For what careers and degrees does the Criminal Justice program prepare students?
Can the CJ program help me become a peace officer in Utah?
What is the difference between POST training and the criminal justice program?
What's the difference between the Associate of Science Degree and the Associate of Applied Science Degree?
Will my credits from another college or university transfer into the program?
Can in-service training count for college credit?
How long does it take to complete the program?
How do I get into the program?
Is financial aid available? How do I get financial aid?
When are courses offered? How do I figure out which courses to take when?
Who teaches the classes?
I'm ready to graduate. I want to make sure I have completed all of my courses.
Why don't my classes show as transfer credit?
What are the costs?
For what careers and degrees does the Criminal Justice program prepare students?
The criminal justice program prepares students for a career in law enforcement. The program also provides value to individuals interested in careers in corrections, security and selected aspects of the court system. The program provides the first two years of education for those planning on transferring to four-year institutions to pursue careers in probation and parole, federal law enforcement and forensics, or as background for the pursuit of degrees varying from pre-law to sociology.
Can the CJ program help me become a peace officer in Utah?
Currently, the minimum requirement to become a peace officer is POST certification. The law enforcement community is, however, moving in the direction of requiring a minimum of an associate degree plus POST certification. For further information regarding POST training, contact SLCC's Institute for Public Safety at 957-3922.
What is the difference between POST training and the criminal justice program?
POST (Peace Officer Standards Training) training is focused on training for entry-level peace officers. A significant portion of the training is hands-on and covers topics such as firearms, arrest and control techniques, and emergency vehicle operation. The complete program takes 30 weeks and is non-credit.
The Criminal Justice program covers additional areas such as corrections and security. It is also more in depth in its treatment of subjects. Although the program has a lot of practical application, it is not hands-on.
Each institution may award various credit for POST training.
For further information about credit for POST Certification Training, contact the criminal justice advisor at your home institution.
What's the difference between the Associate of Science Degree and the Associate of Applied Science Degree?
The Associate of Science (AS) Degree is designed to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. The AS satisfies the general education requirements for a bachelor’s degree at any four-year public institution in Utah. The criminal justice courses in the AS degree transfer as electives to any four-year institution; many of these courses will also apply toward major requirements at institutions offering criminal justice as a major. In Utah, Weber State University, Southern Utah University, and Utah Valley State College offer a bachelor degree in criminal justice.
In general, the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree provides more technical training in criminal justice courses than the Associate of Science Degree. The AAS degree is designed to prepare individuals to enter the workforce in the criminal justice field immediately upon completion. Although the Associate of Applied Science Degree is not designed for transfer students, the courses within it are all transferable electives. The Associate of Applied Science Degree does not contain a sufficient number of general education courses to satisfy general education requirements at Utah's four-year institutions. Students are required to complete additional general education courses to complete a four-year degree.
For general credit transfer information, contact Academic Advising at your home institution.
Will my credits from another college or university transfer into the program?
Course work from accredited colleges and universities will generally transfer. Your home institution determines the amount of credit that will be accepted and how it may meet degree requirements.
Can in-service training count for college credit?
Similar to POST training, each institution may award various credit for in-service training. Contact the criminal justice advisor at your home institution for more information.
How long does it take to complete the program?
Students enrolled in the Utah Criminal Justie Collaborative degree program on a full-time basis (12 to 15 credit hours per semester on the average) take two to two and a half years to complete all of the requirements for an associates degree. Individuals enrolled on a part-time basis typically take three to four years to complete the program.
How do I get into the program?
New students should complete the online admissions form and pay the processing fee. Admissions for new students is administered by the Utah Electronic College, an office of the Utah System of Higher Education. The UEC acts as a central communication source for this program.
Is financial aid available? How do I get financial aid?
Criminal justice students may be eligible for federal financial aid through their home institution. Financial aid applications and information can be obtained from your home institution’s Financial Aid office.
When are courses offered? How do I figure out which courses to take when?
CJ’s online catalog lists courses by semester. The catalog lists prerequisites for courses, and provides brief descriptions of what’s covered. Follow the link found in the "Details" section of the course entry, for an outline of the course work.
This website includes a list of core and elective requirements for the full program. We encourage you to use this schedule to plan your program. Also, once you have been admitted, you can speak with the Academic Advising Office or from a Criminal Justice Program Coordinator at your institution.
Who teaches the classes?
Courses are developed by different partner institutions. The institution developing courses provides the instructor. As you take these courses, you will navigate and login to the providing institutions' websites. If you have technical problems with a course, contact the instructor or the distance education department at the provider institution.
I'm ready to graduate. I want to make sure I have completed all of my courses.
Contact your academic advisor at your home institution. Ask your advisor to evaluate your progress towards graduation.
Why don't my Courses Show as Transfer Credit?
When the faculty from the participating institutions developed this collaborative degree, they agreed on the curriculum, the required courses and their course content. Because it is a full program decided upon by faculty, institutions will treat criminal justice major requirement courses as if they are their own. These courses will show as institutional credit on your transcript.
What are the costs?
All consortium courses are $115 per credit hour. This cost differs
from regular tuition costs at each institution. If you
are a new student, you will also need to pay an admissions
processing fee.