Associate of Science in Criminal Justice Overview

The need for well-trained law enforcement and security professionals is growing. If you're someone who feels a deep responsibility to help others—and to give back to your community—consider beginning your career by pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice.

The Associate of Science (AS) in Criminal Justice program online at South University can help you to pursue your educational and professional goals – enabling you to combine your professional opportunities with the chance to make the world a safer place. If you want to begin or further develop your career in law enforcement, security or corrections, we may have the degree for you.

At every level, the courses in South University’s online AS in Criminal Justice program have been developed by professionals in the field to bring you real-world insight into police, corrections, court and security operations – and more! Whether you are already working in law enforcement or just beginning to enter the field, our Associate of Science in Criminal Justice online degree program provides students with a strong academic foundation for transfer into the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program.

Graduates with Criminal Justice degrees commonly enter professions including:

• Airport Security
• Bailiff
• Body Guard
• Computer Forensics
• Corrections Officer
• Cyber Crime
• Law Enforcement
• Police Officer
• Private Security

Employment Opportunities

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “Employment of police and detectives is expected to grow 10 percent over the 2008–18 decade.” "Overall opportunities in local police departments will be excellent for individuals who meet the psychological, personal, and physical qualifications." "There will be more competition for jobs in Federal and State law enforcement agencies than for jobs in local agencies.” “Education requirements range from a high school diploma to a college degree or higher." “Applicants usually must have at least a high school education, and some departments require 1 or 2 years of college coursework or, in some cases, a college degree.” “Federal agencies require a bachelor's degree, related work experience, or a combination of the two.”

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Police and Detectives, on the internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos160.htm.

Academic Requirements

To be admitted to any of the programs at South University online programs, the prospective student must be a high school graduate from an acceptable high school or the equivalent (e.g. GED) with a minimum CGPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, and be required to complete the University administered placement test during their first session of attendance, or meet the criteria established for acceptance as a transfer student. South University accepts the International Baccalaureate Program diploma as meeting the requirement for high school graduation.

Associate of Science in Criminal Justice - 92 Total Hours

Students pursuing the general study Associate of Science in Criminal Justice degree are required to take a total of 23 courses as follows:

• 10 general education courses - 40 credits
• 5 foundation courses - 20 credits
• 8 major courses - 32 credits

 

Acceptance into a South University Criminal Justice program or its completion does not imply or guarantee that a student will be able to obtain employment in the law enforcement, corrections, probation/parole, or related fields. The student should contact the national, state, or local agency/institution in which the student intends to gain employment for specific requirements and the application process.

General Education Curriculum - 40 Credits
Students are required to take 10 general education courses as follows:

Professional Development - 8 Credits
Students are required to take 2 professional development courses as follows:

ITS1000 - Computer and Internet Literacy

This course is for students to obtain basic knowledge and skills in using computer office production software and internet features. A broad range of software applications, such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and internet usage concepts will be covered. Students will also use computer and communications technology to develop information literacy skills.

Prerequisite(s): None

Credits: 4

UVC1000 - Strategies for Success

Designed to help entering students develop a more effective approach to college success, this course emphasizes positive self-evaluation, goal-setting, and motivation; practical skills of successful students; effective use of the library and the many sources of information available; and the concepts and tools of critical thinking, and their applications.

Prerequisite(s): None

Credits: 4

Basics Communications - 16 Credits
Students are required to take 4 basic communications courses as follows:

ENG1001 - Composition I

Students will be introduced to college-level writing processes, including theme, composition, and research. Emphasis will be placed on refining individual skills, writing styles and voices, and on writing procedures. Selected readings in prose, drama, and poetry supplement the course and provide topics for discussion and writing assignments.

Prerequisite(s): ENG0099 or Exemption

Credits: 4

ENG1002 - Composition II / Literature

This course is designed to introduce the student to fiction, poetry, and drama and, through literary analysis and interpretation, to develop the life skills of critical thinking and written expression.

Prerequisite(s): ENG1001

Credits: 4

ENG2001 - Composition III

The goal of this course is to refine the student's reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. By analyzing ineffective arguments and constructing effective ones, the student will discover how ambiguity, evasiveness, vagueness, and obscurity weaken his or her credibility as a writer.

