Criminal Justice Technology Degree (CJT3) Degree

Campus Locations: Vidalia, Swainsboro

The Criminal Justice Technology Associate Degree program is a sequence of courses that prepares students for Criminal Justice professions. Learning opportunities develop academic, occupational, and professional knowledge and skills required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement. The program emphasizes a combination of Criminal Justice theory and practical application necessary for successful employment. Program graduates receive a Criminal Justice Technology Associate Degree. Graduates who are current practitioners will benefit through enhancement of career potential. Entry-level persons will be prepared to pursue diverse opportunities in the corrections, security, investigative, and police administration fields. Completion of the Criminal Justice Technology Associate Degree does not ensure certification of officer status in Georgia. Students must seek certification from the Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T) Council. The standard curriculum for the Criminal Justice Technology Degree program is designed for the semester system. Students are accepted into the program every semester. The program generally takes six (6) semesters to complete. To graduate, students must earn a minimum of 63 semester hours.

Requirements

Submit a completed application;
Be at least 16 years of age;
Submit official high school/high school equivalent transcripts;
Submit official college transcripts, if applicable;
Satisfy Placement Testing requirements.

NOTE: PURSUANT TO STATE LAW, A CONVICTION FOR A FELONY OR MULTIPLE MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES COULD RESULT IN EXCLUSION FROM EMPLOYMENT IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE FIELD

Program Costs

Costs are estimates and are subject to change.

Tuition/Fees: $8,322
Books/Supplies: $3,400
Liability Insurance: $12

Curriculum Outline (63 hours)

General Core (18 hours)	18
COLL 1040College Foundations (Institutional Credit Only) (Prerequisite: None) This course is designed to provide tools to assist students to acquire skills necessary to achieve academic and professional success in their chosen occupational/technical program of study. Topics include: Computer Applications/Technology Skills, Getting off to a Good Start, Learning and Personality Styles, Time and Money Management, Study and Test Taking Skills, Stress Management and Wellness, Communication Skills, and Career Exploration.	3
Area I: Language Arts/Communication
ENGL 1101Composition & Rhetoric (Prerequisite: Appropriate English Placement Test Score AND Appropriate Reading Placement Test Score) Explores the analysis of literature and articles about issues in the humanities and in society. Students practice various modes of writing, ranging from exposition to argumentation and persuasion. The course includes a review of standard grammatical and stylistic usage in proofreading and editing. An introduction to library resources lays the foundation for research. Topics include writing analysis and practice, revision, and research. Students write a research paper using library resources and using a formatting and documentation style appropriate to the purpose and audience.	3
Area II: Social/Behavioral Sciences
Choose One (3 hours)
ECON 1101Principles of Economics (Prerequisites: Regular Admission) Provides a description and analysis of economic operations in contemporary society. Emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of economic concepts and policies as they apply to everyday life. Topics include basic economic principles; economic forces and indicators; capital and labor; price, competition, and monopoly; money and banking; government expenditures, federal and local; fluctuations in production, employment, and income; and United States economy in perspective.	3
SOCI 1101Introduction to Sociology (Prerequisite: Appropriate Degree Level Writing (English) and Reading Placement Scores) Explores the sociological analysis of society, its culture, and structure. Sociology is presented as a science with emphasis placed on its methodology and theoretical foundations. Topics include basic sociological concepts, socialization, social interaction and culture, social groups and institutions, deviance and social control, social stratification, social change, and marriage and family.	3
PSYC 1101Introductory Psychology (Prerequisite: Appropriate Degree Level Writing (English) and Reading Placement Test Scores) Introduces the major fields of contemporary psychology. Emphasis is on critical thinking and fundamental principles of psychology as a science. Topics include research design, the organization and operation of the nervous system, sensation and perception, learning and memory, motivation and emotion, thinking and intelligence, lifespan development, personality, psychological disorders and treatment, stress and health, and social psychology.	3
Area III: Natural Sciences/Mathematics
MATH 1111College Algebra (Prerequisites: Appropriate algebra placement test score) Emphasizes techniques of problem solving using algebraic concepts. Topics include fundamental concepts of algebra, equations and inequalities, functions and graphs, and systems of equations; optional topics include sequences, series, and probability or analytic geometry.	3
Area IV: Humanities/Fine Arts
ENGL 2130American Literature (Prerequisite: ENGL 1101) Emphasizes American literature as a reflection of culture and ideas. A survey of important works in American literature. Includes a variety of literary genres: short stories, poetry, drama, nonfiction, and novels. Topics include literature and culture, essential themes and ideas, literature and history, and research skills.	3
General Education Elective
Choose One (3 hours)
ECON 1101Principles of Economics (Prerequisites: Regular Admission) Provides a description and analysis of economic operations in contemporary society. Emphasis is placed on developing an understanding of economic concepts and policies as they apply to everyday life. Topics include basic economic principles; economic forces and indicators; capital and labor; price, competition, and monopoly; money and banking; government expenditures, federal and local; fluctuations in production, employment, and income; and United States economy in perspective.	3
PSYC 1101Introductory Psychology (Prerequisite: Appropriate Degree Level Writing (English) and Reading Placement Test Scores) Introduces the major fields of contemporary psychology. Emphasis is on critical thinking and fundamental principles of psychology as a science. Topics include research design, the organization and operation of the nervous system, sensation and perception, learning and memory, motivation and emotion, thinking and intelligence, lifespan development, personality, psychological disorders and treatment, stress and health, and social psychology.	3
SOCI 1101Introduction to Sociology (Prerequisite: Appropriate Degree Level Writing (English) and Reading Placement Scores) Explores the sociological analysis of society, its culture, and structure. Sociology is presented as a science with emphasis placed on its methodology and theoretical foundations. Topics include basic sociological concepts, socialization, social interaction and culture, social groups and institutions, deviance and social control, social stratification, social change, and marriage and family.	3
SPCH 1101Public Speaking (Prerequisites: ENGL 1101- Institutional Requirement) Introduces the student to the fundamentals of oral communication. L Topics include selection and organization of materials, preparation and delivery of individual and group presentations, analysis of ideas presented by others, and professionalism.	3

