Criminal Justice Transfer Major - AA

The Criminal Justice Program is a Guided Pathway designed to allow graduates to transfer to four-year institutions to earn a Bachelor's Degree.

The Associate of Arts Degree is awarded upon successful completion of program requirements.

Curriculum Sequence

Fall Semester I Course Title Credit
CRJ-100 INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3
ENG-105 COMPOSITION I 3
POL-111 AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT 3
SDV-108 THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE 1
SOC-110 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY 3
SOC-230 JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 3
Semester Total: 16
Spring Semester I Course Title Credit
CRJ-130 CRIMINAL LAW 3
ENG-106 COMPOSITION II 3
MAT-156 STATISTICS 3
SCI-123 FORENSIC SCIENCE 4
SOC-240 CRIMINOLOGY 3
Semester Total: 16
Fall Semester II Course Title Credit
CRJ-120 INTRODUCTION TO CORRECTIONS 3
CRJ-132 CONSTITUTIONAL LAW 3
CRJ-141 CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION 3
HUM-114 MULTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVES 3
PHS-185 INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SCIENCE 3
Semester Total: 15
Spring Semester II Course Title Credit
HIS-211 MODERN ASIAN HISTORY 3
HUM-287 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT STUDIES 3
PHI-105 INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS 3
PSY-111 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY 3
SPC-112 PUBLIC SPEAKING 3
Semester Total: 15
PROGRAM TOTAL: 62

CRJ-100 - INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

An introductory course in criminal justice designed to provide a philosophical and historical account of American criminal justice with emphasis on constitutional limitation.

ENG-105 - COMPOSITION I

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

A study of the principles of writing. Emphasis on rhetoric, mechanics, and development of expository patterns: narration, description illustration, comparison/contrast, classification, process, and cause/effect. Required for AA and AS Degrees. Prerequisites: Meet minimum placement test score requirement.

POL-111 - AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

A survey of the American federal system of government which includes a description and analysis of interest groups, political parties, public opinion, the presidency, the Congress, the court system and foreign policy making.

SDV-108 - THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE

Lecture: 1

Credit: 1

This course is designed to empower new students to successfully transition to college. Students will learn academic success skills, strategies for personal development and exploration, college culture and expectations, and how to access college resources and services.

SOC-110 - INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

An analysis of social organization (or the social order). This course deals with the nature of sociology as a science, the original nature of man, the socialization of the individual, the development of groups and group behavior, the nature of culture and culture patterns, the organization of institutions, the nature of social order, the organization of human stratification and examination of major social processes. Special emphasis is placed upon the American cultural patterns.

SOC-230 - JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

A study of juvenile delinquency as an individual and social problem. This course includes theories of delinquency causations, law enforcement procedures, methods of corrections and prevention of juvenile delinquency.

CRJ-130 - CRIMINAL LAW

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

A study of the history, development and classification of substantive and procedural aspects of criminal law, defenses and criminal responsibility.

ENG-106 - COMPOSITION II

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

A continuation of study of the principles of writing begun in ENG-105. Emphasis is placed on persuasive writing, critical analysis, and the MLA research paper. Time will also be spent exploring print and electronic research sources and learning effective research strategies. Required for AA and AS Degrees. Prerequisite: ENG-105 with a grade of C- or better.

MAT-156 - STATISTICS

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

This course is an applied course in statistics, designed to introduce students to some of the concepts, symbols, procedures, and vocabulary used in the field of statistics. Topics covered in this course include: organizing and graphing data, descriptive statistics, probability, various distributions, the sampling distribution of the mean, estimating a population mean, confidence intervals, inferential statistics (hypothesis testing), comparing two population parameters, analysis of variance, correlation, simple linear and multiple regression, contingency tables, and nonparametric statistics, (time permitting). Prerequisites: MAT-092 or MAT-099 with a minimum grade of C- or meets minimum placement testing requirements.

SCI-123 - FORENSIC SCIENCE

Lecture: 3

Lab: 2

Credit: 4

Explores forensic science and its impact on science, society and the criminal justice system. Focuses on basic concepts in selected areas of chemistry, biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and anatomy and physiology. This course is designed to educate liberal arts students about basic sciences, and the realities and limitations of scientific methods when applied specifically to criminal investigation.

SOC-240 - CRIMINOLOGY

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

Criminology is the study of crime from a social perspective; the causes of crime, the social impact of crime, and the criminals involved in crime.  Criminology is studied in an attempt to better understand what motivates the criminal to act in a criminal manner. Prerequisite: CRJ-100.

CRJ-120 - INTRODUCTION TO CORRECTIONS

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

Trace the history of corrections and describe the various methods society has used to deal with people who violate its rules. The course will show the relationship of corrections and agencies to the overall criminal justice system.

CRJ-132 - CONSTITUTIONAL LAW

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

An analysis of the relationships between state legislations and the Bill of Rights. Includes the effect of the due process clause of the 14th Amendment on the application of the Bill of Rights to these states and Supreme Court decisions regarding the various state challenges. 

CRJ-141 - CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

Fundamental methods of investigation, crime scene search, recording, collection and preservation of evidence, interview and interrogation, and case follow-up.

HUM-114 - MULTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVES

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

Selected readings from the critical perspectives of race, class and gender will provide the theoretical framework for class discussions. At the same time, films and works of literature from different cultural points of view will help students reach a new understanding of their own and other cultures and will open themselves up for a multicultural understanding of society.

PHS-185 - INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SCIENCE

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

An introduction to geologic processes that have generated and continue to alter the surface of the earth. Covers: major types of rocks and the rock cycle; rock deformation, weathering, transport and deposition by fluid agents; plate tectonics, volcanoes, earthquakes, orogeny; absolute and relative time and the geologic column. Includes segment on the history of geology.

HIS-211 - MODERN ASIAN HISTORY

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

An introduction to the three dominant societies of modern Asia: China, Japan and India. Emphasis will be given to the transformation of cultural, economic, intellectual and social patterns brought about by the military power and economic demands of contemporary Western societies.

HUM-287 - LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

This course is designed to provide emerging and existing leaders the opportunity to explore the concept of leadership and to develop and improve their leadership skills. The course integrates readings from the humanities, experiential exercises, films/videos and contemporary readings on leadership.

PHI-105 - INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

A survey of the major ethical emphases from ancient to modem times with pertinent reading in the works of representative philosophers.

PSY-111 - INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

A basic course in the understanding of behavior, designed to give the student a scientific background in the fundamental problems and techniques covered in the field of psychology.

SPC-112 - PUBLIC SPEAKING

Lecture: 3

Credit: 3

This course examines both the theoretical and practical basis of speech communication, particularly public speaking. Emphasis is on speech preparation, organization, support, delivery, and audience analysis.

Cindy Shireman - Professor, (319) 208-5000 ext. 5232

Email: cshireman@scciowa.edu
BA, University of Iowa
MA, University of Iowa
MS, Kaplan University

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