Criminal Justice
Description:
The Criminal Justice program provides the education, knowledge, and skills needed to protect the public and work within the law enforcement and criminal justice systems. A sequence of courses is offered to help students 1) establish a knowledge base about Justice, 2) develop a set of professional values and 3) improve skills related to professional activity.
Upon completion of the program, persons already working in a justice setting will substantially enhance their knowledge, values and skills. Students will also be prepared to transfer to a four-year institution or to enter a justice setting at an entry level.
Students completing the Criminal Justice program will be prepared to work as state or municipal police officers/troopers, state or municipal corrections officers, parole and probation officers, private security managers, private investigators, homeland security investigators/screeners and youth detention counselors.
Digital Investigation Proficiency Certificate:
Please note that by selecting specific classes in the Criminal Justice program, students are able to earn a proficiency certificate in digital investigation that will provide them with an understanding of digital investigation, including fundamentals of crime scene investigation, chain of custody, and constitutional concerns relating to admissibility of evidence at trial. Through completion of this certificate, students will learn how to recover digital evidence in a legally defensible manner in criminal investigations.
Philadelphia Police Officers and Correctional Officers:
Persons who have graduated from the Philadelphia Police Academy may be eligible to receive academic credit for Justice 101, Justice 151, Justice 221, Justice 241 and Justice 261. Graduates of the Philadelphia Correctional Training Center may be eligible to receive credit for Justice 235 and BHHS 241.
Program Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this program graduates will be able to:
- Identify the foundation, structure and components of the contemporary criminal justice system.
- Identify and analyze the core principles, practices and skills required for a successful career in criminal justice.
- Describe and evaluate the role of the criminal justice concepts of reasonable suspicion, probable cause and proof beyond a reasonable doubt from interrogation, arrest, prosecution and conviction.
- Describe the legal concept of juvenile delinquency including the traits and social characteristics that are the common correlates of delinquent behavior, explaining the difference between the juvenile process and procedures and the adult processes and procedures.
- Analyze the role of ethical principles and behavior that permeate multiple aspects of the criminal justice system.
- Observe, interact with, and participate in the criminal justice system through multiple experiential learning opportunities.
Program Entry Requirements:
All students interested in the Criminal Justice field may enroll in this curriculum. Those identified as needing developmental coursework must satisfactorily complete the appropriate English and mathematics courses as part of their degree program.
Program of Study and Graduation Requirements:
To qualify for the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Criminal Justice, the student must complete a minimum of 60 prescribed credit hours and attain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 ("C" average).
Course Sequence:
Semester 1
| Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Number and Name FYE 101 - First Year Experience | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
| Course Number and Name ENGL 101 - English Composition I or ENGL 101H - English Composition I (Honors) | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. Writing/Research/Info Lit 1 |
| Course Number and Name JUS 101 - Survey of Criminal Justice | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. Cultural Analysis & Interpretation |
| Course Number and Name SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology or SOC 101H - Introduction to Sociology (Honors) | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
| Course Number and Name JUS 131: Technology in Criminal Justice | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. Technological Competency |
Semester 2
| Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Number and Name ENGL 102 - The Research Paper or ENGL 102H - The Research Paper (Honors) | Prerequisites and Corequisites ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. Writing/Research/Info Lit 2 |
| Course Number and Name PSYC 101 - Introduction to Psychology or PSYC 101H - 101H Introduction to Psychology (Honors) or PSYC 222 - Forensic Psychology | Prerequisites and Corequisites For PSYC 222: JUS 101 or PSYC 101 and ENGL 101 | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
| Course Number and Name JUS 122 - Race and Justice | Prerequisites and Corequisites JUS 101 or PLS 101 | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
| Course Number and Name MATH 150 - Introductory Data Analysis or FNMT 118 - Intermediate Algebra | Prerequisites and Corequisites FNMT 017 or FNMT 019 completed or FNMT 118 (or higher) placement | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. Quantitative Reasoning |
| Course Number and Name JUS 171 - Juvenile Justice | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
Semester 3
| Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Number and Name JUS 241 - Criminal Law | Prerequisites and Corequisites JUS 101 or PLS 101 | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
| Course Number and Name JUS 191 - Victimology and Trauma | Prerequisites and Corequisites JUS 101, which may be taken concurrently | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
| Course Number and Name Criminal Justice Elective (choose one): any Criminal Justice course (JUS) and/or DF 101 - Introduction to Digital Forensics | Prerequisites and Corequisites For JUS courses: JUS 101 | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
| Course Number and Name BIOL 104 - Forensic Biology or EASC 111 - Environmental Conservation or EASC 111H - Environmental Conservation (Honors) | Prerequisites and Corequisites FNMT 118 or MATH 118 (or higher) placement | Credits 3 or 4 credits | Gen Ed Req. Scientific Reasoning |
| Course Number and Name ENGL 115 - Public Speaking or ENGL 116 - Interpersonal Communication or ENGL 118 - Intercultural Communication | Prerequisites and Corequisites ENGL 101, which may be taken concurrently | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. Oral Communication/Creative Expression |
Semester 4
| Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Number and Name JUS 291 - Contemporary Issues in Justice | Prerequisites and Corequisites JUS 101, JUS 171, JUS 241 | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
| Course Number and Name POLS 111 - American Government or POLS 111H - American Government (Honors) or BHHS 121 - Addiction Studies or DF 201 - Digital Forensics II** or BLAS 101 - Introduction to Black Studies or World Language | Prerequisites and Corequisites For DF 201: DF 101 | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
| Course Number and Name Criminal Justice Elective (choose two): JUS 298 - Criminal Justice Internship or any Criminal Justice course (JUS) and/or DF 101 - Introduction to Digital Forensics* | Prerequisites and Corequisites For JUS courses: JUS 101 For JUS 298: JUS 241 and permission of department head | Credits 6 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
| Course Number and Name SOC 215 - Criminology | Prerequisites and Corequisites SOC 101 or ANTH 112 | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
Notes:
* Students enrolled in the Digital Investigation Proficiency Certificate should select DF 101, JUS 261 and JUS 221 as their electives.
** Students enrolled in the Digital Investigation Proficiency Certificate should select DF 201.
Minimum Credits Needed to Graduate:
60Criminal Justice Course Electives:
JUS 105 - Introduction to Corporate and Homeland Security
JUS 121 - Legal Issues in Justice and Human Services
JUS 151 - Police Operations
JUS 181 - Community Relations
JUS 201 - Introduction to Terrorism
JUS 221 - Criminal Investigation
JUS 235 - American Correctional Institutions
JUS 237 - Community-Based Corrections
JUS 251 - Comparative Police Systems
JUS 261 - Criminal Evidence and Procedure
JUS 281 - Organized Crime
JUS 298 - Criminal Justice Internship
General Education Requirements:
All general education requirements necessary for graduation are met through the courses in the program as indicated above. Students who wish to take courses that differ from the general education courses indicated above must complete a course substitution request form. To access the form, login to the MyCCP portal, and in the Student tab, under Electronic Forms, click on the Records and Registration Forms link, then choose Request For Course Substitution Of Graduation Requirement link. A more detailed explanation of the College's general education requirements is also available.
For More Information, Contact:
The Division of Liberal Studies, Room BR-21, 1700 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, Telephone (215) 751-8450; or the College Information Center (215) 751-8010.