The mission of the Criminal Justice program is to provide specialized classroom instruction and practical experience to prepare students for employment or promotional opportunities in criminal justice agency positions in crime prevention, public safety, corrections, or other related fields.
This program is designed to educate students who wish to pursue a career in criminal justice or for additional training of individuals already employed in the field. The program emphasizes safe and efficient work practices, basic occupational skills, and the application of federal, state, and local laws as they apply to both emergency and routine situations. Course content is organized into competency-based courses of instruction that specify occupational competencies that the student must successfully complete.
Criminal Justice is offered on campus at SOWELA's Main Campus in Lake Charles, LA, and at the Morgan Smith site in Jennings, LA. The Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice is also available 100% online.
Learn more about the online Criminal Justice program.
SOWELA also offers credit for three of the classes in the Criminal Justice degree for individuals who are POST certified.
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| Course No. | Course Title | Lecture | Lab | Total Credit Hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | ||||
| CRMJ 1110 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 1120 | Introduction to Corrections | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 1220 | Police Systems and Practices | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| *Social/Behavioral Science Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |||
| Semester 2 | ||||
| CRMJ 1332 | Introduction to Criminal Law | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2112 | Social Problems for Criminal Justice | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2322 | Criminal Investigation | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2340 | Criminology | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2510 | Introduction to Forensics | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |||
| Semester 3 | ||||
| Concentration Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| Concentration Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| Concentration Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| Concentration Course | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| See Concentration Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |||
| Semester 4 | ||||
| Concentration Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| Concentration Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| See Concentration Options | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| General Education Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| General Education Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |||
| AAS | Criminal Justice | 60 | ||
| Total Clock Hours: 1020 - 1065 | ||||
| *Students will need to select a concentration to pursue with the Criminal Justice AAS* | ||||
| Course No. | Course Title | Lecture | Lab | Total Credit Hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRMJ 2410 | Juvenile Justice System | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2420 | Deviance | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2422 | Judicial Process | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2552 | Criminal Justice Externship | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| General Education Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| CRMJ 2622 | Criminal Justice Ethics | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2998 | Selected Topics in Criminal Justice | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| *Social/Behavioral Science Course | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| Total Concentration Hours | 24 |
| Course No. | Course Title | Lecture | Lab | Total Credit Hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRMJ 2403 | Crisis & Trauma | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2503 | Death & Loss | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2603 | Death Investigation I | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| BIOL 2253 or BIOL 2100 | Human Anatomy & Physiology I or Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2010 | Cultural Anthropology for Criminal Justice | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2703 | Death Investigation II | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2803 | Entomology for Criminal Justice | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2903 | Selected Topics in Death Investigation | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Total Concentration Hours | 24 |
| Course No. | Course Title | Lecture | Lab | Total Credit Hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRMJ 1110 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 1120 | Introduction to Corrections | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 1220 | Police Systems and Practices | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 1332 | Introduction to Criminal Law | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2112 | Social Problems for Criminal Justice | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2322 | Criminal Investigation | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2340 | Criminology | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CTS | Criminal Justice System Studies | 21 | ||
| Social/Behavioral Science Course* | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
| CRMJ 2410 | Juvenile Justice System | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2420 | Deviance | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2422 | Judicial Process | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2510 | Introduction to Forensics | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2998 | Selected Topics in Criminal Justice | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2552 | Criminal Justice Externship | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| CRMJ 2622 | Criminal Justice Ethics | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| TD | Criminal Justice | 45 | ||
| Total Clock Hours: 795 | ||||
| *CJ Technical Diploma students may choose POLI 1100, SOCL 2010, or CRMJ 2010. |
CIP Code: 430104
Program Type: Associate of Applied Science
Program Length: 60 Semester Credit Hours
Dr. Lisa Quibodeaux
Read about SOWELA's Transfer Agreements with other colleges and universities.
