Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (certificate)

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Official Title of Certificate: Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, Certificate

Award: Certificate

Code: CRT.LEN.LEN

Total Credit Hours: 18

About the Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Institute

Purpose: For students who are either preparing for or are currently employed in the field of criminal justice. The required courses are appropriate for all students of criminal justice. Elective courses allow students to specialize in a particular area of criminal justice, depending on their interests and career goals. The fields of specialization include police administration or law enforcement and corrections or juvenile services. Students may pursue the certificate option on a full- or part-time basis in either a day or evening schedule.

Range of Occupations

Police officer, agent or cadet
Police technician or laboratory assistant
Prison, jail or detention facility officer
Private security officer or private investigator
Probation officer or juvenile services officer
Sheriff’s deputy or investigator

Open Planner for 2 Semester Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice (certificate)

Open Planner for 3 Semester Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice (certificate)

Online Degrees and Credit Certificates

This program can be completed fully online. Some online courses may require proctored exams or on-campus assessments at a testing center.

Certificate Graduation Requirements

To graduate with a certificate, students must have demonstrated eligibility for ENG 101 or ENG 101A . Refer to Academic Regulations on Graduation Requirements .

Planning Tool: One-Year Sequence of Courses

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Certificate Requirements: 18 credits

CJS 111 - Introduction to Criminal Justice 3 credit hours
CJS 113 - Penology 3 credit hours
LGS 215 - Criminal Law 3 credit hours
(formerly listed as CJS 215)
HLS 111 - Introduction to Homeland Security 3 credit hours OR
CJS 260 - Terrorism/Counterterrorism 3 credit hours
Elective (CJS or HLS) 3 credit hours

Elective (CJS or HLS or social science) 3 credit hours

Note: Social science elective must be selected from PSY 111 , SOC 111 , SOC 132 or SOC 224 .

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

Apply critical thinking and analytical skills in a crime enforcement and public safety context.
Conduct qualitative and quantitative research.
Analyze, differentiate, and interpret varying data.
Articulate concepts and theories of criminology, sociology, psychology as they pertain to the criminal justice system.
Gather, analyze, preserve, and interpret information, artifacts and evidence.
Apply the law in crime enforcement and public safety contexts.
Describe the critical phases of the criminal justice system.
Recall the U.S. Constitution Bill of Rights.
Identify diversity and human rights issues pertaining to criminal justice.
Articulate ethical and professional standards of conduct and performance as they pertain to criminal justice.
Communicate verbally and in writing in law enforcement and criminal justice contexts.
Use technology to gather, compose, appraise and apply information.

This program aligns with the college’s core competencies.

Related Offerings

Students may wish to also review requirements for the related majors or programs linked below.

Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (A.A.S.)

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