2019-2020 Pierce College Catalog 
    
    Dec 26, 2024  
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2019-2020 Pierce College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Criminal Justice (AAS) Course Map

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Created by Pierce faculty, this map outlines the initial coursework for this career field. It provides you a clear path to complete your degree by listing a specific set of courses relevant to your program and career.  The map is designed with the appropriate number of credits and meets degree requirements. Courses are organized in a recommended sequence; please schedule accordingly. If a course is unavailable, select the next appropriate course within the sequence. For each course, a purpose statement explains how the content relates to your career field. On this map, there may be instances when you will be required to select a course from several options. Use these purpose statements and notes to choose the course that best aligns with your interests and needs. You will also find action items to complete to assure you progress and graduate on time.  While this map is a great guide to courses required to complete the Associate of Applied Science Criminal Justice, you are responsible for fulfilling all degree requirements.  Questions? Your Success Network is ready to help you!

 

All Criminal Justice courses require a 2.0 or higher grade.

1. College Success

  • Course purpose: A foundational course to explore and affirm a career choice and build upon the skills, knowledge, and resources that will support you at Pierce College and beyond.

2. Criminal Justice: Success Seminar

  • Course purpose: This course is an introduction to success in the CJ program. It will cover education plans, navigating through Pierce College, and how to be successful in the culminating project. You will learn about professional standards and employment requirements. It should be taken within the first two quarters.

3. Criminal Justice in America

  • Course purpose: This course gives an overview of theories and the major elements of the criminal justice system. You will be able to speak across the justice system and understand how the different elements (law enforcement, courts, corrections and support agencies) work together, or don’t at times.

Action Item: Meet with Advisor

Use your Success Network! In your first quarter, meet with your advisor to revisit your career and transfer path, make adjustments to your goals as needed, and plan for your next steps.

4. Public Speaking

  • Course purpose: As a professional in criminal justice you will have to talk to people one on one, in groups and you will need to give presentations to classes, groups, and oral boards.

5. Introduction to Statistics

6. English Composition I

  • Course purpose: Writing is an important aspect of criminal justice. You will be writing infractions, court documents, depositions, etc. Your ability to write will influence the systems view of your skills and ability, as well as the public’s perception of you as a professional. In addition it will strengthen your work in your academic career.

7. Introduction to Sociology

  • Course purpose: SOC& 101 assists you with understanding how our values, formal and informal practices, and our norms are shaped by the dominant society in which we live. This class pairs well with the social justice and multicultural perspective that any criminal justice coursework and professional must be well versed in as one serves the community they work in and for.

8. Corrections in America

  • Course purpose: Corrections is a huge part of the justice system and a great career opportunity. This course will help you with the history of corrections and its impact on the citizens the system serves as well as what is currently occurring in our correctional systems and where it might change in the future. Often our understanding of corrections is different from what it is. This class will help to bridge those two truths. This powerful class will expand your knowledge of the system as taught through the dominate culture and assist your level of understanding of systematic oppression.

9. English Composition II

  • Course purpose: Most Criminal Justice students will move to a four year college or university and in doing so, we hope to best prepare you for success. This class will also help you with your future academic classes at Pierce. In addition, as you progress in your career field you may be asked to write up Best Practices or research certain methods. This class will give you the format and skills needed to represent your agencies.

10. Natural Science Course Recommendation

Choose one

  • Course purpose: CHEM& 110 is offered spring quarter as “FORENSIC CHEMISTRY”. It is for those especially interested in Forensic Technology, but it is available for all to better understand Crime Scenes.

  • Course purpose: In this course you will learn about the criminal justice/forensic crime scene. You will get familiarized with forensic analysis of human remains. Also included is a theoretical and hands-on approach to the analyses of human remains within a medicolegal context.

11. General Psychology

  • Course purpose: This course helps you to understand how individuals work/behave and why. It is understanding how an individual’s thoughts and emotions are tied to their behavior?  It could also be how our beliefs are tied to our emotions and how this impacts our perceptions of others (i.e. prejudice, bias…).