Occupational Courses (45 hours)	45
COMP 1000Intro to Computer Literacy This course introduces the fundamental concepts, terminology, and operations necessary to use computers. Emphasis is placed on basic functions and familiarity with computer use. Topics include introductions to computer and digital terminology and usage, operating systems, Internet and digital communication, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, database applications, and presentation applications.	3
CRJU 1010Intro to Criminal Justice (Prerequisite: Provisional admission) Introduces the development and organization of the criminal justice system in the United States. Topics include: the American Criminal Justice system; constitutional limitations; organization of enforcement, adjudication, and corrections; and career opportunities and requirements.	3
CRJU 1030Corrections (Prerequisite: Program admission) Provides an analysis of all phases of the American correctional system and practices, including its history, procedures, and objectives. Topics include: history and evolution of correctional facilities; legal and administrative problems; institutional facilities and procedures; probation, parole, and prerelease programs; community involvement; alternative sentencing; rehabilitation; and staffing.	3
CRJU 1040Principles of Law Enforcement (Prerequisite: Program admission) This course examines the principles of organization, administration, and the duties of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Topics include: history and philosophy of law enforcement; evaluation of administrative practices, problems in American law enforcement agencies, emerging concepts, professionalism, and community crime prevention programs.	3
CRJU 1068Criminal Law for Criminal Justice (Prerequisite: Program Admission) This course introduces criminal law in the United States, but emphasizes the current specific status of Georgia criminal law. The course will focus on the most current statutory contents of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) with primary emphasis on the criminal and traffic codes. Topics include: historic development of criminal law in the United States; statutory law, Georgia Code (O.C.G.A.) Title 16 - Crimes and Offences; statutory law, Georgia Code (O.C.G.A.) Title 40 - Motor Vehicle and Traffic Offenses; and Supreme Court rulings that apply to criminal law.	3
CRJU 1400Ethics/Cultural Perspectives for Criminal Justice (Prerequisite: Program admission) This course provides an exploration of ethics and cultural perspective in criminal justice. In presenting ethics, both the individual perspective and the organizational standpoint will be examined. Four areas of ethical decision making opportunities are studied including: law enforcement ethics; correctional ethics; legal professional ethics; and policymaking ethics. The presentation of cultural perspectives is designed to aid law enforcement officers to better understand and communicate with members of other cultures with whom they come in contact in the line of duty. Topics include: defining and applying terms related to intercultural attitudes, role-play activities related to intercultural understanding, developing interpersonal/intercultural communication competence, and development of personal intercultural growth plan.	3
CRJU 2020Constitutional Law for Criminal Justice (Prerequisite: Program Admission) This course emphasizes those provisions of the Bill of Rights which pertain to criminal justice. Topics include: characteristics and powers of the three branches of government; principles of governing the operation of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment.	3
CRJU 2050Criminal Procedure (Prerequisite: Program admission) Introduces the procedural law of the criminal justice system which governs the series of proceedings through which government enforces substantive criminal law. The course offers an emphasis on the laws of arrest and search and seizure; the rules of evidence, right to counsel, and the rights and duties of both citizens and officers. The course covers in depth appropriate case law and court rulings that dictate criminal procedure of the state and federal level.	3
CRJU 2070Juvenile Justice (Prerequisite: Program admission) Analyzes the nature, extent, and causes of juvenile delinquency, and examines processes in the field of juvenile justice. Topics include: survey of juvenile law, comparative analysis of adult and juvenile justice systems, and prevention and treatment of juvenile delinquency.	3
OCC 015Occupational Elective (15 hours)	15
Choose One (3 hours)
CRJU 2090Criminal Justice Practicum (Prerequisite: Program admission) Provides experiences necessary for further professional development and exposure to related agencies in the criminal justice field. The student will pursue a professional research project supervised by the instructor. Topics include: criminal justice theory application.	3
CRJU 2100Criminal Justice Internship/Externship (Prerequisite: Program admission) Provides experiences necessary for further professional development and exposure to related agencies in the criminal justice field. The student will pursue an internship/externship in a related agency supervised by the instructor. Topics include: criminal justice theory application. A $12 Liability Insurance fee is assigned to this course.	3