B.A.A.S. Criminal Justice

https://www.tamuct.edu/degrees/undergraduate/criminal-justice-baas.html

OVERVIEW

The B.A.A.S. in Criminal Justice is a transfer pathway for students with an Associate of Applied Science degree. Students may complete the program by obtaining credit for the relevant program coursework, up to 33 hours, for certifications, non-academic training in the field, and industry training.

The B.A.A.S. in Criminal Justice, in conjunction with students' experience, provides skills in law enforcement, social perceptiveness, decision-making and problem-solving, writing, and speaking.  The program combines skills learned in the classroom with the field experience many pursuing a criminal justice degree already possess. The degree program is a practical, streamlined way for students to simultaneously advance both their education and their career, or to use their past experiences to enhance a new career field.
 

Students in the program find a supportive environment that challenges and empowers them to explore their individual interests in the wide realm of study in criminal justice. The Criminal Justice program is led by highly qualified faculty members who have both real-world experience and scholarly experience to enrich your learning.

Eligible students are encouraged to join the Omega Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, the national honor society for criminal justice.  Students may also join the Criminal Justice Association (CJA), which is open to criminal justice and non-criminal justice members who are interested in the field and want to engage in service within the local community and region.

Our diverse inventory of upper-level classes balances the major domains of criminal justice, including law enforcement, corrections, courts, victims, offenders, and practitioners.

Program Level Student Learning Outcomes

  • Explain concepts, major criminological theories, empirical findings, and trends in Criminal Justice.
  • Apply legal and ethical principles to the practice of Criminal Justice.
  • Describe the structure and functioning of institutions in Criminal Justice.
  • Identify the racial and ethnic issues associated with the practice of Criminal Justice.
  • Writing appropriately for upper-level coursework and criminal justice occupations.
 

Program Requirements

The program allows students to apply up to 36 semester credit hours of related technical, vocational, or military education and training as the foundation of their occupational specialization in the degree program. To qualify for the program, a minimum of 12 semester credit hours (technical/vocational/military courses) in an occupational specialization area (OSA) is required to qualify for the program. Academic coursework may be taken to meet the 33 semester credit hour requirement, but coursework must be directly related to the area of specialization or business.

Conferred Degrees or Certificates of Completion

A student with a conferred AAS degree or CC equivalent to at least 30 semester credit hours from one of the six regional accreditors shall be considered OSA complete upon admission to the university.  A student with a conferred AAS degree or CC from an institution that is non-regionally accredited may also be considered OSA complete as long as the accreditor appears on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's (THECB) list of recognized nationally accredited agencies. Contact the Office of Recruitment and Undergraduate Admission with questions regarding recognized accreditors.

Occupational Specialization

Military Education

All military evaluated credit, based on ACE recommendations, designated as lower level (L), or 1000-2999 level, will be accepted to fulfill the 33 semester credit hours of occupational specialization. However, the student must meet the initial 12 hours qualification requirement with American Council on Education (ACE) recommended credit from military courses. These are identified in the service transcripts by a designated regulation number. Once the service member meets the minimum 12 hours, relevant lower level ACE recommended military occupational specialty (MOS) credits may be then applied to meet the final 21 hours in the occupational specialization area. In the military transcripts, credits are awarded for the ‘same’ skills multiple times. However, the awarding of credit is at different skill levels. Only the ACE credit at the higher skill level will be accepted for credit in the BAAS-CJ Occupational Specialization Area. See the Coordinator, Military Services if there are questions concerning skill levels.

Technical/Vocational (non-conferred degree/non-certificate and non-military)

A student that does not have a conferred AAS or CC may apply technical or vocational credit earned at an accredited college to the OSA. The applied credit must comprise an emphasis in a particular discipline (minimum 12 semester credit hours). The student will then be responsible to complete the remaining 21 semester credit hours, either with other relevant technical or vocational credit, military education, training, or academic credit, as previously prescribed.

Training

A student may have participated in work-related training outside of the academic or military education environment. Acceptable training must be related to the student’s technical or vocational emphasis. Students must provide verified evidence of training, which include the number of contact hours. Verification includes transcripts provided by the trainer or training institution or certification of training by the student’s supervisor at the time of the training. Additionally, certificates of completion should be provided with a supervisor’s certification.

Academic advisors may recommend semester credit hours based on the number of contact hours. Contact hour conversion to semester credit hour: 15 contact hours = 1 semester credit hour (i.e. 45 contact hours = 3 semester credit hours).

Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science - Criminal Justice Program Requirements

Refer to the General Education Core Requirements page for more information on the CORE REQ coursework. The Field of Study (FOS) courses are listed in the footnotes (if applicable). At least 120 credit hours are required for the degree.

The program listed is a general guideline for semester coursework, speak with a college advisor for an individualized student education plan.

First Year
Fall
Occupational/Technical Specialization 1,23
Occupational/Technical Specialization 1,23
Occupational/Technical Specialization 1,23
Occupational/Technical Specialization 1,23
Occupational/Technical Specialization 1,23
Spring
Occupational/Technical Specialization 1,23
Occupational/Technical Specialization 1,23
Occupational/Technical Specialization 1,23
Occupational/Technical Specialization 1,23
Occupational/Technical Specialization 1,23
Second Year
Fall
Occupational/Technical Specialization 1,23
CORE REQ Communications (010)3
CORE REQ Mathematics (020)3
CORE REQ Life and Physical Sciences (030)3
CORE REQ Creative Arts (050)3
Spring
CORE REQ Language, Philosophy, and Culture (040)3
CORE REQ Life and Physical Sciences (030)3
CORE REQ Social and Behavioral Sciences (080)3
CORE REQ Communications (010)3
CORE REQ American History (060)3
Third Year
Fall
CORE REQ Government/Political Science (0703
CORE REQ American History (060)3
CORE REQ Government/Political Science (0703
CORE REQ Component Area Option (090) 23
CORE REQ Component Area Option (090) 23
Spring
SOSC 3300Social Science Proseminar 33
CRIJ 3303Criminal Justice System 33
CRIJ 3305Criminology3
CRIJ 3314Legal Aspects3
CRIJ 3315Criminal Evidence3
Fourth Year
Fall
CRIJ 4303Race, Crime, and Justice3
CRIJ 4312Criminal Justice Ethics3
Upper-level Criminal Justice Elective3
Upper-level Criminal Justice Elective3
Upper-level Criminal Justice Elective3
CRIJ 4315Social Science Statistics3
Spring
CRIJ 4316Methods of Criminal Justice Research3
CRIJ 4395Criminal Justice Senior Seminar 43
Upper-level Criminal Justice Elective3
Upper-level Elective3
Total Credit Hours120
1

For the Occupational Specialization credits, students must have a minimum of 12 semester credit hours consisting of technical, vocational, and military training and may include academic electives to complete the maximum allowable 33 semester credit hours.

2

Lower Level Electives, Any Level Electives, Component Area Options, or Degree Requirements (DEG REQ) may consist of the FOS courses: CRIJ 1301, CRIJ 1306, CRIJ 1310, CRIJ 2313, CRIJ 2328.

3

Course to be taken in the first semester.

4

Course to be taken in the last semester.

Please see an advisor to discuss proper course sequencing and selection.