Additional information available on the Criminal Justice Department website.
Recommended basic skills courses are
The Criminal Justice Program at PPCC is designed to upgrade the skills and knowledge of employed criminal justice professionals, and to provide a pre-employment or transfer program to students interested in the field, or in continuing on to a four-year school.
The student seeking an AAS degree, or the professional employed in the field can upgrade their skills for hiring, advancement and promotion. PPCC offers one of the broadest ranges of course offerings in the nation.
An AAS degree from PPCC will open doors into many opportunities in law enforcement at the state, federal and local level. Our students have gone on to careers in Criminal Investigations, as Crime Scene Investigators, Corrections officers, State and Federal Probation and Parole officers, and many others. Several PPCC graduates have advanced to become chiefs of police and sheriffs.
Students should realize, however, that a degree from PPCC will not guarantee a position with an agency in the criminal justice field. Many agencies impose requirements other than education for employment. These requirements may be related to age, physical condition, height, weight and vision. The majority of employers in the criminal justice field will not hire persons with a felony conviction, or a lengthy history of drug use. Some arrests and/or convictions for certain crimes will also be disqualifiers. Employers in the field screen for certain psychological and personality traits, and many give pre-employment polygraph tests.
Prospective students with questions concerning the foregoing should consult with faculty advisors.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Criminal Justice program, students should be able to:
- Explain the origins of criminal behavior, society’s response to crime, and the consequences of crime to our society, utilizing multiple perspectives
- Explain social injustices and social harms within criminal justice systems
- Compare theoretical frameworks to the causes and prevention of crime, the processes of criminalization, and the impact that crime has on society
- Discuss the relationships between the courtroom and its procedures, the criminal law and issues of criminal procedure (due process vs. crime control)
- Document police-related activities through effective report-writing
- Differentiate and explain the key roles in the core criminal justice areas (law enforcement, law and corrections)
Content criteria, competencies, and student learning outcomes associated with the general education courses required for this degree can be found on the Colorado Department of Higher Education website.
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