Criminal Justice Studies

Social & Behavioral Sciences

What Will I Learn?

Joliet Junior College’s Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice is a liberal arts-based transfer degree that prepares students for careers in corrections, legal services, fraud investigation, private and government security, and other vital fields that assure the safety and security of all citizens. Students in this program will receive a broad knowledge base in general education and criminal justice, in order to discover and develop individual competencies and interests in these and other related careers. Development of analytical thought processes and state-of-the-art technical skills are a key part of this degree, as is help with job placement and mentoring by real-world criminal justice experts.

Graduates of the JJC Criminal Justice program will find a job environment that is increasingly welcoming to diverse applicants, as the demand for trained personnel grows. Or if they prefer, program graduates can choose to transfer their Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice to a 4-year institution in order to further their education and interests.

Criminal Justice Concentration - Associate of Arts

Certificate options are no longer available, but students can choose to pursue an associate of arts with a criminal justice concentration.

See course requirements for an Associate of Arts

Associate in Arts | Criminal Justice Concentration
See below for the requirements for an associate in arts degree with a concentration in Criminal Justice. Please note that most classes are offered in fall, spring and summer semesters, but there may be some exceptions.

First Semester
- ENG 101 - Rhetoric - 3 credit hours
  - (Prerequisite: Appropriate placement score or minimum grade of "C" in one of the following: ENG 021 and ENG 099; ENG 022 and ENG 099; or the EAP course sequence ENG 079 and ENG 089; or ENG 096)
- PSYC 101 - General Psychology - 3 credit hours
- FA/HUM - Fine Arts or Humanities course - 3 credit hours
- CRJ 100 - Intro to Criminal Justice System - 3 credit hours
- CRJ 105 - Intro to Corrections - 3 credit hours
Total: 15 hours
Second Semester
- ENG 102 - Rhetoric - 3 credit hours
  - (Prerequisite: Minimum grade of "C" in ENG 101)
- SOC 290 - Cultural Diversity in America - 3 credit hours
- FA/HUM - Fine Arts or Humanities course - 3 credit hours
- BIO 125 - Human Biology - 4 credit hours
  - (Prerequisites: Placement testing into ENG 101; or minimum grade "C" in one of the following: ENG 021 and ENG 099 or the EAP course sequence ENG 079 and ENG 089; or ENG 096. Placement testing into MATH 094 or minimum grade of "C" in MATH 090)
- MATH 128 - Elementary Statistics - 4 credit hours
  - (Prerequisite: Appropriate placement score or minimum grade of "C" in MATH 098)
Total: 17 hours
Third Semester
- COMM 101 - Principles of Communication - 3 credit hours
  - (Prerequisite: Placement testing into ENG 101 or minimum grade "C" in one of the following: ENG 021 and ENG 099; ENG 022 and ENG 099; or the EAP course sequence ENG 079 and ENG 089; or ENG 096)
- PHIL 103 - Introduction to Ethics - 3 credit hours
  - (Prerequisite: Placement testing into ENG 101 or minimum grade "C" in one of the following: ENG 021 and ENG 099; ENG 022 and ENG 099; or the EAP course sequence ENG 079 and ENG 089; or ENG 096)
- PSCI 101 - American National Government or PSCI 102 - American State and Local Government - 3 credit hours
- CRJ 120 - Juvenile Delinquency - 3 credit hours
  - (Prerequisite: Placement testing into ENG 101 or minimum grade "C" in one of the following: ENG 021 and ENG 099; ENG 022 and ENG 099; or the EAP course sequence ENG 079 and ENG 089; or ENG 096)
- CRJ 200 - Criminology - 3 credit hours
  - (Prerequisite: Placement testing into ENG 101 or minimum grade "C" in one of the following: ENG 021 and ENG 099; ENG 022 and ENG 099; or the EAP course sequence ENG 079 and ENG 089; or ENG 096)
Total: 15 hours
Fourth Semester
- PSYC 205 - Abnormal Psychology - 3 credit hours
  - (Prerequisite: PSYC 101)
- Physical Science course - 3-5 credit hours
  - (Prerequisite: varies by course)
- See an advisor for remaining classes.
Total: 15-17 hours
Graduation Requirements:
To be awarded an associate degree at JJC, each student must meet the following requirements:
1. Satisfy all admission requirements.
2. Complete the courses required to earn the given degree. If the student is a transfer student with coursework taken elsewhere, he/she must complete a minimum of 60 credit hours of which 15 credit hours applicable to the degree are earned at JJC. Proficiency test, CLEP and Advanced Placement does not meet this requirement.
3. Earn a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.
4. Discharge all financial obligations to the college; have no restrictions.
5. File an application for graduation (an application should be filled at the time of registration for the student's anticipated last semester)
6. Have all official transcripts from other colleges/universities on file in the graduation office by the graduation filing date for evaluation of credit. A delay in the process may result in a later graduation date.
For more information, please contact:
Department Chairperson
Susan Krause
Email: skrause@jjc.edu
Phone: (815) 280-6600
Contact
Ken Krynicki
Email: kkrynick@jjc.edu
Phone: (815) 280-4434
Program Advisor
Kim Karlberg
Email: kkarlber@jjc.edu
Phone: (815) 280-6686

What Are My Career Opportunities?

Employment prospects for criminal justice graduates appear favorable because of the unfortunate fact that crime exists and continues to be one of our major social problems, necessitating more services that ensure the safety of our society.

Additionally, the criminal justice field will continue to be affected by new advances in technology, adding increased job opportunities for trained personnel who can apply their technical skills and knowledge to crime prevention and detection. Qualified women and minorities, previously under-represented in this field, can expect to be actively recruited.