Criminal Justice, AAS

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G3 Eligible Program– Qualifying students may have ZERO costs for tuition, fees, and textbooks.
Learn more at www.jtcc.edu/g3.

PURPOSE: This two-year program prepares students for jobs in criminal justice and law enforcement. Jobs include correction officers, security officers, and investigators. All career-technical degrees are guided by input from local business leaders. All career-technical degrees are guided by advisory committees comprised of local business leaders.

CREDENTIALS: An Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree is a major in a career-technical area that takes two years for full-time students to complete. Although the purpose of an AAS degree is to gain skills for employment, some transfer institutions may accept some or all of the courses from an AAS major. Students can complete the Career Studies Certificate (CSC) in Criminal Justice during their program. Students who are Certified Virginia Law Enforcement Officers may receive up to 20 credits toward this program.

TRANSFER: Though this program is not designed for transfer, this degree may be transferable to some four-year colleges. Students desiring to transfer should consult their faculty advisor and their intended transfer institution for specific direction in program and course selection. More information can also be found at www.jtcc.edu/academics/transfer/

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIAL CONDITIONS: Students must meet JTCC admission requirements. Students must also complete placements tests (or equivalent) in English and mathematics, and scores will be used for appropriate course placement. If students have deficiencies in English and/or mathematics, JTCC offers developmental and prerequisite courses to prepare students for the curriculum. Persons entering the public or private sectors of criminal justice employment will be subjected to intensive physical agility tests, background investigations, psychological testing, personal interviews, physical examinations and polygraph examinations.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES: By the completion of this program, students will be expected to demonstrate an introductory level of competency in the following skills:

Model appropriate and ethical behavior during criminal justice simulations.
Identify and describe each component of the criminal justice system (police, courts, corrections), giving at least 2 examples of each part of the system.
Explain the purpose of the juvenile justice system, including its history, rights of juveniles, and dispositional alternatives.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of different theories for causation of crime.
Analyze interactive approaches of law enforcement agencies and the citizenry they serve.

Required Courses

SDV 100 - College Success Skills 1 credit
ENG 111 - College Composition I 3 credits
MTH 130 - Fundamentals of Reasoning 3 credits Additional Course Options: MTH 154 , MTH 161 , MTH 263 .
ITE 115 - Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts 3 credits
ADJ 100 - Survey of Criminal Justice 3 credits
ADJ 105 - The Juvenile Justice System 3 credits
ADJ 201 - Criminology 3 credits
ADJ 111 - Law Enforcement Organization and Administration I 3 credits Additional Course Options: ADJ 245 .
ADJ 133 - Ethics and the Criminal Justice Professional 3 credits
ADJ 160 - Police Response to Critical Incidents 3 credits
PSY 200 - Principles of Psychology 3 credits
ADJ 211 - Criminal Law, Evidence and Procedures I 3 credits
ADJ 227 - Constitutional Law for Justice Personnel 3 credits Additional Course Options: ADJ 241 .
ADJ 170 - Street Gangs and Law Enforcement 3 credits Approved Course Options: ADJ 228 , ADJ 140 .
ADJ 247 - Criminal Behavior 3 credits
SOC 200 - Introduction to Sociology 3 credits
ADJ 229 - Law Enforcement and the Community 3 credits Additional Course Options: ADJ 145 , ADJ 295 .
ADJ 236 - Principles of Criminal Investigation 3 credits
CST 100 - Principles of Public Speaking 3 credits
PHI 220 - Ethics 3 credits Approved Course Options: REL 100 , REL 230 .
PED 116 - Lifetime Fitness and Wellness 2 credits Approved Course Options: HLT 160 , ENG 112 . 2-3 credits.

Total Minimum Credits to Complete: 60-61

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Pre-requisite and co-requisite requirements can be found in course details.

Students are strongly encouraged to complete their ENG, MTH, and SDV requirements first.

Students with good computer skills may seek to satisfy the ITE 115 requirement by taking the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or the John Tyler Community College ITE 115 Test Challenge Exam.

Students should regularly meet with their faculty advisor and check their degree progress by accessing advisement reports in the Student Information System (SIS) in the myTyler portal or the Academic Planner in Navigate.

To determine eligibility for the Criminal Justice Career Studies Certificate (CSC), students should consult their faculty advisor.

Approved Course Substitutions listed above (ADJ 145 , ADJ 241 , and ADJ 245 ) may be used as an elective if not used as course substitution.