Criminal Justice Studies

If you’re curious about law, policing, and the judicial system, Criminal Justice Studies will expose you to a multitude of career opportunities while you learn the essential principles behind the human, moral, and social influences that comprise criminal justice.

Law enforcement, fingerprinting and handcuffs. Criminal Justice is about all of these and more. It’s also learning how cultural, societal, economic, political, and personal forces affect the behavior of individuals. It’s understanding different viewpoints and cultures, and making positive decisions through organized evaluation, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. You’ll learn the fundamentals of the law enforcement system, criminal behavior, the judicial system and corrections.

WNCC’s Criminal Justice Studies program also gives you real-world experience with a three-semester program internship at local law enforcement departments to assist you with learning this complex and multi-faceted career with those who already in it.

Award Types

Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice Studies
Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice Studies

About the Program

Program Objectives

Illustrate the inter-dependent operations of the three general criminal justice components – police, courts, and corrections
Demonstrate how criminal justice organizations function in relation to the political, legal, and socioeconomic environments in which they operate.
Demonstrate basic qualitative and quantitative criminal justice research techniques, methodology, skills, and analysis.
Summarize criminal law, constitutional law, and the law of criminal justice.
Analyze criminological theories and their implication to contemporary criminal justice policies.
Communicate, both orally and through writing, in a manner appropriate for criminal justice.
Produce work that demonstrates the ability to effectively search, read, and critically evaluate professional literature in criminal justice.

Curriculum

Career Opportunities

WNCC’s Criminal Justice program will prepare you for endless career opportunities in the criminal justice field including positions in law enforcement, corrections, probation & parole, customs and border control, state highway patrol, policy advisor, diplomatic security agent, fish and game regulation, forensic investigation, and many more. You can start many with an associate degree or pursue further options by earning a bachelor’s degree.

Depending on the career you choose you may work in an office, around your community, with specific subsections of people, or in a laboratory. Yet, regardless of the career you select, you will never experience the same day twice. It offers you the opportunity to always build upon your previous knowledge for the new circumstances of the day. Your work day can be mundane until an event changes it completely. You need to be ready for the unexpected, know how to remain calm in an emergency, and make rational decisions under duress. It’s important to have effective communication and attentive listening skills to productively work with others. These positions are often stable, in-demand careers where you will help keep your community safe.

For more information on any of these career options, contact Career Pathways & Advising at pathways@wncc.edu .

Program Contact Information