Degree: Associate in Applied Science
HEGIS Code: 5505
Curriculum Code: 1035.CLE
Campus Location: North, Distance
Business & Public Service Division
Pre-Admission Recommendations: 2 years Math, 1 year Science
Career Opportunities/Further Education: Law Enforcement Agencies, Corrections Facilities
Career Opportunities
Career opportunities include law enforcement agencies, correction facilities, private or industrial security, conservation officer, or campus security.
Program Description
In the maze of modern law enforcement and legal proceedings, demand for highly qualified criminal justice professionals is heard in police stations, correctional facilities, and campus security headquarters. Accordingly, the criminal justice curriculum prepares students for employment in the various areas of criminal justice and for further education if desired.
The Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement curriculum is designed to provide a foundation in the theory and execution of law and to prepare students to assume responsible positions in any of a variety of criminal justice agencies. Sixty percent of the courses in the curriculum focus on criminal justice while the other 40 percent are in social sciences, humanities and liberal arts.
Graduates of the program can serve as police officers at the state, county, or local level. Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement graduates qualify to work in private or industrial security or as a conservation officer, correctional officer, or campus security officer. Students anticipating doing any type of investigative work will benefit from this curriculum (rather than the Criminal Justice Associate in Science option).
The program prepares students to transfer to four-year institutions offering bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice and related fields.
When students graduate from this program, they will be able to step into almost any facet of criminal justice work and not only feel comfortable, but have a thorough understanding of the functions of the particular area they have entered. They should have the knowledge and the background to make them excellent practitioners in the field and be an asset to the agency that hires them.
Special Admission Requirements/Prerequisites
Students entering this program must be physically able to fulfill all requirements. Students are encouraged to consult an advisor in the department regarding scheduling.
Program Competencies
Upon graduation with an Associate in Applied Science degree in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement, 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 on causes of crime: economic, sociological and psychological;
- demonstrate a working knowledge of the New York State penal laws and the criminal procedure laws;
- demonstrate an understanding of and work in industrial and retail security;
- recognize people with mental disorders: psychotics, psychopaths, personality disorders; people intoxicated by drugs: LSD, heroin, PCP, etc; sexual aberrations; suicide potentials and be aware of methods of handling such individuals;
- demonstrate an understanding of police ethics and how to resolve practical problems of an ethical nature;
- demonstrate an understanding of basic qualities of a criminal investigation: fingerprinting, photographing a crime scene, plaster casting, handling and recording of physical evidence;
- demonstrate an understanding of our correctional system; the use of penitentiaries and prisons in American society; probation and parole concepts and usages; the nature of punishment and present trends in corrections; and
- demonstrate an understanding of the internal workings of police departments; organizational and leadership problems; planning and research; inspection procedures; personnel problems and contemporary problems of police departments.
Curriculum
Total Degree Credits: 64.0
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