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About the Criminal Justice Associate Degree Curriculum
This degree in criminal justice analyzes the American criminal justice system and applies scholarly research to the prevention, policing, investigation, and correction of criminal behavior. The system involves players including local and state police officers, federal agents and investigators, court systems, correctional officers, and probation officers. When you earn your associate degree in criminal justice at AMU, you will deepen your understanding of each of these players’ unique roles, how they operate individually, and their connections to one another.
Furthermore, AMU’s criminal justice major delves into the relationship between our Constitution and the powers, duties, and limitations of criminal justice professionals. Students examine the responsibilities of police departments, while also studying leadership strategies, criminal procedure, and the inner workings of U.S. criminal court systems.
Criminal justice degrees bridge theory and research to real-world situations in the field of law enforcement and criminal justice. Courses provide valuable insight into the most pressing criminal justice topics.
What Classes Are Required For an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice?
This program is designed to provide an understanding of the theories, practices, and skills often associated with law enforcement officers, investigators, and federal agents. From crime prevention and criminal procedure to Incident Command Systems (ICS) for crisis management, the information you will study while earning this college degree has applications extending far and wide beyond academia. As you learn how leaders problem-solve in high-stakes situations, your assignments will help equip you with the knowledge to do the same.
AMU’s associate degree curriculum combines general education and lower-level electives with courses focusing on topics such as the following:
- Introduction to Law Enforcement
- Evidence and Procedures
- Criminal Justice Administration
- Juvenile Delinquency
- Intercultural Communication
- Emergency and Disaster Incident Command
- Introduction to the Courts
Before graduating with this AA, sophomores will complete a final approved academic project or paper to demonstrate proficiency in the topics covered throughout the program.
Why Get This Online Associate Degree?
You will examine the systems in place to defend public safety in a post-9/11 world. This 60-credit program combines elements of psychology, social sciences, history, leadership strategies, and ethics with the fundamentals of criminal law.
Courses are led by faculty members who bring first-hand experience—from the military, law enforcement, corrections, and government agencies—into the virtual classroom. Whether you’re looking to expand upon prior military, police academy, or public safety training, or you seek an introduction to the world of law and order, AMU’s program can be a practical choice.
As you progress through the criminal justice curriculum, you will deepen your understanding of criminal behavior, terrorism, and the ongoing efforts to combat both.
The topics covered throughout this program may be of particular interest to those who’ve served as military police, NCIS special agents, or military corrections officers—however it is not necessary to possess field experience prior to enrolling in this online criminal justice degree.
AMU’s program employs a scholar-practitioner model: Courses are led by instructors whose own hands-on experience in the criminal justice field offers a unique, expert perspective on the academic research this program explores. Additionally, this associate degree is designed as a thorough, introductory-level overview of the criminal justice field.
Students who are not yet sure which bachelor’s degree program concentration they would like to pursue may opt to first complete this associate degree to help make an informed decision.
As part of the accredited1 American Public University System (APUS), AMU is committed to providing higher education in an affordable, convenient format. Our founder, James P. Etter, is a retired Marine Corps officer who recognized the lack of accessibility traditional universities offered to adult learners—particularly active-duty military members. Etter built AMU with the goal of creating a military-friendly institution.
Although students do not need to be enlisted in the military to pursue a criminal justice degree online at AMU, our online programs are designed to allow for the flexibility required by active-duty servicemembers and military spouses/families.
AMU’s faculty consists of many brave men and women who’ve served in the military and, as veterans themselves, understand the challenges of both active duty and transitioning back to civilian life.
To further support servicemembers and military families, AMU offers a military tuition rate that offsets the cost of this criminal justice degree.
1 American Public University System (APUS) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. AMU is a part of APUS
6 Key Benefits of Earning Your Associate Degree in Criminal Justice Online at AMU
1. Work at Your Own Pace
Online courses start each month and have no set login times, making it easy and convenient for you to earn your AA. Students can also transfer up to 45 credits to complete this criminal justice associate degree program even faster.
2. Gain 24/7 Access to Coursework
Due to the online nature of this program, students can access the coursework and University library resources anytime, anywhere they have internet access.
