Criminal Justice
Associate in Applied Science Degree
Program Director: James Tully
Academic Advisor(s): WH-Poffenberger; WT-Tully; NM-Britt
The Criminal Justice program is designed for students interested in pursuing a career in the legal professions such as law enforcement, law, corrections and private investigation. Students will learn how these professions integrate into a system of criminal justice.
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
• Read substantive and procedural case law with an understanding of how they impact law enforcement, juvenile justice and the correctional systems
• Develop computer skills in the areas of Internet investigation, research and electronic messaging
• Have familiarity with the inner workings of agencies on the local, state and federal levels that comprise our nation’s criminal justice systems
• Have an understanding of basic law enforcement investigative techniques, crime scene preservation and analysis
• Have an understanding of the principles of homeland security, international threats, and terrorism
• Have an understanding of the expanded security needs and principles of security in the 21st century
• Understand the rights of the accused from arrest to post conviction appeals and how law enforcement, court and correctional personnel function to balance individual rights and the need to protect society, convict the guilty and humanely punish as well as rehabilitate the offender.
Enforcement of laws is a necessary but costly and labor intensive endeavor as evidenced by the hundreds of thousands of uniquely trained individuals employed within the numerous agencies that comprise a local, state or federal criminal justice system. Ranging from a Supreme Court justice to a local law enforcement officer, there are thousands of jobs from which to choose.
Currently many graduates of the Criminal Justice program are employed in the West Virginia State Police and Ohio State Highway Patrol agencies as well as in various law enforcement agencies in the Upper Ohio Valley. Many graduates are working in the correctional field as correctional officers, adult and juvenile case workers and as treatment specialists both in the public and private domain.
Future employment opportunities, according to experts in the field of criminal justice, will continue to grow at the federal, state and local levels. New positions
include computer analysts specializing in Internet crimes, forensic technicians and criminal profilers.
After completing the associate degree at West Virginia Northern Community College, graduates may transfer to a baccalaureate program. Some WVNCC graduates have continued on to enroll in master’s and doctoral programs.
First Year - Fall Semester
Course
|
Cr. Hours |
| CIT 117 Microsoft Applications |
3 |
| CRJ 104 Introduction to Criminal Justice Systems |
3 |
| CRJ 125 Terrorism in the 21st Century |
3 |
| ENG 101 College Composition I |
3 |
| SOC 125 Introduction to Sociology |
3 |
First Year - Spring Semester
| Course |
Cr. Hours |
| CRJ 245 Introduction to Juvenile Justice System |
3 |
| ENG 102 College Composition II |
3 |
| PSYC 105 Introduction to Psychology |
3 |
SPCH 101 Interpersonal Communication*
or
SPCH 105 Fundamentals of Speech Communication |
3 |
| Restricted Elective ## |
3-4 |
Second Year - Fall Semester
| Course |
Cr. Hours |
| CRJ 201 Introduction to Corrections |
3 |
| CRJ 220 Criminal Law |
3 |
| POLS 102 American National Government and Politics |
3 |
| SOC 276 Criminology |
3 |
| Restricted Elective## |
3 |
Second Year - Spring Semester
| Course |
Cr. Hours
|
| CRJ 235 Field Service |
3 |
| CRJ 251 Problems in Criminal Justice |
3 |
| CRJ 270 Principles of Homeland Security |
3 |
MATH 108 College Algebra with Applications
or
MATH 210 Introduction to Statistics |
4
(3) |
| Elective |
3 |
Total Hours in Program – 60-62
## Choose from: CRJ 110, CRJ 115, CRJ 175, CRJ 205,
CRJ 206, CRJ 209, CRJ 246
Students interested in pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice should consult their advisor as well as the four-year institution they intend to transfer to in order to determine other specific requirements.
* Students who plan to transfer to a baccalaureate institution should take SPCH 105 rather than SPCH 101.
