What can I do with this?
We are now offering associate degrees for transfer to the CSU. This provides a clear pathway to a CSU major and baccalaureate degree. This AS-T degree guarantees admission with junior standing somewhere in the CSU system and gives priority admission consideration to your local CSU campus or to a program that is deemed similar to your community college major. This priority does not guarantee admission to specific majors or campuses. More information on the Degree with a Guarantee Program.
The Administration of Justice Degree for Transfer
- Guarantees acceptance to the CSU system
- Prepares students for transfer to complete work for a bachelor's degree in criminal justice or economic crime investigation
- Enables students to study other academic disciplines, such as
- political science
- sociology
- public administration
- Is appropriate for students considering law school as well as certain careers in law enforcement
Current and prospective community college students are encouraged to meet with a counselor to review their options for transfer and to develop an educational plan that best meets their goals and needs.
What will I learn?
- To describe the individual functions and integrations of the components of the criminal justice system: police, courts, and corrections.
- To use legal research skills to locate, analyze, and discuss the content of statutory and case law.
- To examine criminal justice and/or social science data and explain their significance.
- To explain the underlying causes of antisocial and criminal behavior.
- To apply constitutional principles to the practice of criminal justice.
- To articulate, either orally or in writing, concepts or theories applicable to the criminal justice system.
What courses do I take?
Note: Some courses within the major may have a required prerequisite. If you feel you have equivalent knowledge and skills to those included in the prerequisite course through professional experience, licensure, or certification, you have the opportunity to submit a Prerequisite Challenge to be reviewed by the faculty chair. For the Prerequisite Challenge to be considered, you must submit documentation/verification to substantiate the basis for the challenge. Please consult a counselor for more information regarding Prerequisite Challenge.
Area A: Complete the following courses:
Advisory: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture. This is a comprehensive course on the Criminal Justice System that includes the history and philosophy of the Administration of Justice in America. The course explores the development of the criminal justice system, including all sub-systems, relationship between the sub-systems and their role expectations, theories on crime, adjudication, punishment, rehabilitation, education and training for the continued professionalism of the entire system. Approved for IGETC Area 4J, CSU GE Area D10, Local GE Area 2.
Advisory: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture. In this course students learn the historical development, philosophy, and constitutional provisions of the law and its impact within the criminal justice system. Students develop a working knowledge of legal terms and their definitions. Students look at the classification of crime and its causation. Students conduct analytical research and study of case law decisions. Approved for IGETC Area 4J, CSU GE Area D10.
Area B: Select at least 6 units from the following courses:
Advisory: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture. This course is designed to provide a working knowledge of evidence, evidentiary practices and case laws that deal with the admission of evidence. Topics include origin, development and constitutional basis of evidence, constitutional and procedural considerations affecting arrest, search and seizure, kinds of degrees of evidence and the rules that govern the admissibility, judicial decisions interpreting individual rights and case studies.
Advisory: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture. This course studies the factors that create friction between community and the criminal justice agencies. Includes the roles of Administration of Justice practitioners and agencies interrelationships and role expectations among various agencies and the public. Principal emphasis is placed upon the professional image of the criminal justice system and the development of the positive relationships between members of the criminal justice system and the public.
Advisory: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture. This course provides students with an introduction into the ethics and legalities of criminal investigations. Topics include: fundamentals of investigation, techniques of crime scene searches, and aspects in dealing with the public, specific knowledge necessary for handling crime scenes, interviews, evidence, surveillance, follow-up, technical resources and case preparation are also covered.
Advisory: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture. This is a basic course in the sociological study of crime and its causes as it pertains to juvenile procedures and delinquency. Topics include organization, functions, and jurisdiction of juvenile agencies, processing and detention of juveniles, juvenile case disposition, juvenile status and court procedures.
Advisory: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture. A course designed to give students an overview of the role correction’s play within the criminal justice system. The course focus is on such topics as: incarceration, alternatives to incarceration, rehabilitation of inmates, juvenile offenders, and legal issues that influence the day-to-day operations of correctional institutions.
Advisory: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture. This course enables students to attain a comprehensive understanding of the processes used to respond to, secure, document, and collect evidence at a crime scene. The legal, ethical, and practical issues involving crime scene investigations are covered in greater detail. The coursework includes identifying and working a crime scene in the field.
