following courses:
SCI 245Geology
SCI 275Environmental Science
Information Technology - 3 Credits
IT 105Skills for Learning in an Information Age
Open Electives- 12 Credits
Check with your Academic Counselors for a list of available courses to fulfill this requirement.
Criminal Justice Core
ADJ 215Criminology
ADJ 225Juvenile Justice
ADJ 235Ethics and Administration of Justice
ADJ 255Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice
ADJ 265Interpersonal Communications in the Criminal Justice System
ADJ 275Criminal Procedures