Criminal Justice Core, Occupational Certificate

Program Information

Do you desire to make the world a better and safer place? Do you believe in justice and protection? If so, studying criminal justice at San Jacinto College is an excellent place to begin.

Our program prepares you for a variety of exciting and meaningful careers—law enforcement, emergency management, homeland security, corrections, probation, parole, and even social work. We offer a degree plan that prepares you for a career in criminal justice—one of the most popular, fascinating, and fastest growing fields. Choose this path, and you will be serving society with a chance to make the world a better place.

The San Jacinto College criminal justice program:

• Offers students a career that gives back to their community. When you study criminal justice at San Jacinto College, you are supporting safety as you train to serve as a professional in the criminal justice field;
• Prepares students to specialize in studies for their long-term goals that can lead to rewarding careers in social work, the FBI, pre-law, homeland security, and emergency management; and
• Is best for those individuals who want to pursue a challenging career in a criminal justice profession. Criminal justice is today’s new liberal arts degree.

The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree offers the educational foundation needed in policing, social work, corrections, probation and parole. In addition, there are certificates that focus on educational direction and are centered around professional fields.

A working police officer who has completed a basic police academy and passed the state’s licensing exam may be eligible to earn credit for prior learning through San Jacinto College once he or she completes six hours of criminal justice courses. Students may contact the Department Chair for more information.

Career Opportunities

• Police Officers
• Parole Officers
• Probation Officers
• Adult Protective Service Officers
• Child Protective Service Officers
• Social Workers
• Pre-law
• Emergency Management
• Homeland Security
• FBI

Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher: $16.06 per hour¹

Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office detention deputy: $18.05 per hour¹

Harris County detention officer: $35,071 to $50,132 per year²

Pasadena Police Department patrol officer starting salary:$55,680 per year³

Rosenberg Police Department police officer starting salary: $24.55 - $29.45 per hour⁴

Webster Police Department police officer cadet starting salary: $22.08 per hour ($45,926 per year)⁵

Webster Police Department police officer starting salary: $24.28 per hour ($50,519 per year) and $24.89 per hour ($51,781 per year) after six months probationary period.⁵

For more information, please contact Central campus, 281-476-1873; or North campus, 281-998-6150, x7435.

Campuses

Central Campus
North Campus

Information

Criminal justice is an interdisciplinary program with enough flexibility to permit students to pursue diverse interest within the system. For example, an Associate of Arts (AA) allows students interested in social work probation, parole, law, or law enforcement to have a foundational understanding before transfer to the university for a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. Students directed toward probation, parole or corrections work are advised to select courses from the transfer core. Students seeking an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Criminal Justice have the opportunity to earn three certificates on the pathway to that degree. The AAS transfers to a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science (BAAS) degree at many universities.

Occupational Certificate

The criminal justice department at San Jacinto Community College District has voluntarily implemented the Peace Officer Training Articulation Advisory committee (POTAAC) agreement to articulate 18 hours of college credit for licensed peace officers in Texas that meet the following qualifications:

• Successfully completed an approved 560-hour law enforcement training program;

• Successfully passed the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCLOE) licensing exam after 1983;

• Successfully completed six (6) semester hours of criminal justice at San Jacinto College; and

• Interested and qualified students should contact the department chair prior to enrollment.

The law enforcement option is for those students planning careers in criminal law, federal, state, or local law enforcement and for other students interested in learning about the operation of the criminal justice system.

Admission

No admission requirements.

Job entry requirements:

Some occupations in the criminal justice field require applicants to pass a background investigation, psychological exam, drug test, and physical examination.

Those entering law enforcement must pass all of the above as well as have no Class A or above convictions or no Class B convictions in the past 10 years.

Plan of Study

Central and North Campuses
6CRIJ-CORE

Capstone Experience: CRIJ 1306 Court Systems and Practices or CJSA 1313 Court Systems and Practices