Area C: Select at least 6 units from the following courses:
Prerequisite: MATH C053 or MATH C055
54 hours lecture/54 hours laboratory. This course covers data analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics. Graphs and computations include measures of central tendency and dispersion, correlation and regression, and presentation of data on a histogram, scatter plot, box plot, and the normal curve. Probability concepts include those for discrete and continuous random variables. Sampling and hypothesis testing are covered for means and variances. Topics from algebra are combined with applications in statistics in the lab portion of the class. This course applies to the degree requirements for students not majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. Approved for IGETC Area 2, CSU GE Area B4, Local GE Area 4.
Prerequisite: MATH C053 or MATH C055. Advisory: ENGL C101
Limitation on Enrollment: Acceptance to the Honors Program or eligibility for this honors course as determined by the instructor.
72 hours lecture/54 hours laboratory. This course covers elements of descriptive statistics, measures of central tendency, dispersion and presentation of data. Included are concepts of probability, random variables and normally distributed random variables. Sampling error, sampling processes and the distribution of sample means are applied to real life examples. Students will conduct hypothesis testing of means and proportions for one and two populations and linear regression testing using the least squares criterion. Students use descriptive and inferential methods employing linear regression and study one and two way analysis of variance. The honors section provides more content and requires greater intensity and depth of study than the non-honors class; the honors course also requires at least one extra research assignment. Approved for IGETC Area 2, CSU GE Area B4, Local GE Area 4.
Advisory: ENGL C070
54 hours lecture. This course offers the student an introduction to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes focusing on exploration of major psychological theories and concepts, methods, and research findings in psychology. Topics include the biological bases of behavior and mental processes, perceptions, consciousness, memory, cognition, learning, motivation, emotion, development, intelligence, personality, social psychology, psychological disorders and therapeutic approaches, and applied psychology. The American Psychological Association (APA) format is taught and applied to written assignments and papers. Approved for IGETC Area 4I, CSU GE Area D9, Local GE Area 2.
Advisory: ENGL C101
Limitation on Enrollment: Acceptance for the Honors Program or eligibility for this honors course as determined in consultation with the instructor.
72 hours lecture. This course offers the student an introduction to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes focusing on exploration of major psychological theories and concepts, methods, and research findings in psychology. Topics include the biological bases of behavior and mental processes, perceptions, consciousness, memory, cognition, learning, motivation, emotion, development, intelligence, personality, social psychology, psychological disorders and therapeutic approaches, and applied psychology. The American Psychological Association (APA) format is taught and applied to written assignments and papers. The honors course provides more content and requires greater intensity and depth of study than the non-honors class. Approved for IGETC Area 4I, CSU GE Area D9, Local GE Area 2.
Advisory: ENGL C101, LIBR C100
54 hours lecture. This course introduces concepts and research findings of contemporary sociology; this includes analyzing human groups such as the family, the peer group, the work group, social class, institutions, mass behavior, and culture. Discussion is centered on the effects of social change in an industrial society. Approved for IGETC Area 4J, CSU GE Area D10, Local GE Area 2 & 6.
Complete one of the following general education patterns:
Students desiring transfer to the California State University system may conform to either (1) the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or (2) CSU General Education Certification.
Please consult the Transfer Center or Counseling for more information regarding which classes will transfer to a four-year institution.
IGETC is a series of courses that community college students can use to satisfy lower division general education requirements at any CSU or UC campus.
Please consult the Transfer Center or Counseling for more information regarding which classes will transfer to a four-year institution.
Program Pathways
Official Catalog Copy
All classes needed for this degree are available at the following campuses: CC Online Ridgecrest / IWV
Additionally, some of the general education courses needed to complete this major are available at all our locations.
See Counseling for specific help with enrolling and completing this major.
How can I afford it?
This degree requires 60.0 units and will likely take 4 semesters.
Approximate Total Costs
CA Residents
60.0 units
at $46 per unit
Equals $2,760 in tuition and fees
Plus approximately $3,600* for books and supplies
Total cost $6,360 for 4 semesters
Non-residents
60.0 units
at $329 per unit
Equals $19,740 in tuition and fees
Plus approximately $3,600* for books and supplies
Total cost $23,340 for 4 semesters
*This is an estimate. Actual costs will vary.
Need help? Financial Aid can help with fee waivers and scholarships and other aid. Make sure to fill out your FAFSA every January.
