Criminal Justice

Transfer Pathway A.S.

The Criminal Justice Transfer Pathway A.S. program offers you the powerful opportunity to complete an associate degree and transfer with junior-year status to a designated, criminal justice-related bachelor’s degree program at a Minnesota State university.

Your coursework will prepare you for a career in a variety of criminal justice fields, including security, policing, courts, corrections, rehabilitation, crime prevention, and victim advocacy.

As a student in this A.S. program, you will complete the Criminal Justice Curriculum (15 credits), Program Electives (3 credits), and General Education Requirements (42 credits) for a credit total of 60.

Minnesota State universities:

Bemidji State University
Metropolitan State University
Minnesota State University Mankato
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Southwest Minnesota State University
St. Cloud State University
Winona State University

Full-time schedule recommendation

See how to schedule your classes each semester to complete your degree in two years.

Full-Time Recommended Course of Study

Part-time schedule recommendation

Recommendations for a part-time schedule are included in the Criminal Justice Program Planning Guide (see below).

Criminal Justice Program Planning Guide

2023-2024 Required Courses

Criminal Justice Curriculum

Course #	Course Name	Credit(s)
CJS 1150	Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
Course Outline Credits: 3 Describes the American system of criminal justice, including theories of crime and justice, criminal law, policing, courts, associated pre- and post-trial legal processes, corrections, juvenile justice, and special issues in criminal justice. This course will also explore criminal justice careers, changes to the system, and the future of criminal justice. This course promotes five (5) core values: Accountability, Compassion/Empathy, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness, and Interpersonal Communication. These core values serve as the foundation to prepare future public servant leaders.? Prerequisites: Please go to e-Services to see Pre-requisites for this course Corequisites: None Future Offering: Spring 2024 Summer 2024
CJS 1152	Peace Officer and Community	3
Course Outline Credits: 3 Studies the historical and contemporary roles of policing in society, strategies for positive peace officer-community relations and career-related issues for peace officers. This course promotes five (5) core values: Accountability, Compassion/Empathy, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness, and Interpersonal Communication. These core values serve as the foundation to prepare future public servant leaders. Prerequisites: CJS 1150 Introduction to Criminal Justice Corequisites: None Future Offering: Spring 2024
CJS 1154	Juvenile Justice	3
Course Outline Credits: 3 Examines the historical foundations, current philosophies, procedures and characteristics of the juvenile justice system. This course explores theories of delinquency, evaluation methods to assess behaviors and develop strategies while working with juveniles, as well as, Minnesota statutes and community corrections systems that apply specifically to juveniles. This course promotes five (5) core values: Accountability, Compassion/Empathy, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness, and Interpersonal Communication. These core values serve as the foundation to prepare future public servant leaders. Prerequisites: CJS 1150 Introduction to Criminal Justice Corequisites: None Future Offering: Spring 2024
CJS 1156	American Corrections	3
Course Outline Credits: 3 Describes the history, theories, legal issues, and practices of corrections, which will be applied to the Minnesota correctional system. This course will also explore sentencing and effects of various sentencing options. This course promotes five (5) core values: Accountability, Compassion/Empathy, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness, and Interpersonal Communication. These core values serve as the foundation to prepare future public servant leaders. Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: None
CJS 2158	Criminology	3
Course Outline Credits: 3 Explores the biological, sociological, psychological, and developmental perspectives on the etiology of criminal behavior and applies them to selected case histories. This course will also describe the science of crime rates, how crime is measured, and societal reaction to crime and its impact. This course promotes five (5) core values: Accountability, Compassion/Empathy, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness, and Interpersonal Communication. These core values serve as the foundation to prepare future public servant leaders. Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: Spring 2024
Total Credits in Criminal Justice Curriculum		15

Program Electives

Course #	Course Name	Credit(s)
	Choose from the following	3
Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: None
COMM 2240 EMS 1100 HLTH 1130 PSYC 2250	Intercultural Communication Emergency Medical Responder Drug Use and Abuse Abnormal Psychology
Intercultural Communication Course Outline Credits: 3 MNTC Goal Areas: 05, 08 Explores factors that influence communication between individuals of different cultures. In our global society we are increasingly called upon to communicate in a variety of intercultural contexts. Students will develop an understanding of the relationship between cultural orientation and communication behaviors. Identifying their own cultural biases and assumptions will help students increase their awareness and tolerance of individual and group differences. Students will learn to demonstrate cultural sensitivity in interpersonal contacts and identify skills for interacting with people from culture groups other than their own. Students may not earn credit for both COMM 1114 and COMM 2240. Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: Spring 2024 Summer 2024 Emergency Medical Responder Course Outline Credits: 3 This course meets the National EMS Education Standards for Emergency Medical Responders. It includes the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for individuals first on scene to initially assess and provide care for sick or injured emergency patients. Successful completion qualifies the student to apply for certification in MN as an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) through the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board. Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: Spring 2024 Drug Use and Abuse Course Outline Credits: 3 Provides an overview of the fundamental concepts in drug use and abuse. The course will focus on the drugs of abuse that are most commonly used in the United States and will emphasize the physiological, social, psychological, legal, and health aspects of drug use and abuse. Special attention will be focused on the motivations of drug use/abuse for college students. Critical thinking and communication skills will be emphasized to explain and reinforce personal health choices. This course is open to all students and meets the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) 8710.3200, Subp. 3, Standard K2 8710.2000, Subp. 11, Standard 10E. Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: Spring 2024 Summer 2024 Abnormal Psychology Course Outline Credits: 3 MNTC Goal Areas: 05, 07 Explores the classification, assessment, diagnosis, symptoms, causes, and treatment of common psychopathologies, including anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders, and substance-related and addictive disorders. Prerequisites: PSYC 1101 Introduction to Psychology PSYC 1201 Introduction to Psychology with Lab Corequisites: None Future Offering: Spring 2024 Summer 2024
Total Credits in Program Electives		3

General Education Requirements

Course #	Course Name	Credit(s)
	General Education Credits (MnTC Goal 1) Communication: ENGL 1108 Writing & Research Skills. ENG 1111, 1114 OR 1130. COMM 1100 Interpersonal Communication ‡	3
Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: None
	General Education Credits (MnTC Goal 2) Satisfied by First Year Experience course or MnTC completion ‡
Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: None
	General Education Credits (MnTC Goal 3) BIOL 1123 recommended OR Any Goal 3b course ‡	2
Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: None
	General Education Credits (MnTC Goal 4) MATH 1103 recommended ‡	1
Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: None
	General Education Credits (MnTC Goal 5) PSYC 1101 Introduction to Psychology, POLS 1121 State and Local Government³ OR POLS 1161 Constitutional Law, SOC 1127 Social Inequalities: Race, Class and Gender ‡	3
Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: None
	General Education Credits (MnTC Goal 6) Any Goal 6a course. PHIL 1112 Ethics. Any additional Goal 6a or 6b course ‡	3
Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: None
	General Education Credits (MnTC Goal 7) SOC 1127 - Satisfied by Pathway ‡
Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: None
	General Education Credits (MnTC Goal 8) May be satisfied by utilizing a course from Goal 6 ‡	3
Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: None
	General Education Credits (MnTC Goal 9) INTS 1150 Public Service in Diverse Communities² OR SJS 1100 Introduction to Social Justice ‡	1
Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: None
	General Education Credits (MnTC Goal 10) May be satisfied by utilizing a course from Goal 3 ‡
Prerequisites: None Corequisites: None Future Offering: None
Total Credits in General Education Requirements		42

Total Credits:

‡ Select General Education electives from specified MnTC goal area or from any MnTC goals if none specified.