Administration of Justice - Associate of Arts (Major Code - AJS)

The Administration of Justice Associate of Arts degree is designed to prepare students for a wide variety of criminal justice career fields or for transfer into university degree programs. The degree also provides additional training for certified law enforcement and corrections professionals. To ensure seamless transfer, students must develop their specific program of study in close coordination with a Cochise College advisor.

Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program will be able to do the following:

  • Explain the historical development of American criminal law from its English common law roots to the present and explain the impact of history upon the modern-day criminal justice system in the United States.
  •  Define and effectively use all forms of American legal terminology.
  •  Describe the organization, characteristics, and career fields of the United States' system of criminal justice, including law enforcement, the courts, corrections, and juvenile justice.
  •  Identify the key provisions of the Bill of Rights and the United States' Constitution that pertain to civil liberties and civil rights and differentiate among competing theories of constitutional interpretation and judicial review.
  • Examine the fundamental ethical characteristics required in the criminal justice profession and demonstrate critical reasoning in the application of ethics to common criminal justice dilemmas.
  •  Analyze current issues and trends in crime rates, criminal behavior, and social trends as they impact the criminal justice process.  
  •  Appraise the relationship of socio-economic status, gender, and race and ethnicity to the definition of crime and to adjudication and sentencing.

Degree Map

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (AGEC-A) 35-37 CREDITS

Composition 6 credits

ENG 101Composition**

3

OR

ENG 101LComposition with Support Lab*

3

ENG 102English Composition**

3

Mathematics 3-5 credits

MAT 142College Mathematics***

3

OR

MAT 142LCollege Mathematics with Support Lab*

3

or higher (3-5 credits)

Laboratory Sciences 8 credits

Arts 3 credits

Humanities 3 credits

Social and Behavioral Sciences 6 credits

SOC 215Race and Ethnicity***

3

OR

PSY 210Social Psychology**

3

OR

SOC 202Social Problems***

3

Social and behavioral sciences

3

General Education Electives 4-6 credits

General education electives must be chosen from the general education list. See www.cochise.edu/AGEC.
COM 102Essentials of Communication**

3

General education electives

1-3

Six credits of arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, or general education electives must be chosen from the current listing of intensive writing courses. See www.cochise.edu/AGEC.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT 0-16 CREDITS

Non-English language second- or fourth-semester proficiency.

University non-English language requirements vary. Check with an advisor.

CORE CURRICULUM 21 CREDITS

AJS 101Introduction to Administration of Justice**

3

AJS 109Substantive Criminal Law*

3

AJS 126Ethics and Criminal Justice*

3

AJS 225Criminology*

3

AJS 230The Police Function*

3

AJS 240The Correction Function*

3

AJS 275Criminal Investigations*

3

ELECTIVES (AS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE DEGREE)

Elective courses must be transferable to the university or universities to which the student plans to transfer. See www.aztransfer.com.

TOTAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS 60-62 CREDITS