Criminal Justice (A.S.)
Associate in Science
Program Advisor: Reena Bucknell
413-236-4551 • rbucknell@berkshirecc.edu
The Criminal Justice program offers career preparation at the local, state or federal level in areas of law enforcement, corrections, private security, and other criminal justice work. Courses also provide upgrading of skills for those currently in the field. A student planning to transfer to a baccalaureate program should work closely with the Criminal Justice program advisor to select courses that will be acceptable to the college and program to which the student plans to transfer. These majors include but are not limited to criminal justice, sociology, paralegal, political science, criminology and public administration.
Expected Outcomes
Graduates of this program should be able to:
- Use effective verbal, nonverbal and written communication;
- Demonstrate an understanding of ethical standards in the criminal justice system and apply these standards to practical situations;
- Describe the functions and interrelationships of the major components of the criminal justice system;
- Explain and illustrate the diversity of viewpoints and experiences within society;
- Analyze how perceptions are affected by culture; and
- Identify a social problem, develop a problem-solving approach, and evaluate effective and appropriate responses.
Graduation Requirements
To earn a degree in this program, a student must complete all program and general education credits, plus the following Additional Requirements.
Program Courses
| CRJ-105 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRJ-108 | Substance Abuse Education | 3 |
| CRJ-109 | Police and Community Relations | 3 |
| CRJ-121 | Criminal Law | 3 |
| CRJ-123 | Criminal Procedures | 3 |
| CRJ-125 | Juvenile Justice Process | 3 |
| CRJ-126 | Criminal Investigation | 3 |
| CRJ-127 | Correctional Process | 3 |
-
| | |
| CRJ-200 | Introduction to Criminology | 3 |
-
| Or | |
| SOC-219 | Women and the Law | 3 |
-
| | |
| PSY-107 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| SOC-105 | Introductory Sociology | 3 |
-
| Professional Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 36 |
Professional Elective: See footnote 3
General Education Courses
COM-
| Communication | 3 |
ENG-
| English Composition/Writing | 6 |
MAT-
| Mathematics | 3 |
-
| History or Government | 3 |
-
| Humanities & Fine Arts | 6 |
-
| | |
-
| Natural or Physical Science | 3 |
-
| Or | |
-
| Environmental Studies | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 24 |
MAT Mathematics: See footnote 1
History or Government: See footnote 2
Additional Requirements
| Core Competencies Portfolio |
4 items |
| FORUM |
4 units |
| Health/Fitness 4 |
30 hours |
Minimum Cumulative Average
| Overall |
2.000 |
| Program requirements |
2.000 |
Health/Fitness: See footnote 4
Suggested Pathway to Graduation
The following is a suggestion for completing this program in two years. The actual time needed to complete the program will vary according to each student’s individual needs.
First Semester
| CRJ-105 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRJ-108 | Substance Abuse Education | 3 |
ENG-
| English Composition/Writing | 3 |
MAT-
| Mathematics | 3 |
| SOC-105 | Introductory Sociology | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
MAT Mathematics: See footnote 1
Second Semester
| CRJ-121 | Criminal Law | 3 |
| CRJ-127 | Correctional Process | 3 |
COM-
| Communication | 3 |
ENG-
| English Composition/Writing | 3 |
| PSY-107 | Introductory Psychology | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Third Semester
| CRJ-109 | Police and Community Relations | 3 |
| CRJ-123 | Criminal Procedures | 3 |
-
| History or Government | 3 |
-
| Humanities & Fine Arts | 3 |
-
| | |
-
| Natural or Physical Science | 3 |
-
| Or | |
-
| Environmental Studies | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
History or Government: See footnote 2
Fourth Semester
| CRJ-125 | Juvenile Justice Process | 3 |
| CRJ-126 | Criminal Investigation | 3 |
-
| | |
| CRJ-200 | Introduction to Criminology | 3 |
-
| Or | |
| SOC-219 | Women and the Law | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Footnotes
- MAT-101, or any course with the “MA” General Education designation; students wishing to transfer should take MAT-102 or higher.
- History or Government chosen from GOV-105, GOV-135, HIS-113, HIS-114, HIS-117, HIS-118, HIS-121, HIS-122, or HIS-225.
- Professional Elective chosen from CIS-102, HSV-135, SOC-208, SOC-216, SOC-219, SPA-101, SPA-131, or others with program advisor approval.
- Health/Fitness requirement is fulfilled by successful completion of CRJ-108.
Note
All students in the Criminal Justice Program are encouraged to take BCC-101 early on in their studies at BCC.