3. Receive an Affordable Education
As an online university, AMU is able to provide criminal justice students with a quality education for an affordable rate. Not only is AMU’s cost-per-credit-hour attractive, but our Everyday Heroes Grant provides police, fire, and EMS personnel and their families with a 10% tuition grant. Military servicemembers and their families are also eligible for our Preferred Military Rate of $250 per credit hour for undergraduate and master's-level courses. In addition, several financing options can assist price-conscious students in earning their AA in criminal justice.
4. Attend Class Wherever You Are
Earning your criminal justice associate degree online at AMU means you’ll never have to spend time commuting or looking for parking—work online to complete your weekly assignments on your schedule.
5. Network With Like-Minded Individuals
Despite its online format, this AA in criminal justice program facilitates a sense of community among its students and faculty. Each week, you’ll engage with classmates and instructors via online discussion boards. Additionally, all AMU students have access to career coaching services through the University.
6. Lay the Groundwork For Advanced Education
Beyond this AA, criminal justice students may continue their studies with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science in criminal justice—both of which are offered online at AMU.
The bachelor of arts (BA) in criminal justice allows students to select one of the following degree concentrations:
- Entrepreneurship
- General (Criminal Justice)
- Maritime Law Enforcement
- Organizational Law Enforcement Leadership
Alternatively, the bachelor of science in criminal justice concentrates on digital forensics. Both baccalaureate degrees, of course, can help students prepare for AMU’s online master of arts (MA) in criminal justice.
Public Safety Professionals and Their Family Members Are Eligible For AMU’s Everyday Heroes Grant
The Everyday Heroes Grant is a 10% tuition grant offered by the University in recognition of the dedication and commitment demonstrated by police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel. These public safety professionals—as well as their parents, spouses, legal partners, siblings, and dependents—may apply the Everyday Heroes Grant to any undergraduate or master’s-level program at AMU.
Request information to learn more about how AMU’s Everyday Heroes Grant can help minimize the total cost of earning your associate degree.
NOTE: The Everyday Heroes Grant cannot be combined with other university grant offers. Only one tuition grant can be applied per course registration.
Financing, Loans, and Additional Ways to Pay For Your Associate’s in Criminal Justice
Criminal justice students often come from a military background, and thus may qualify for GI Bill® benefits3. Veterans also receive a Veteran Grant, while active-duty military members, National Guard members, and Reservists are eligible for AMU’s Preferred Military Rate.
Those who do not have military experience may qualify for the following payment solutions:
Students may also pay out of pocket for this associate degree. AMU accepts credit cards, e-checks, digital payments, and automatic debit plans (with 8- and 16-week schedule options). Tuition and fees are due at the time of course registration.
3GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Applying Transfer Credits Towards Your AA
You may transfer up to 45 credits when earning your associate degree at AMU. The University may award college credit for any of the following1:
- Military service and education
- Professional training and certification
- Government training
- Public safety training
Additionally, students who’ve already earned outside credits1 through accredited institutions—or by passing eligible exams—may have the opportunity to apply transfer credits toward their AA. Criminal justice professionals who already have relevant work experience and are interested in this degree may also enroll in AMU’s Prior Learning Assessment program, through which academic credit may be awarded for knowledge acquired while working in the criminal justice profession.
Frequently Asked Questions
Essentially, the criminal justice discipline examines the systems in place (i.e., police departments, federal agencies, criminal courts, etc.) to mitigate crime, whereas criminology analyzes criminal behavior itself. Inevitably, there may be a slight overlap in coursework between the two disciplines, as they are somewhat related.
While each degree is an associate degree in criminal justice, the AA generally focuses on liberal arts subjects and the humanities, while AS or associate of science in criminal justice programs include more science/math courses. Often, the AA degree is used to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program.
Once you’ve completed your AA, criminal justice bachelor’s degree programs are a natural next step. In fact, this online criminal justice associate degree can lay the groundwork for either AMU’s BS or BA in criminal justice. Best of all, the credits you’ve earned from this associate program can be easily applied to your baccalaureate.