Criminal Justice, Corrections Concentration, AAS

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The Criminal Justice program prepares students for a career in such areas as law enforcement, corrections, security and juvenile justice. The program allows students to choose either an AA or AAS degree. All students must complete the basic Criminal Justice requirements, then select other Criminal Justice classes in areas of primary interest.

NOTE: Students who have a criminal background history may make it through the program, but it is NOT likely that they will find employment in the Criminal Justice field, and students with a criminal history may NOT be eligible for an internship, which is required for the AAS degree.

For more information about the Criminal Justice program, please visit our website at www.dmacc.edu/programs/criminaljustice.

Location: Ankeny

Selected courses in this program are offered at other campuses.

Program Entry Requirements

Complete an application for admission.
Satisfy the assessment requirement.
Attend any required information/registration session.

Students start any semester.

Graduation Requirements

To earn a Criminal Justice AA or AAS degree, a student must complete the standard core requirements for the degree, plus the Criminal Justice required courses and options and maintain a 2.0 grade point average.

Required Courses

Semester 1

CRJ 100 - Intro to Criminal Justice Credits: 3
CRJ 109 - Theories of Interviewing Credits: 3
Select 2 courses from AAS General Degree Requirements Credits: 6
Select 1 course from Option Courses Credits: 3

Semester 2

CRJ 238 - Corrections & Constitutional Law Credits: 3
CRJ 229 - Penology Credits: 3
Select 3 courses from AAS General Degree Requirements Credits: 9
Select 1 course from Option Courses Credits: 3

Semester 3

CRJ 222 - Correctional Treatment Credits: 3
SOC 200 - Minority Group Relations Credits: 3
Select 2 courses from AAS General Degree Requirements Credits: 6
Select 1 course from Option Courses Credits: 3

Semester 4

CRJ 932 - Internship Credits: 3
Select 2 courses from AAS General Degree Requirements Credits: 6
Select 3 courses from Option Courses (one must be a 1-credit course) Credits: 7

AAS General Degree Requirements (mentioned above) are as follows:

Communications Credits: 3
Social & Behavioral Sciences/Humanities Credits:3
Math or Science Credits: 3
Distributed Credits: 3
Criminal Justice Students Must Complete Additional Credits from Any of the Four Areas Above Credits: 15

Option Courses-Select 16 Credits

Students are strongly encouraged to talk to a full-time Criminal Justice instructor about which option courses and general education courses to take. Other CRJ courses may be eligible for use as option courses with department chair approval. Please consult chair prior to registering for those courses.

CRJ 107 - Survey Crim Justice Credits: 3
CRJ 128 - Victimology Credits: 3
CRJ 137 - Juvenile Law Credits: 3
CRJ 179 - White Collar Crime Credits: 1
CRJ 195 - Crime Scene Investigation Credits: 4
CRJ 264 - Effective Courtroom Testimony Credits: 1
CRJ 292 - Police Phys Fitness & Condition Credits: 1
CRJ 293 - Crim Justice Report Writing Credits: 1
CRJ 330 - Forensic Photography I Credits: 1
SOC 240 - Criminology Credits: 3