Criminal Justice AAS

Serve and protect your community with a career in criminal justice. Gain crucial insight into the U.S. legal system, corrections, and probation while learning how to create a safer and more just society. Personalize your education to match your career goals.

Associate Degree

64 Credit Hours

In-Person

Hybrid

Program Overview

Learn how to make a positive impact on your community while gaining a strong background in criminal, procedural, and constitutional law. Our degree program teaches you how to communicate effectively with criminal justice professionals. You'll take courses in criminal law, corrections, probation practices, law enforcement, parole, and youth or community service. Discuss current issues in criminal justice and gain hands-on experience with the latest law enforcement technology, including mobile data terminals, body cams, and forensic tools.

Career Outlook

The criminal justice field offers a variety of rewarding career opportunities. Criminal justice professionals often work in areas such as law enforcement, the courts, security, probation, and corrections. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects demand for law enforcement professionals to grow 3% by 2030, with roughly 68,500 job openings available each year. The average salary for police and detectives was $66,000 in 2021. A four-year degree in criminal justice opens up additional career paths in forensics, criminology, and more.

Many graduates of our program work in law enforcement at state and local agencies. Others have careers in private security, the court system, and the U.S. Border Patrol. Some potential career options include:
- Correctional Officer
- Drug Enforcement
- Forensic Science Technician
- Police Officer
- Private Security
- Probation or Parole Officer
Curious about career pathways in this field? Check out Career Coach to learn more about industry job growth, education requirements, earning potential, and more.

Smooth Transfer to a Four-Year College

If you're considering a bachelor’s degree after FLCC, our academic advisors will help you connect with four-year schools and explore transfer options. We'll assist you in selecting courses that efficiently meet the requirements for both FLCC and your future college.
- Joint Admissions Agreements: These allow first-year students to gain admission to both FLCC and participating four-year schools at the same time. Gain peace of mind knowing your next step is set while you complete your associate degree with us.
- Transfer Articulation Agreements: These partnerships ensure your credits from FLCC will transfer directly and seamlessly to a partner four-year school. You can enter a bachelor’s program with full junior standing, saving you time and money.
VIEW TRANSFER AGREEMENTS

Where Our Students Transfer

Many students in our Criminal Justice program go on to complete a four-year degree at colleges such as:
- Nazareth College
- Roberts Wesleyan University
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- St. John Fisher University
- SUNY Brockport
- SUNY Canton
- SUNY Fredonia
- SUNY Oswego
- SUNY Potsdam
Earn College Credit for Prior Training

Reduce the time it takes to earn your Criminal Justice degree by receiving credits for prior education, training, and life experiences.
- BOCES program — Our partnership with the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) helps you earn college credit in high school.
- New Visions program — Complete a one-year criminal justice career exploration program to earn credits toward this degree.
- In-service credits — If you've served in the military, completed police officer training or corrections academy, or worked in a civil service position, you may qualify for prior learning credits.
- NYS Police Officers Academy — By completing a Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Police Officers Academy, you'll earn FLCC's NYS Law Enforcement certificate and 24 credits toward our AAS in Criminal Justice. This opportunity is ideal for Finger Lakes Law Enforcement Academy students studying at our main campus.
Real-World Experience with Community Partners

Complete a 225-hour co-op internship with one of our many city, county, and state partners. As long-standing members of the local community, our faculty have strong working relationships with law enforcement agencies, district attorney offices, public defender offices, and other criminal justice organizations in the Finger Lakes. Our internship program matches student interests with our community partner needs, so you'll gain first-hand experience doing meaningful justice work while shadowing experts.
Sample Courses

Visit our academic catalog for a complete listing of program requirements, including prerequisites, general education requirements, electives, and a sample schedule.

View Full Curriculum

Sample core courses you'll take in this program include:

Choose from Three Concentrations

Our flexible program lets you choose from three criminal justice specializations to learn the industry skills most relevant to your preferred career path. In addition to several core classes that all criminal justice students complete, you'll have the opportunity to advance your knowledge in one of the following concentrations:

Focus on criminal procedure and prepare for the police academy.

Learn about criminal procedures, investigation techniques, and the daily responsibilities of police work. This concentration prepares you for the NYS Police Officer / Deputy Sheriff Exam and an entry-level position with a law enforcement agency. After successfully completing an agency-sponsored police academy training, you'll begin your career as either a patrol officer or deputy sheriff.
Focus on correctional facilities administration and inmate supervision.

Discover what it takes to successfully manage the daily operations of a jail, prison, or other correctional institution. You'll learn how to enforce rules, supervise inmate activities, and maintain a safe environment. This concentration prepares you for the NYS Correction Officer Civil Service Exam and an entry-level position in a correctional facility. After successfully completing an agency-sponsored correctional services training academy, you'll begin your career as a correctional officer.
Focus on case management and how to appropriately respond to various offenses.

Study counseling techniques and communication strategies that can help rehabilitate people with criminal records. This track prepares you for the NYS Probation Officer Civil Service Exam and an entry-level position in probation work. Within the first six months of employment, you're required to complete two additional NYS training programs, which include the Fundamentals of Probation Practice and peace officer training.

Low-Cost Tuition and Scholarship Opportunities

Earn a quality education at an affordable rate. With our low cost per credit and general scholarship opportunities, you can maximize your potential with minimal debt. Our financial aid counselors will guide you through the process and help you understand college costs.

$5,376

per year for in-state tuition ($224 per credit hour).
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76%

of students are eligible for financial aid or scholarships.
Browse All Scholarships

$18M

in financial aid was disbursed to our students last year.
Learn About Financial Aid

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A counselor listens to a patient speaking. The counselor keeps notes of the conversation.

Criminal Justice

Program Overview

Career Outlook

Smooth Transfer to a Four-Year College

Where Our Students Transfer

Earn College Credit for Prior Training

Real-World Experience with Community Partners

Sample Courses

Choose from Three Concentrations

Low-Cost Tuition and Scholarship Opportunities

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