Jackson State Community College holds information sessions on its new criminal justice degree
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People working in law enforcement and criminal justice fields seeking to advance their careers or students wanting to enter those fields quickly can take advantage of the new associate of applied science degree in criminal justice at Jackson State Community College.
The new two-year degree program launches this fall.
The college is holding two information sessions in August to discuss the new degree and the types of careers to which it can be applied, said Vivian Grooms, who is the college’s incoming dean of social and behavioral sciences as the current dean, Dr. Nell Senter, retires this summer.
“Those careers span the field of criminal justice and law enforcement, from police officers and sheriff’s deputies to crime investigators and fish and game wardens,” she said.
The degree includes two tracks: corrections and law enforcement. The corrections track provides courses on probation and parole, the juvenile justice system and correctional counseling. The law enforcement track offers courses on criminal investigation, understanding terrorism and tactical talks. Both include classes on mental health aspects, report writing and internship opportunities.
Unlike the school’s criminal justice associate degree, which lays the groundwork for a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college, the associate of applied science degree is designed to be completed in as little as two years. “It is an instrumental way to get college courses for criminal justice and still get into the workplace as soon as possible or for someone already working in the field to advance his or her career,” Senter said.
The information sessions are at 11-11:45 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1, in the college’s Foundation Board Room, and 1-1:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7, in Room 101 in the Student Center. Jackson State’s fall semester begins Monday, Aug. 27. Students must be enrolled by the previous week.
The program has been approved by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Jackson State’s accrediting agency.