Criminal Justice
There are critical shortages of police, corrections, and federal law enforcement officers, as well as an increased need related to homeland security. The criminal justice field seeks those with an open mind, an interest in helping people, a desire to lead others, and has an understanding of both professional and personal ethics, honesty and integrity.
At SC4, our students practice crime scene investigation (CSI) techniques such as fingerprint and evidence collections, attend trials and other court processes, participate in field trips to the local jail and state prisons, and gain exposure to the field through presentations by active police officers and other criminal justice professionals.
SC4 offers the Associate in Applied Arts and Sciences (AAS) degree in Criminal Justice (Generalist). This degree prepares students to enter police or corrections academies, as well as entering the workforce as court advocates, private security workers, or other positions in a public service capacity.
SC4 also offers four skill sets related to Criminal Justice, that can be taken separately or as part of the electives for the Criminal Justice (Generalist) AAS degree:
- Criminal Justice – Corrections
- Criminal Justice – Generalist
- Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement
- Homeland Security
These skill sets require 15 to 16 credit hours and can be completed within a single academic year.
Complete list of classes for:
For those wishing to continue their education towards a bachelor’s degree, the associate degree prepares you to transfer to many four-year schools. SC4 has a partnership with Ferris State University to complete a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice that can be accomplished through additional SC4 courses and then Ferris State courses without leaving our campus. Find out more by clicking the “Continuing Beyond SC4” tab above.
Continuing after SC4
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice-Generalist
SC4 has a partnership with Ferris State University to offer classes toward their Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice-Generalist. Students who choose to follow this path with FSU complete their AAS degree in Criminal Justice at SC4, then continue to take classes on SC4’s Port Huron campus or online – taught by Ferris State faculty members – to complete their bachelor’s degree.
The Ferris State Criminal Justice baccalaureate degree prepares students for a professional career in the Criminal Justice system in Michigan and throughout the country. This Generalist option prepares the student to seek federal, state and/or local Criminal Justice agency employment or admission to law school or graduate school, and it gives students an education with a broad focus in Criminal Justice. The program offers small class sizes, usually between 15 to 30 students, and our degreed faculty members have extensive Criminal Justice experience and utilize a pragmatic approach to prepare students for a career in Criminal Justice. The most common positions for graduates of this program are: police officer, corrections officer, community correction officer, probation officer, detective, federal agent, and investigator for a multitude of public and private agencies and/or corporations.
For more details, including application requirements, visit the Ferris website.
