Criminal Justice Focus
Associate in Arts - Direct Transfer Agreement (AA-DTA)
About the Program
Modern law enforcement is a highly competitive career field. The more education you have, the better your chance of employment and advancement. Prepare for entry-level employment in law enforcement agencies and in some correctional facilities. People working within those areas can use the program to enhance their skills.
For a roadmap that identifies the preferred sequencing of courses and other specific recommendations from faculty, please see the corresponding program map(s):
Degree Requirements
Total credits required to earn this degree: 90 in courses numbered 100 or above with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0. A course cannot be credited toward more than one distribution or skill area. COLL 101, 2 credits, is also required for all new students in addition to 90 credits as stated above.
LCC students must meet distribution requirements for bachelor degrees, associate degrees, and specific certificates. See Diversity and Distribution Lists for more information.
General Education Requirements
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Communications:
15 credits: ENGL& 101 English Composition I AND
ENGL& 102 Composition II AND
(CMST& 220 Public Speaking OR CMST& 230 Small Group Communication). -
Quantitative / Symbolic Reasoning Skills:
5 credits – MATH& 107 or higher with the exception of MATH& 131.
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Humanities:
15 credits – Selected from at least two disciplines on the Distribution List. No more than 5 credits in foreign language at the 100 level, no more than 10 credits from any one discipline. No more than 5 credits in performance/skills courses are allowed.
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Natural Sciences:
15 credits – Selected from at least two disciplines on the Distribution List; must include 5 credits of lab courses. At least 10 credits in physical, biological and/or earth sciences. No more than 5 credits from Computer Science, Mathematics, and Engineering. Courses used to satisfy this requirement may not be used to satisfy the Quantitative Skills requirement.
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Social Sciences:
15 credits – Selected from at least two disciplines on the Distribution List. No more than 10 credits from any one discipline.
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Diversity:
5 credits – From the Diversity Course List. Courses that meet this requirement may also be used toward other graduation requirements. Diversity courses are listed in the quarterly schedule and identified by ‘DIV’ attached to the course title.
Example: SOC & 101 – Introduction to Sociology :DIV.
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Electives:
25 credits - See advisor for approved list of electives. No more than 15 credits may be taken from the Restricted Course List (no more than 3 PHED credits).
AA-DTA Outcomes
Upon the completion of the AA DTA, students will be prepared for transfer to a four-year institution for their intended career pathway, and have the following skills and abilities:
Global Skills (assessed at degree level):
- Communication: Express ideas and information in writing and speaking in a manner that is clear and appropriate to the audience, and read and listen effectively.
- Critical Thinking: Apply objective, valid methods of inquiry and problem-solving to draw rational, ethical, and coherent conclusions.
- Quantitative Literacy: Reason and solve quantitative problems from a wide array of authentic contexts and everyday life situations.
- Teamwork: Facilitate a team's ability to achieve a desired goal or outcome.
General education outcomes (assessed at course level):
- Diversity: Examine the causes and expressions of difference, power, and discrimination.
- Humanities: Explore how people process, document, and express their social and cultural experience.
- Social Science: Examine society, behavior, and relationships among individuals within a society.
- Natural Science: Develop familiarity with various aspects of the physical world and scientific explanations of observed phenomena.
Area of study outcomes:
Students completing this program should acquire the following skills and abilities:
- Use effective oral and written communication skills. (GS - Communications)
- Examine the function of the legal system from the civil and criminal justice perspectives.
- Demonstrate understanding of how our criminal justice system evolved and how it functions. (GS - Critical Thinking)
- Apply social science reasoning to a range of criminal justice issues. (GS - Critical Thinking)
Notes
Revised November 2024 (effective Summer 2025)
Program planning is based on information available at the time of preparation. It is the student’s responsibility to meet with their LCC advisor and with an advisor at the college to which they plan to transfer for specific requirements. Consult the LCC catalog for LCC graduation requirements.
Most four-year universities require one year of a single foreign language as a graduation requirement.