The Criminal Justice Associate of Arts degree program prepares graduates to begin careers in law enforcement, corrections, probation, and/or juvenile corrections. This curriculum can serve as a terminal occupational degree program for students seeking immediate employment in the private sector or in government agencies at the local, state, or national level. The balanced, liberal arts degree includes the study of law, criminal justice, social sciences, humanities, behavioral sciences, natural sciences, and general education courses. The degree can apply toward a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice or other majors at several of New Mexico’s four-year state universities. Students who plan to transfer to an upper-level institution should consult catalogs and advisors at those institutions to determine transferability of all courses taken at ENMU-Roswell.
The Associate of Arts (AA) degree in Criminal Justice transfers to a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences (BA or BS) degree program at ENMU.
Program Learning Outcomes
In addition to supporting institutional learning outcomes and building upon the foundational general education outcomes, upon completion of this program students will be able to:
- Describe the history, structure, and function of the criminal justice system in the United States.
- Discuss the role of law enforcement, court systems, corrections, and security in maintaining social order.
- Identify and describe crime-causation theories, various measures of crime and their reliability, and victimization theories.
- Describe fundamental principles, concepts, and terminology used in the criminal justice system.
- Apply basic analytical and critical-thinking skills to the evaluation of criminal justice issues, policies, trends, and disparities.