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Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice
Gain the essential understanding of government, the legal system, people and their cultures to be successful in administering
and enforcing the laws of the land.
Career Opportunities
Criminal justice careers are available in numerous areas including: law enforcement, courts, probation, parole, juvenile and
adult corrections, and case work, as well as the significant and growing need for qualified people in private sector security
and investigation. Individuals who choose to follow any of the career paths within the criminal justice field must possess
both education and commitment. As society becomes more sophisticated and complex, those who are responsible for administering
and enforcing laws must be able to not only cope, but to succeed. A well rounded education based on the social behavioral
sciences is a proven asset in obtaining that success in the criminal justice system.
Curriculum
The criminal justice degree program at BGSU Firelands has been developed to address the current needs of students entering
the career chain and prepares them to grow with the increasing challenges of the profession. Emphasis is placed on superior
academic attainment and effective verbal and written communication skills, with a core program concentration providing a thorough
exposure to understanding government, law, people and their cultures.
This focus on the academic aspects of criminal justice allows for the student’s continued educational advancement with minimal
duplication or repetitious coverage of material. Since the vast majority of agencies will provide the required indoctrination
and technical training such as fingerprinting and photography, this type of instruction is not included in the program. Professional
practitioners in the criminal justice field have assisted in the development of the curriculum, and will continue in that
capacity to ensure that the most current material is included.
Special Features
The criminal justice degree program at BGSU Firelands is designed to allow students to easily transfer into the four-year
program offered at BGSU Firelands and at Bowling Green State University. Students who complete the associate degree requirements
will be slightly more than half way through the bachelor’s degree curriculum.
Students pursuing the associate of applied science in criminal justice degree program must complete a minimum of 62 credit
hours.
Coursework includes:
Communications (6 hours minimum)
Varieties of Writing (3)
Speech Communication (3)
General Education (12 hours minimum)
Natural science elective (3/5)
Natural science elective (3/5)
Humanities elective (3)
General education elective (3)
Basic Courses (16 hours minimum)
Introduction to Statistics (3)
General Psychology (4)
American Government (3)
Principles of Sociology (3)
Introduction to Ethics (3)
Professional Core (9 hours minimum)
Introduction to Criminal Justice (3)
Law Enforcement in American Society (3)
Investigations: Theory & Practice (3)
Professional Electives (24 hours minimum)
Select eight courses from the following list or any course listed as a core elective by the College of Health and Human Services
for the bachelor of science degree in criminal justice: CRJU 240; CRJU 395; IPC 306; POLS 303, 331; PSYC 311; PSYC 405; SOC
316, 340 or 441.
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