Criminal Justice

The Degrees

Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.)

Certificate Program

The Outlook

Employment opportunities in the criminal justice field are expected to increase at a rate faster than average through the year 2010. The Occupational Outlook Handbook reports that a more security-conscious society coupled with concerns about terrorism and drug-related crimes will influence this demand. Through the Criminal Justice Degree at Finger Lakes Community College, you can gain the academic knowledge and field experience needed for positions such as police officers, security guards, detectives, corrections officers, and special agents.

The Program

The Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Criminal Justice at FLCC is designed to provide you with the knowledge, understanding, and appreciation for statutory, procedural, and constitutional law. You will learn to communicate effectively with professionals in criminal justice and related agencies.

If you are interested in pursuing a baccalaureate degree in criminal justice at a four-year institution, you will find that the A.A.S. program is designed to focus on specific subject areas such as corrections, police science, probation, and youth and/or community service.

Course work

Courses in this degree program include criminal law, laws of evidence, family court, issues in constitutional law, juvenile justice, current practices in corrections, and criminology, to name a few.

Certificate Program

A certificate in Criminal Justice provides you with the opportunity to pursue studies in the law enforcement field and is fully transferable to the two-year degree program.

Required courses for the Criminal Justice Certificate are:

  • CJC 115  Law of Evidence (3 credits)
  • CJC 105  Criminal Law I (3 credits)
  • CJC 110  Criminal Law II (3 credits)
  • ENG 101  Freshman English(3 credits)
  • PSY 100  Intro to Psychology(3 credits)
  • SOC 100  Intro to Sociology (3 credits)

Honors Courses

In addition, the College offers honors courses that provide enhanced educational experiences for students who have demonstrated outstanding academic ability. Enrollment in honors courses is open to qualified students enrolled in this degree program, as well as all other qualified FLCC students. Successful completion of honors courses or an Honors Certificate may increase student transfer options to four-year institutions.

The Experience

The Cooperative Education Internship curriculum in the Criminal Justice program is designed to supplement and expand the theoretical and doctrinal concepts delivered in the classroom. Internships can be arranged at locations such as the Rochester Police Department, New York State Police Department, District Attorney's Offices in Ontario and Wayne Counties, and local County Sheriff's Departments.

The Graduates

Graduates of the program have become members of police departments in New York City, Rochester, and Washington, D.C., as well as County Sheriff's Departments, the New York State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshall's Office, and the United States Secret Service. They also obtain employment in the areas of security, courts, and probation.

Those transferring to four-year institutions in criminal justice have found success at SUNY College at Brockport, Rochester Institute of Technology, Roberts Wesleyan College, and John Jay College, to name a few.*

Salary: In the criminal justice field, salary levels vary greatly depending on experience, education, rank, specialty, and geographic region. The Occupational Outlook Handbook reports average annual salaries for police and sheriff’s patrol officers as approximately $39,000 and for correctional officers as approximately $31,000.

* This is a sampling of some of the four-year colleges and universities to which our students have transferred. Please consult your advisor or the Center for Advisement and Personal Development for a complete listing of transfer agreements between Finger Lakes Community College and four-year institutions.

The Scholarships

Students in the Criminal Justice degree program meeting specific criteria may qualify for a number of scholarships including the Becker-Strong Memorial, New York State Sheriff's Association, and the Anthony L. Cecere Memorial Scholarships. For details, contact a member of the Criminal Justice faculty or the Financial Aid Office.

The Faculty

The current academic faculty were practitioners in the field with over sixty years of empirical experience. All of the active adjunct faculty are working in the field of criminal justice on various levels. Our law classes are administered by an attorney with an advance law degree specializing in constitutional issues and the Supreme Court of the United States. The law enforcement classes are enhanced by two retired patrol supervisors: a retired sergeant from the Rochester, New York police department and a former sheriff’s sergeant from Monroe County. They bring urban experience to the classroom and a unique contemporary exposure to our classes.

Criminal Justice

Curriculum Requirements

Students are required to complete a minimum of 64 credit hours with a grade point average not less than C (2.0).

