The Associate of Science (AS) Criminal Justice degree is designed for students who plan to transfer and complete a bachelor's degree in criminal justice (or a related field) at specific four-year institutions. It may also be earned as a stand-alone degree for current criminal justice employees or for students who plan to apply for work after the completion of the two-year degree. This degree will satisfy most of the lower division requirements of transfer institutions.
The AS Criminal Justice is articulated with Southern Oregon University (SOU) Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Students following this program of study will have met SOU's lower-division general education requirements, will be assured junior standing within the academic major, and will be eligible for admission to the Criminology and Criminal Justice major. The agreement is based on the evaluation of the rigor and content of the general education and technical courses at both Southwestern and SOU and is subject to a yearly re-evaluation by both schools for continuance.
Students should contact the SOU Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice early in the first year of their AS program to be advised about additional requirements and procedures for admission to the school or program. Students should be aware that if they transfer before completing this degree, their courses will be evaluated individually toward the general education requirements in effect at SOU.
Graduation Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 96 credit hours with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better. All courses in this program must be completed with a grade of 'C' or better. Twenty-four (24) credits must be completed at Southwestern before the AS Criminal Justice degree is awarded.
Courses that are developmental in nature, (designed to prepare students for college transfer courses), are not applicable to this degree.
Complete the graduation application process one term prior to the term of completion (e.g., spring term graduates must apply during winter term).
Pre-Program Courses
Students are required to take the following courses prior to the program courses, depending on students' college placement information. See advisor for details:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CIS90 | Computer Basics (or demonstrate proficiency) | 2 |
| MTH95 | Intermediate Algebra (or placement in higher math course) | 4 |
| WR90R | Academic Literacy (or placement in higher writing course) | 4 |
Program Guide
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| CJ100 | Intro to Criminal Justice | 4 |
| SOC204 | Introduction to Sociology 1 | 3 |
| SP111 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking 2 | 3 |
| WR121 or WR121H |
English Composition or English Composition w/Honors |
3 |
| Specific Elective 3 | 4 | |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Winter | ||
| CJ101 or CJ101H |
Intro to Criminology or Intro to Criminology w/Honors |
4 |
| CJ110 | Intro to Policing | 4 |
| SOC205 | Social Institutions and Change 1 | 3 |
| WR122 or WR122H |
English Composition or English Composition w/Honors |
3 |
| Specific Elective 3 | 4 | |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Spring | ||
| CJ220 | Introduction to Substantive Law | 4 |
| MTH105 | Math in Society (or higher) | 4 |
| SOC206 | Social Problems and Issues 1 | 3 |
| WR123 or WR227 |
English Composition or Report Writing |
3 |
| Specific Elective 3 | 4 | |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CJ222 | Constitutional Law | 4 |
| MTH243 | Intro to Probability and Statistics Statistics | 4 |
| PS201 |
American Government Political Institutions or American Government Policy Issues or Local Politics and Government or Intrnl Relations: US Foreign Policy In The 20Th Century |
3 |
| Health, Wellness, and Fitness 4 | 1 | |
| Specific Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| CIS120 | Concepts of Computing | 4 |
| CJ130 | Corrections an Introduction | 4 |
| Health, Wellness, and Fitness 4 | 1 | |
| Specific Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Specific Elective 6 | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 15-16 | |
| Spring | ||
| CJ247 | Ethics in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| Health, Wellness, and Fitness 4 | 1 | |
| Specific Elective 5 | 3 | |
| Specific Elective 6 | 6-8 | |
| Credits | 13-15 | |
| Total Credits | 96-99 | |
| 1 | Social Science - Specific Elective: recommend SOC204 Introduction to Sociology, SOC205 Social Institutions and Change, or SOC206 Social Problems and Issues. May use any ANTH, SOC, PSY, except 180/280 courses as substitutions. |
| 2 | SP218 Interpersonal Communication or SP219 Small Group Discussion may be substituted for SP111 Fundamentals of Public Speaking. |
| 3 | Science/Mathematics/Computer Science - Specific Elective: Refer to Associate of Science Degree Requirement Science/Mathematics/Computer Science course list. At least two of the courses must have labs. |
| 4 | HE250 Personal Health or PE231 Wellness for Life may be substituted for three (3) credits of PE185 sport/activity courses. |
| 5 | Arts and Letters - Specific Elective: Refer to Associate of Science Degree Requirements. |
| 6 | Specific Electives: Any course with the Criminal Justice (CJ) or Emergency Management (EMT) prefix and HD100 College Success and Survival. |
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program the student will be able to:
- Identify the characteristics of professional integrity and ethical standards for Oregon criminal justice professionals.
- Describe and relate the constitutional rights and responsibilities of citizens, offenders, and victims as they apply to state, federal, and procedural laws.
- Describe the processes and technology used to gather, investigate, manage, and report information in the criminal justice field.
- Identify the legal responsibilities of criminal justice professionals as they relate to cultural diversity and establishing positive community relationships.