Whether you’re interested in working in law enforcement, corrections, court administration or private security or, ultimately, as a lawyer, an associate degree in Criminal Justice from Montco can help you. In our program you'll discover the rewards of public service.
Because Montco meets the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Transfer Agreement Oversight Committee (TAOC), you can seamlessly transfer your credits to schools in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). We will work with you to ensure success in whatever path you choose.
Program outcomes
- Demonstrate an appreciation of and sensitivity toward the ethnic, racial and gender diversity of American society, and an understanding of how these values can be reflected and projected by the criminal justice system;
- Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the functions and roles of all major aspects of the United States criminal justice system in society;
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the cardinal concept of "due process of law" which constitutes the basic standards of fairness and decency that are necessary for the maintenance of free society and 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;
- Identify and analyze the ethical issues that arise in each component of the criminal justice system.
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Program Curriculum
General Education Requirements
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMS 110 or CMS 120 | Speech Communication or Public SpeakingI,O | 3 |
| ENG 101 | English Composition II,W | 3 |
| ENG 115 or ENG 102 | Writing for Technical Communication or English Composition III,W | 3 |
| MAT 106 | Mathematics ApplicationsQ | 3 |
| Elective | Aesthetic Sensibility | 3 |
| Scientific Reasoning Elective | AST 120 or GLG 121 or PHY 120, BIO 121, CHE 121, CHE 151, PHY-21 or PHY 151S | 4 |
Major Requirements
| COURSE ID | TITLE | CREDITS |
|---|---|---|
| CJS 100 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJS 105 | Criminal Law | 3 |
| CJS 107 | Criminal Procedure and Rules of Evidence | 3 |
| CJS 205 | Ethics and the American Criminal Justice SystemE | 3 |
| CJS 220 | Criminology | 3 |
| CJS 235 | Introduction to Juvenile Justice System | 3 |
| CJS 240 | The Correctional Process | 3 |
| CJS Elective | CJS Elective | 3 |
| ESW 245 | Safety and First Aid | 3 |
| HIS 203 | History of the U.S. to 1877C | 3 |
| HIS 205 | History of the U.S. from 1877C | 3 |
| POL 124 | American National Government | 3 |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
Electives
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Elective | Elective | 6 |
Full-time sample course schedule
Semester 1
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJS 100 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJS 105 | Criminal Law | 3 |
| ENG-1O1 | English Composition I | 3 |
| HIS 205 | History of the US from 1877 | 3 |
| CMS 110 or CMS 120 | Introduction to Speech Communication or Public Speaking | 3 |
Semester 2
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJS 107 | Criminal Procedure and Rules of Evidence | 3 |
| CJS 205 | Ethics and the American Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| ENG 115 or ENG 102 | Writing for Technical Communication or English Composition II | 3 |
| ESW 245 | Safety and First Aid | 3 |
| MAT-106A | Mathematics Applications | 3 |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
Semester 3
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Aesthetic Sensibility | Choose 1: ART 111, ART 121, ENG 211, ENG 212, ENG 221, ENG 222, ENG 257, DAN 102, DAN 110, DAN 121, DAN 123, MUS 110 or THA 105 | 3 |
| CJS 220 | Criminology | 3 |
| CORE-SCI | Choose one: AST 120, GLG 121, PHY 120, BIO 121, CHE 121, CHE 151, PHY 121 or PHY 151 | 4 |
| HIS 203 | History of the U.S. to 1877 | 3 |
| Elective | Open Elective | 3 |
Semester 4
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJS 235 | Introduction to the Juvenile Justice System | 3 |
| CJS 240 | The Correctional Process | 3 |
| POL 124 | American National Government | 3 |
| CJS Elective | CJS Elective | 3 |
| Elective | Open Elective | 3 |
Part-time sample course schedule
Semester 1
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJS 100 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| ENG 101 | English Composition I | 3 |
Semester 2
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJS 105 | Criminal Law | 3 |
| ENG 115 or ENG 102 | Writing for Technical Communication or English Composition II | 3 |
Semester 3
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MAT-106A | Mathematics Applications | 3 |
| CMS 110 or CMS 120 | Introduction to Speech Communication or Public Speaking | 3 |
| SOC 101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
Semester 4
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJS 107 | Criminal Procedure and Rules of Evidence | 3 |
| HIS 205 | History of the US from 1877 | 3 |
Semester 5
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJS 205 | Ethics and the American Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| HIS 203 | History of the U.S. to 1877 | 3 |
Semester 6
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Aesthetic Sensibility | ART 111, ART 121, ENG 211, ENG 212, ENG 221, ENG 222, ENG 257, DAN 102, DAN 110, DAN 121, DAN 123, MUS 110 or THA 105 | 3 |
| Scientific Reasoning | AST 120, GLG 121, PHY 120, BIO 121, CHE 121, CHE 151, PHY 121 or PHY 151 | 4 |
Semester 7
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJS 220 | Criminology | 3 |
| CJS Elective | CJS Elective | 3 |
| POL 124 | American National Government | 3 |
Semester 8
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CJS 235 | Introduction to the Juvenile Justice System | 3 |
| CJS 240 | The Correctional Process | 3 |
| Elective | Open Elective | 3 |
Semester 9
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ESW 245 | Safety and First Aid | 3 |
| Elective | Open Elective | 3 |
CJS-100 and CJS-05 are prerequisites for all other CJS courses.
Graduates of accredited Pennsylvania Municipal Police Academies are eligible for articulation of up to 15 credit hours toward the required courses for the AS degree in Criminal Justice.
*See advisor for specific course information/recommendations.
- A Satisfies Aesthetic Sensibility
- C Satisfies Cultural Awareness & Diversity
- E Satisfies Ethical Perspectives
- I Information Literacy is Reinforced
- O Satisfies Oral Communication
- Q Satisfies Quantitative Reasoning
- S Satisfies Scientific Reasoning
- T Satisfies Technological Fluency
- W Satisfies Written Communication
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