Associate in Science
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Criminal Justice
Professions open to a criminal justice major include law enforcement, corrections, probation and parole, juvenile offender programs, private security, federal and state government agencies, and with additional training, the legal profession. The criminal justice curriculum listed below is designed for transfer to a four-year institution although many of the individual courses can be used to meet continuing education requirement in law enforcement and related fields.
To earn an Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice a student must have completed successfully at least twelve hours of Criminal Justice and/or closely related courses. The Social Science Department faculty strongly recommends the curriculum suggested below. Criminal justice electives may be selected from the list beneath the "Suggested Curriculum." Consult closely with your academic advisor in planning your schedule of study.
| Faculty |
| Rex Morrell, History Instructor & Social Science Chair |
| Rebecca Henthorn, Psychology, Sociology & Behavioral Sciences Program Chair |
| Kirk Rodden, Government, History & Criminal Justice Program Chair |
| Buddy Jones, History & Government Internet Courses |
| Richard Owens, Geography, U.S. History, Psychology, Sociology |
Freshman Year |
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| First Semester | Cr | Second Semester | Cr |
| ORI 1011 New Student Orientation | 1 | ENG 1213 English Comp II | 3 |
| ENG 1113 English Comp I | 3 | PE 1112 Personal Health or | |
| CJ 1113 Intro Criminal Justice® | 3 | PE 2212 First Aid | 2 |
| HST 1483 United States History to 1865 or | SOC 1113 Introduction to Sociology | 3 | |
| HST 1493 United States History s.1865 | 3 | GVT 1113 American Federal Govt | 3 |
| CHM 1114 General Chemistry I | 4 | BIO 1114 General Biological Science | 4 |
| CIS 1113 Computer Concepts & Applic.or | |||
| CIS 2113 Computer Applic. Packages | 3 | ||
| Total Hours | 16 | Total Hours | 15 |
Sophomore Year |
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| First Semester | Cr | Second Semester | Cr |
| PSY 1113 Introduction to Psychology | 3 | MTH 1513 College Algebra | 3 |
| SPC 1113 Fundamentals of Speech | 3 | HUM 1113 Integrated Humanities | 3 |
| HST 1423 World Civilization to 1715 or | SPA 1115 Beginning Spanish I | 3 | |
| HST 1433 World Civilization since 1715 | 3 | Criminal Justice Elective | 3 |
| CJ 2323 Criminal Law® | 3 | Criminal Justice Elective | 3 |
| Criminal Justice Elective | 3 | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | Total Hours | 15 |
Criminal Justice Electives (Consult with your academic advisor concerning elective choices): |
CJ 1113 -- Introduction to Criminal Justice.
Prerequisite: None.
An examination of the historical and social development of and contemporary practices related to the major components of the U.S. criminal justice system: law enforcement, the courts and corrections; and their role in a democratic society. Three lecture hours per week. Credit: Three semester hours.
CJ 1433 -- Introduction to Law.
Prerequisite: None.
This course is designed to provide the student with the foundation upon which to commence legal studies. The course should be taken before the student takes any law-related course, but it may be taken in conjunction with Legal Research (BM 1843). This course will include an analysis of the following items: legal terms, state and federal court systems, civil and criminal actions, appeal process, functions of county offices, filing procedures and ethics. This course will require the student to conduct an exploration of the various parts of the legal system so as to understand their nature, function and interrelationship. This course is presented in a lecture format, and testing will be based upon an objective format, though some components will be written/essay assignments. The student will be required to demonstrate a working knowledge of the materials covered in the course. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.
CJ 1483 -- Legal Research.
Prerequisite: None.
This course prepares the student to use a law library. Other areas covered help to explain the use, function and purpose of each type of legal publication; utilize proper methods of citing references; research legal problems; prepare individual case briefs, legal memoranda, a legal bibliography on legal research problems; accurately research reported cases; commit the findings of legal research to clear precise writing; and prepare appellate briefs in accordance with applicable court rules. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.
CJ 2323 -- Criminal Law.
Prerequisite: CJ 1113.
This course is an examination of the basic concepts of the theory of substantive criminal law including sources, classification of crimes, anticipatory offenses, parties to crime, uncompleted crimes, criminal liability, and defenses. Three lecture hours per week. Credit: Three semester hours.
CJ 2433 -- Domestic Relations.
Prerequisite for Criminal Justice Major: CJ 1113.
Prerequisite for Business Management Legal Option Major: CJ 1433.
This course examines the laws of divorce, annulment, separate maintenance actions, and a review of various juvenile problems including adoption, custody and delinquency. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.
CJ 2443 -- Criminal Procedures.
Prerequisite: CJ 1113 or CJ 1433.
This course is an examination of the rules, principles, and concepts governing the enforcement of arrest, search and seizure primarily focusing on the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments to the United States Constitution. Three lecture hours per week. Credit: Three semester hours.
CJ 2810 -- Special Problems in Criminal Justice.
Prerequisite: Approval of program chairman.
This course is designed for independent study regarding special problems in criminal justice. May be taken more than once. Credit varies from one to four hours.