Criminal Justice (A.S.)

Study criminal justice at JCC

Directly influence how crimes are brought to light and justice is delivered. A degree in Criminal Justice from Jamestown Community College prepares you for careers in law enforcement, the courts, and corrections through classroom work and field experience.

Criminal justice is the process of how crimes are solved, mysteries are explained, and people are protected. Lead the front lines as a police officer or dispatcher. Take on a case as a crime scene investigator or forensic scientist. Be a voice of justice in the court systems as a defense attorney, prosecutor, or victim advocate. Work directly with those who need your help most as a counselor, case worker, or psychologist.

The A.S. degree prepares you for transfer to continue coursework in criminal justice and pursue careers in local, county, state, tribal, and federal agencies, as well as non-government organizations. You can also apply to the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Academy, which offers you opportunities in sheriff and police departments and agencies.

JCC’s Criminal Justice program is highly recognized and has consistently excellent enrollment. Many local officials in law enforcement earned their degree from JCC.

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Where You Can Work

Sheriff’s department, state and local police, FBI
Legal system and courts
Social service agencies
Private companies

Job Roles

With advanced education: lawyer, private investigator, forensic psychologist
After JCC graduation: law enforcement, probation, corrections

Get Involved

Related Majors

Criminal Justice: Police (A.A.S.)
Corrections Officer Technology (certificate)
Homeland Security (A.S.)
Law Enforcement Technology (certificate)
Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Academy

Future in criminal justice

As a graduate of the Criminal Justice program, you’ll leave ready for a career in local, county, state, tribal, and federal agencies, as well as non-government organizations.

Our alumni have worked at the local and regional level in county sheriff’s departments, state police, Seneca Nation marshals, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation police. They have also worked with the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

You can also continue your studies in the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Academy. The academy’s training program provides successful graduates with up to 45 college credits and a certificate of completion from the New York State Certified Basic Police Training Course, which is a legal requirement for municipal police officers in New York.

Law Enforcement	Courts	Corrections
Patrol officer Sheriff's deputy Investigator Dispatcher Federal agent Administrator Crime scene investigator Forensic scientist	Prosecutor Defense attorney Judge Bailiff Court clerk Court reporter Victim advocate	Corrections officer Probation officer Parole officer Counselor Warden/superintendent Psychologist/psychiatrist Case worker Vocational/academic teacher

Courses

Minimum program credit hours: 60

Program Codes

Degree Option: Associate in Science Degree
Hegis Code: 5505
Curriculum Code: 1100

General Requirements	27 credit hours	Degree Requirements Met

Humanities	9	SUNY	LAS	JCC
ENG 1530: English Composition II	3	BCOM	H	CENG
ENG 1540: Writing About Literature	3	HUMA	H	CWRT, VEDP
Humanities Electives Up to 3 credits may need to be SUNY General Education-category specific.	3	(X)	H
Social Sciences	9
PSY 1510: General Psychology or SOC 1510: Introduction to Sociology	3	SOSC	S	SR, (VEDP)
Social Science Electives Up to 6 credits may need to be SUNY General Education-category specific.	6	(X-X)	S
Mathematics/Sciences	9
Mathematics Electives (college level) 3 credits must be SUNY General Education-category specific.	3	MATH	N	CMAT
Mathematics and Sciences Electives Up to 6 credits may need to be SUNY General Education-category specific.	6	(X-X)	N

Core Requirements	21 credit hours	Degree Requirements Met

Core Courses	3	SUNY	LAS	JCC
CRI 1510: Introduction to Criminal Justice	3		S
Core Electives	18	SUNY	LAS	JCC
At least 9 CRI credits numbered 2000 or higher and at least 2 of the following courses must be taken:
CRI 1320: Introduction to Law Enforcement	3
CRI 1520: Introduction to Corrections	3
CRI 2530: Criminal Law	3
SOC 2560: Criminology	3

Electives	12 credit hours	Degree Requirements Met

Up to 9 credits may need to be SUNY General Education-category specific.

Important Points

Recommended mathematics and sciences electives include MAT 1540, CSC 1510, and CRI 2540.
Criminal justice electives should be selected with career goals in mind. Working closely with the academic advisor will help assure the correct mix of electives.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the broad components (duties and responsibilities) of the criminal justice system, i.e. the police, courts, and corrections.
Analyze the interactions of police, courts, and corrections within the criminal justice system.
Communicate effectively, in oral and written form, their understanding and analyses of crime and justice issues as they apply their knowledge to real-world problems and questions.
Identify the different stages of the criminal justice process.

Print course requirements