Internship requirement: Each full-time Criminal Justice student with a minimum 2.5 GPA must take one six-credit course in Cooperative Education during his/her third or fourth semester. (Those students who do not have a minimum 2.5 GPA will be required to take six additional credits in criminal justice courses.) Based on their areas of career choice, students will be assigned to an agency or department within the four-county Finger Lakes region. The Cooperative Education curriculum is designed to supplement and expand the theoretical and doctrinal concepts delivered in the classroom environment. Cooperative Education is offered during the Spring and Fall semesters.

Transfer students: Students currently enrolled at FLCC and wishing to transfer into the Criminal Justice program must complete a change-of major form during the pre-registration period. Students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0. A limited number of spaces are available.

Course requirements: All associate degree programs require English 101 Freshman English and English 102 Introduction to Literature. Students must pass skills assessment for entrance into these courses. Students who are well prepared may substitute ENG 104 English I Honors and ENG 105 English II Honors for ENG101 and ENG102. Students who are considering the English Honors sequence should consult the Director of Honors.

The student must successfully complete:

Humanities

  • ENG101 Freshman English and ENG 102 Introduction to Literature
    or
    ENG104 English I Honors and ENG105 English II Honors

Social Science

  • COM 110 Public Speaking
  • SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology
  • PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology
  • 6 credit hours of social science electives

Mathematics and Science

  • 3 credit hours of mathematics
  • 6 credit hours of science

Criminal Justice

  • CJC 100 Introduction to Criminal Justice
  • CJC 115 Law of Evidence
  • CJC 200 Cooperative Education
  • CJC 210 Family Court
  • CJC 105 Criminal Law I OR CJC 110 Criminal Law II

The balance of Criminal Justice courses will be selected from the following courses in consultation with an advisor. A total of 27 credit hours in Criminal Justice is required.

  • CJC 105 Criminal Law I OR CJC 110 Criminal Law II
  • CJC 117 Issues in Constitutional Law
  • CJC 120 Corrections Procedure
  • CJC 125 Juvenile Justice
  • CJC 130 Probation Administration
  • CJC 150 Arson I
  • CJC 161 Techniques of Physical Protection
  • CJC 205 Philosophy of Criminal Investigation
  • CJC 215 Current Practices in Corrections
  • CJC 220 Contemporary Practices in Probation
  • CJC 225 Police Community Relations
  • CJC 235 Criminology
  • CJC 250 Arson II
  • CJC 260 Security Management

Health/Physical Education Elective

  • Minimum of 4 credit hours

Electives

  • The remainder of required hours must be made up of approved electives.

Criminal Justice

Sample Schedule

The schedule below shows how the requirements for the A.A.S. Criminal Justice degree may be met in four semesters. This schedule is an example of one of many possible schedules that might be followed by a full-time student. Many students attending Finger Lakes Community College who have work and/or family obligations choose a different sequence of courses and take more than four semesters to fulfill the requirementsof the degree. Similarly, students who find they need to take some preparatory course work may plan a schedule that takes more than four semesters to complete. All students should consult their advisor when they plan their schedules.

First Semester (16 Credit hours)

  • ENG 101 Freshman English (3)
  • PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology (3)
  • SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology (3)
  • CJC 100 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3)
  • CJC 105 Criminal Law I (3)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

Second Semester (16 Credit hours)

  • ENG 102 Introduction to Literature (3)
  • CJC 110 Criminal Law II (3)
  • CJC 115 Law of Evidence (3)
  • Social Science Elective (3)
  • Mathematics Elective (3)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

Third Semester (16/17 Credit hours)

  • CJC 200 Cooperative Education (6)
  • Criminal Justice Elective (3)
  • Science Elective (3/4)
  • Social Science Elective (3)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

Fourth Semester (16/17 Credit hours)

  • COM 110 Public Speaking (3)
  • CJC 210 Family Court (3)
  • Criminal Justice Elective (3)
  • Science Elective (3/4)
  • General Elective (3)
  • Health/Physical Education Elective (1)

Subject Areas For Transfer Opportunities

Within the A.A.S. Criminal Justice degree program students may wish to select courses that reflect the students interests and goals. The articulation agreements which support transfer from Finger Lakes Community College to four-year institutions are discussed in more detail in the "Transfer Opportunities" section.

By appropriate course selection in consultation with a faculty advisor, students pursuing the A.A.S. Criminal Justice degree may prepare for transfer to upper-division study in the subject areas listed:

  • Police Science
  • Probation Assistant
  • Youth And/or Community Service
  • Officer Corrections