Prerequisite(s): ENG1001

Credits: 4

SPC1026 - Public Speaking

Students will develop and refine presentation skills focusing on compiling, organizing and outlining the research material in preparation for the assignments.

Prerequisite(s): None

Credits: 4

Mathematics and Statistics - 4 Credits
Students are required to take 1 mathematics and statistics course as follows:

MAT1001 - Intermediate Algebra

Concepts of algebra including linear and quadratic equations, polynomials, exponents, logarithms and functions. Emphasis on graphical representations of functions. This course is designed to build an adequate background for the college-level mathematics, science and business courses.

Prerequisite(s): and ENG1001 Co/Pre-Requisite MAT0099 or Exemption

Credits: 4

Natural Sciences - 4 Credits
Students are required to take 1 natural sciences course as follows:

CHM1010_S - Chemistry (11- week course)

CHM1010 is a survey course of general chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry. Fundamental concepts and principles will be presented including atomic theory, bonding, nomenclature, solutions, acids and bases, and an introduction to organic chemistry and biochemistry. Emphasis will be placed on the application of these topics in various health fields. This overview provides the health-care worker the ability to appreciate physiological and therapeutic processes at the molecular level. The course will also explore the role of chemistry in society today by applying a problem solving approach to understanding chemistry.

Prerequisite(s): MAT 1001 or MAT1002 with a C or better

Credits: 4

Arts and Humanities - 4 Credits
Students are required to take 1 arts and humanities course as follows:

PHI2301 - Introduction to Philosophy

This course introduces students to critical philosophical thinking. Students will confront fundamental questions of self and identity, of freedom and determinism, of belief and truth, and of ethics and morality. Critical thinking activities will challenge students to incorporate philosophy into their daily lives by applying the questions of philosophy to themselves and their world. As a methodology, this course will use the specifics of current events in the world to give a concrete context for the philosophic topics covered in the study materials.

Prerequisite(s): ENG1002 or ENG2001

Credits: 4

Social and Behavioral Sciences - 4 Credits
Students are required to take 1 social and behavioral sciences course as follows:

PSY1001 - General Psychology

The fundamental questions guiding this course are relatively simple. In what ways are we all alike and in what ways are we different? And why? Although these questions may be simple, the answers, as we shall see, are complex, interconnected, and too often invisible to the untrained eye. Different families... different backgrounds...different sexes... different cultures...different ethnic groups...different ways of looking at things...different behaviors...different values—how are we to understand this incredible diversity of human experience so that we can navigate successfully in an increasingly chaotic and shrinking world? The intent of this course is to examine the psychological foundations underlying the identity of the "self," "identity" and "world view" in an effort to understand the differences that exist from culture to culture, from generation to generation, from family to family, from profession to profession, and from individual to individual.

Prerequisite(s): None

Credits: 4

Foundation Curriculum - 20 Credits
Students are required to take 5 foundation courses as follows:

BIO1020 - Biology I

Principles of Biology I is the first in a two-course sequence in biology. The course introduces biology, scientific methods, biological chemistry, cells, energy for life, basic genetics, and biotechnology. The course also compares human and plant organization and function. The student will also complete writing assignments that will introduce the student to scientific literature.

Prerequisite(s): and ENG1001 Co/Pre-Requisite MAT0099

Credits: 4

MAT1500 - College Mathematics

College Mathematics covers the fundamentals of several areas of mathematics, including set theory, logic, geometry, graph theory, probability, and statistics.

Prerequisite(s): MAT0099

Credits: 4

MAT2058 - Statistics

This course introduces the student to fundamental laws of probability, levels of measurement, measures of central tendency and variance, random variables, hypothesis testing, correlation, regression, small sample techniques and non-parametric methods.

Prerequisite(s):
MAT1005, or MAT1001 and MAT1500

Credits: 4

POL2076 - American Government

This course is an introduction to American politics and government, focusing on political processes and institutions and on contemporary political issues.

