Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Criminal Justice

The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Criminal Justice provides students with the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who intend to earn a bachelor`s degree in Criminal Justice and pursue a graduate degree in a related field. With a bachelor`s degree, students may pursue advancement in several fields including local and federal law enforcement, the courts, corrections, security, and investigations. With a graduate degree, students may pursue employment in several areas including criminal justice professors, lawyers, judges, and statisticians. An Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Administration of Justice Studies as well as six related Certificates of Completion (CCLs) are available.

Details

Field of Interest
Behavioral Science and Human Services
Degree Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Criminal Justice (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8144
Total credits required
60-64
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Apply fundamental criminal justice principles to situations related to the criminal justice system.
  2. Communicate orally, visually and in writing precisely, appropriately, and effectively to varied audiences.
  3. Apply foundational principles in criminal justice ethics to analyze real life and hypothetical decision-making situations.
  4. Communicate in the language common to the criminal justice system.
  5. Utilize technology to collect, analyze and communicate data.
  6. Demonstrate techniques and skills for developing and maintaining a collaborative and inclusive environment.
  7. Synthesize multiple sources of information to support decision making.
  8. Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based annual median wages* for this program. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information.

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary

$66,570

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

$97,840

Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

$82,790

Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

$61,000

There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:
  • Judicial Law Clerks
  • Transit and Railroad Police
* Wage information sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program. Updated May 2022.

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Pathway Planner tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the available transfer institutions and what degrees you may be able to transfer into.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Pathway Map Option Details

No pathway map option has been selected. Please select from the pathway map options listed above.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AJS101 Introduction to Criminal Justice Critical course Gateway course SB 3
AJS123 Ethics and the Administration of Justice HU 3
ENG101 or
ENG107
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC 3
MAT14+ College Mathematics OR Higher approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA 3–6
FYE101 or
FYE103
Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230
Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication COM Requirement SB or L 3
ENG102 or
ENG108
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CS Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application CS 3
SG or SQ Natural Sciences General Recommend FOR105 or FOR106. SG 4

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design Recommend selecting a course that satisfies the Global [G] or Historical [H] awareness area. HU 3
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative Recommend FOR105 or FOR106. SQ 4

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AJS101 Introduction to Criminal Justice Critical course Gateway course SB 3
ENG101 or
ENG107
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL Critical course FYC 3
FYE101 or
FYE103
Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AJS123 Ethics and the Administration of Justice HU 3
ENG102 or
ENG108
First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
MAT14+ College Mathematics OR Higher approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA 3–6

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230
Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication COM Requirement SB or L 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design Recommend selecting a course that satisfies the Global [G] or Historical [H] awareness area. HU 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CS Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application CS 3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SG or SQ Natural Sciences General Recommend FOR105 or FOR106. SG 4

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative Recommend FOR105 or FOR106. SQ 4
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=183316).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.