60 credit hours
The Associate of Arts - Criminal Justice Field of Study degree provides general academic courses and electives which enable students who intend to major in criminal justice to transfer to a college or university which offers baccalaureate degrees in criminal justice. Students planning to transfer will have a solid foundation upon which to build as they pursue further studies in criminal justice.
Upon completion of the Field of Study Curriculum, a certificate will be awarded to acknowledge completion and readiness to transition from an associate level to a baccalaureate (BA/BS) level, at any Texas public institution.
The FOS includes the five specified courses listed below. Students may also add an additional six credit hours of course work from the “Recommended Electives” which may be transferred by local agreement to the university or which may be required by the receiving university, as long as the additional course work does not duplicate content already covered in the other FOS courses.
Career Options
Criminal Justice graduates are academically prepared for entry-level positions in law enforcement, court services, and corrections at the local, state, and federal levels of government. Through classroom and laboratory experiences, students acquire the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to understand the criminal justice system and its agencies, personnel and functions. Challenging career opportunities await graduates at all levels of government such as:
Corrections Officers, Law Enforcement Officers and Investigators
Probation Officers and Parole Officers
Victim Services Counselors
Youth Service and Juvenile Court Officers
Criminal Justice Field of Study 15 credit hours
| CRIJ | 1301 | Introduction to Criminal Justice |
| CRIJ | 1306 | Court Systems and Practices |
| CRIJ | 1310 | Fundamentals of Criminal Law |
| CRIJ | 2313 | Correctional Systems and Practices |
| CRIJ | 2328 | Police Systems and Practices |
To complete the AA degree, in addition to the Field of Study Certificate, complete the following core requirements and recommended elective credit hours:
CORE CURRICULUM 42 credit hours
(Below are component areas of the Texas Core not included in the FOS. Please be sure to complete one of the courses listed below to meet the Humanities component area, to fulfill the AA degree requirement. The full Texas Core can be found here.)
| COMMUNICATION |
9 CREDIT HOURS |
|
| Must take both: | ENGL 1301 and 1302 | 6 credit hours |
| Select one: | SPCH 1311, 1315, or 1321 | 3 credit hours |
| HUMANITIES |
3 CREDIT HOURS |
|
|
Select one of the following courses: |
||
| English | ENGL 2322, 2323, 2327, 2328, 2332, 2333, 2342, 2343, 2351 | |
| MATHEMATICS |
3 CREDIT HOURS |
|
| Select one: | MATH 1314, 1316, 1324, 1325, 1332 1, 1342, 1350, 1351, 1414, 2305, 2312, 2318, 2320, 2413, 2414, 2415, 2417, 2419 | |
| NATURAL SCIENCES |
8 CREDIT HOURS |
|
|
Select two from the following areas |
||
| Biology | BIOL 1406, 1407, 1408, 1409, 1411, 1414, 1415, 2401, 2402, 2404, 2406, 2416, 2421 | |
| Chemistry | CHEM 1405, 1411, 1412, 2401, 2423, 2425 | |
| Environmental Science |
ENVR 1401, 1402 | |
| Geology | GEOL 1401, 1402, 1403, 1404, 1405, 1445, 1447 | |
| Physics | PHYS 1401, 1402, 1403, 1404, 1405, 1410, 1415, 2425, 2426 | |
| SOCIAL / BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES |
3 CREDIT HOURS |
|
|
Select one from the following areas: |
||
| Anthropology | ANTH 2346*, 2351 | |
| Economics | ECON 2301, 2302 | |
| Psychology | PSYC 2301 | |
| Sociology | SOCI 1301 | |
| SOCIAL SCIENCES |
12 CREDIT HOURS |
|
| Must take both: | GOVT 2301 and 2302 | 6 credit hours |
| Select two: | HIST 1301, 1302 or 2301 | 6 credit hours |
| VISUAL / PERFORMING ARTS |
3 CREDIT HOURS |
|
|
Select one of the following: |
||
| Dance | DANC 2303 | |
| Humanities | HUMA 1311 | |
| Music | MUSI 1306, 1307 | |
| Theatre | DRAM 1310, 2361, 2362 | |
| Visual Arts | ARTS 1301, 1303, 1304, 1313 | |
| INSTITUTIONAL OPTION |
1 CREDIT HOUR |
|
|
Select one of the following: |
||
| Dance | DANC 1101, 1110, 1111, 1141, 1142, 1145, 1146, 1147, 1148, 1151, 1152, 1222, 1223, 2141, 2142, 2145, 2146, 2147, 2148, 2151, 2152, 2301, 2325 | |
| Physical Education | PHED 1100, 1102. 1104, 1106, 1111, 1112, 1113, 1114, 1115, 1116, 1117, 1118, 1120, 1121, 1123, 1124, 1125, 1126, 1127, 1129, 1130, 1131, 1133, 1136, 1137, 1140, 1147, 1148, 1253, 1338 | |
1 Before taking MATH 1332, check with an academic adviser regarding the transferability. Some majors or institutions may require a higher-level mathematics course.
* Please Note: You may take either ANTH 2346 as a core option under Social / Behavioral Sciences or HUMA 2323 as a core option under Humanities. HUMA 2323 is not listed above because it will not meet the AA degree requirement. Students may take either ANTH 2346 or HUMA 2323, but not both.
Recommended Electives minimum of 3 credit hours
| CRIJ | 1307 | Crime in America |
| CRIJ | 1313 | Juvenile Justice System |
| CRIJ | 2301 | Communication Resources in Corrections |
| CRIJ | 2314 | Criminal Investigation |
| CRIJ | 2323 | Legal Aspects of Law Enforcement |
Note: The second digit in a course number indicates the number of credit hours
for that course.
