Criminal Justice, A.S.

Degree: Associate in Science
HEGIS Code: 5505
Curriculum Code: 0641.BCJ
Campus Location(s): City, North, South, Distance
Business & Public Service Division

Pre-Admission Recommendations: 4 years English, 2 years Math, 2 years Natural Science, 2 years Social Science
Career Opportunities/Further Education: Law Enforcement Agencies, Correction Facilities; or Transfer to Bachelor’s Degree Program

Career Opportunities

Law enforcement agencies, correction facilities, crime prevention, criminal justice planning or court work.

Program Description

Programs to meet society’s criminal justice needs have grown within the past decade. Simultaneously, the demand for professionals to work in corrections, probation, crime prevention and court work has skyrocketed.

The Criminal Justice/A.S. option has been designed to provide a broad education with emphasis in criminal law, the dynamics of crime and society, government, the social sciences and liberal arts/humanities. The program is structured so that students may opt to take a reduced academic course load, to transfer into the Law Enforcement/A.A.S. degree program, or to transfer to a four-year college/university.

Criminal justice courses comprise approximately 34 percent of the curriculum’s required courses, whereas the remaining 66 percent of coursework is taken in the liberal arts/humanities and the social sciences. The concentration is in the liberal arts/humanities and social sciences and affords students tremendous flexibility in terms of future career choices or further study.

Graduates of this program may enter such fields as corrections, probation, crime prevention, criminal justice planning and court work; or they may transfer and pursue a Bachelor of Science degree at a four-year college or university.

Department Notes

Students entering this program must be physically able to fulfill all requirements. Students are encouraged to consult an adviser in the department regarding scheduling. See Articulation Agreement section.

Program Competencies

Upon graduation with an Associate in Science degree in Criminal Justice, the graduate will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the criminal justice vocabulary
• Demonstrate an understanding of the philosophical and historical background in the three parts of criminal justice: law enforcement, courts and corrections.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the theories and causes of crime: economic, sociological and psychological
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of the New York State Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Law
• Student will have obtained those competencies as outlined by the college’s Social Science Department

Curriculum

Total Degree Credits: 63.0