12. Problem Based Research

  • Course purpose: This class will assist you with your academic research and citation. This is not only imperative for your success in academic writing, but it also will help you research best practices and validate your evidence in order to best serve the community by making changes in the system. Information that is not credible can create more hurt in our system and to our citizens.

Action Item: Apply for Graduation

Way to go! It is time to apply for graduation. Visit the Pierce College Graduation website for details. https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/graduation

13. Human Biology: Anatomy & Physiology

  • Course purpose: This class helps you understand the scientific method and how the components and functions of our body systems and their interactions with one another. This general course will assist you if you have a scene or a situation when bodily harm has been done. This will assist you in court, crime scenes and in case you have to write reports where there was an injury.

14. Policing in America

  • Course purpose: Policing is a huge part of the justice system and a great career opportunity. This course will help you with the history of policing and its impact on the citizens the system serves as well as what is currently occurring in our policing systems and where it might change in the future. Often our understanding of Law Enforcement is different from what it is. This class will help to bridge those two truths.

15. Criminal Justice Course Recommendation

Take five credits as advised.

16. Humanities Course Recommendation

Choose one

  • Course purpose: Spanish is one of the fastest growing languages in the US and therefore, it’s important to familiarize yourself with languages other than English, as you will serve populations where English is not the primary language. Additionally, with learning the language you will also be able to more deeply learn about the culture.

  • Course purpose: This class will allow you to experiment with many different types of acting and free play usually around different issues. The uncomfortableness that often happens when people are asked to do things outside of their norm is addressed through this class and students find the ability to try new things and succeed. This class is important, because sometimes you will find yourself in a situation that you do not know what to do and you can revert back to the skills taught in this class to move you outside of the situation.

  • Course purpose: This class will help you with understanding the power of journalism and the impact on society, with writing clear and concise and with argument and perspective.

  • Course purpose: This class helps you to see the world from the non-dominant view. This helps to provide empathy for populations served and prosecuted by criminal justice system. This is an opportunity to move deeper in your understanding of a culture.

17. Crime and Justice in America: The Issues

  • Course purpose: This class deals with how to respond to culture conflict and is steeped heavily in social justice and multiculturalism. You will learn hands-on skills to communicate with others who may not believe as you do. It is important as a criminal justice professional to address your biases prior to getting into the field. Your job is to serve all citizens, no matter your personal beliefs. This class will help you do just that.

18. American Government

  • Course purpose: Every criminal justice professional is going to work for a governmental agency or for an agency that contracted with a governmental agency. It is important to understand how the government works.

19. Philosophy Course Recommendation

Choose one

  • Course purpose: Ethics are the backbone of criminal justice. This class helps you better understand personal ethics and the systems view of ethics. This course will help you to look deeper into contemporary issues. It is an important skill to see experiences through multiple lenses.

  • Course purpose: Critical thinking is important for criminal justice employees who work autonomously and hold great power over others. This class helps you better understand the components of critical thinking and to put them into practice. This course will help you to look deeper into contemporary issues. It is an important skill to see experiences through multiple lenses.

  • Course purpose: This class helps to better understand the dynamics of the contemporary moral issues that people are addressing. This course will help you to look deeper into contemporary issues. It is an important skill to see experiences through multiple lenses.

20. Concepts of Criminal Law

  • Course purpose: This class helps you understand the law, how it was developed and the elements of certain crimes. It is a course for all people who want to work in the justice field. You will also learn how to find out the ins and outs of a case and court processes.

21. Natural Science Course Recommendation

Choose one

22. Work Based Learning

  • Course purpose: This is the course where you get to put your theory and content from your classes to practice in the field. It includes 180 hours of volunteer work in a criminal justice agency that is pre-approved by instructor. You must search for the site up to 6 months in advanced.

23. Culminating Project

  • Course purpose: In this course you will prove that you have met all the outcomes of this degree. You will have an opportunity to show us what you have done in a 20 minute PowerPoint presentation to the criminal justice and Pierce College community. It is an exciting experience to see the great growth you have had at Pierce College.

24. Criminal Justice Course Recommendation

Choose one

Total Credits: 104-107

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