Montgomery County Community College

Criminal Justice AAS

Purpose

The Criminal Justice Program is designed to prepare students for careers in the criminal justice field by providing them with the necessary knowledge of the subject field, professional skills and state-of-the-art techniques necessary for a successful career. Some possible career paths and job categories include: municipal law enforcement (both "sworn" and "unsworn" positions); sheriffs' departments; technical support positions with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, and in preparation toward both uniformed and non-uniformed investigative and enforcement positions; criminal intelligence analyst; forensics technician; court administration technician; preparatory pre-law; private security; gaming security.

The curriculum integrates theory and practice for the development of the individual along with sound philosophical insights for understanding society and the ideals of the United States system of justice. The curriculum offers the opportunity for professional and educational growth to practicing criminal justice personnel. Our Criminal Justice program fosters the advancement of knowledge and professionalism in the United States legal system.

Program Objectives

• demonstrate a thorough understanding of the functions and roles of all major aspects of the United States criminal justice system in society.
• develop an historical perspective of the principles, theories, and problems inherent in each component of the United States criminal justice system (law enforcement, courts, corrections).
• demonstrate an understanding of the constitutional underpinnings, theory, and structure of our body of criminal law, procedure, and the rules of evidence.
• demonstrate a firm grasp of the constitutional constraints under which police and prosecutors must operate in a free society, and the reasoning behind these limitations.
• demonstrate a working knowledge of state-of-the-art investigative and analytical methodologies.
• identify and analyze the ethical issues that arise in each component of the criminal justice system.

Curriculum

First Semester

Second Semester

Third Semester

Fourth Semester

TOTAL SEMESTER HOURS CREDIT: 62-64

CJS 100 and CJS 105 must be taken prior to all other CJS courses.

Graduates of accredited Pennsylvania Municipal Police Academies are eligible for articulation of up to 19 credit hours into the required courses for the AAS degree in Criminal Justice. For further information contact the Program Director.

Students are encouraged to take MAT 106 or higher if they are planning to transfer.