Prerequisite(s):

Credits: 4

SOC1001 - Introduction to Sociology

This course, a scientific study of human social activity, will provide the student with a new way of looking at the world. In learning about the sociological perspective, the student will be challenged to see the general in the particular, the strange in the familiar, and the importance of the global perspective.

Prerequisite(s): None

Credits: 4

Major Curriculum - 32 Credits
Students are required to take 8 major courses as follows:

CRJ1101 - Introduction to Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement

This course is intended to be an overview of the various facets of the criminal justice system and an in-depth look at contemporary policing in the United States. Emphasis will be placed on crime information, the processing of offenders, the criminal justice system and subsystems (and how they interrelate), and punishment and its alternatives. Additionally, the course explores the principles of policing, history of police, police administration, and police operations. The overall goal of the course is to acquaint students with the operation of the criminal justice system and law enforcement in the United States and to provide an appreciation for the diverse values and viewpoints that make up that system.

Prerequisite(s): None

Credits: 4

CRJ1102 - Introduction to Criminal Courts and Corrections

This course provides a comprehensive look at the criminal court system and the correctional system in the United States and the interaction of the actors within these systems. Students will focus on the roles of prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys and the dynamics of their interactions as well as all aspects of corrections, including probation and parole.

Prerequisite(s): None

Credits: 4

CRJ2002 - Criminal Law

This course will introduce students to the fundamental nature of law, give them an overview of general legal principles, and help them develop an understanding of the historical development of criminal law and its contemporary form and function in U.S. society.

Prerequisite(s):

Credits: 4

CRJ2003 - Juvenile Justice System

This course is a comprehensive look at the history, current state and future of juvenile justice system in America. The course will focus on juvenile justice system programs, processes, and prevention programs and will connect theory to practice.

Prerequisite(s): None

Credits: 4

CRJ2004 - Ethics in Criminal Justice

This course examines ethical issues faced by actors in the criminal justice system. The focus will be placed on the philosophical and practical approaches to solve ethical dilemmas within the complicated criminal justice system.

Prerequisite(s): CRJ1001 or CRJ1101 and CRJ1102

Credits: 4

CRJ2006 - Criminal Procedures

This course will cover the legal aspects of police investigatory practices, criminal procedure law, and constitutional cases as they pertain to the criminal justice system. Focus will be on U.S. Supreme Court cases and lower court cases setting out the requirements for arrest, search and seizure, confessions, and pretrial identifications, students develop a comprehensive understanding of the legal rights, duties, and liabilities of criminal justice professionals.

Prerequisite(s): None

Credits: 4

CRJ2065 - Introduction to Police Organizations

This course covers current research and theory in policing and provides comprehensive presentation of police operations, patrol techniques, cultural diversity, and changes in police administration policy.

Prerequisite(s): CRJ1101 CRJ1102

Credits: 4

EDM2010 - Fundamentals of Emergency and Disaster Management

This course provides students with fundamental knowledge of emergency and disaster management. Students examine the historical context for emergency and disaster management, then explore topics such as risk assessment, preparedness, mitigation, recovery, and communications. Topics also include emergency and disaster management in the international domain as well as approaches to terror threats.

Prerequisite(s): None

Credits:

Developmental Courses

Placement tests in Algebra and English are administered to determine if a student needs additional preparation in either of these areas.  If a need is indicated, accepted applicants are placed in developmental courses on the basis of their entrance/placement test scores and/or transfer credit.  Students must successfully complete or place out of developmental courses in order to progress in the program. Developmental course credits do not count towards the total number of credits for graduation however, they do count in determining the maximum time frame and incremental completion rate calculations.

ENG0099 - Principles of Composition

Principles of Composition provides students with a brief review of grammar and mechanics, and an in-depth introduction to writing. The focus is on writing as a process, finding and organizing ideas, composing a first draft, and rewriting subsequent drafts and proofreading.

Prerequisite(s): None

Credits: 4

MAT0099 - Principles of Algebra

This course introduces those principles of algebra that are needed for intermediate and college algebra. Students must earn the grade of C to pass this course. Note: This course is offered for institutional credit only.

Prerequisite(s): None

Credits: 4

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