School of Justice Studies
Department website: http://www.sbcc.edu/justicestudies/
Program Description
The School of Justice Studies (SoJS) prepares students for entry into the criminal justice system and related professions, as well as those transferring to the California State University (CSU) system, other four-year universities, or law school. Full college credit is granted for each course successfully completed, and an Associate in Science (A.S.) Degree or Certificate of Achievement is awarded upon completion of the respective program chosen.
The School of Justice Studies offers four A.S. degrees and three Certificates of Achievement.
- A.S. Degree or Certificate of Achievement: Criminology Emphasis - Ideally suited for students interested in understanding the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and society.
- A.S. Degree or Certificate of Achievement: Law Enforcement Emphasis - Ideally suited for students interested in understanding the nature of law enforcement as it pertains to enforcing and detecting crime, investigations, apprehending law violators, preparing a case for trial, and crime prevention.
- A.S. Degree or Certificate of Achievement: Legal Studies Emphasis - Ideally suited for students interested in understanding the history, philosophy, ethics, and practice of the American legal system.
- A.S.-T. Degree: Administration of Justice for Transfer - Designed for students who want to earn a Baccalaureate Degree in Criminal Justice. Students successfully completing an A.S.-T degree are guaranteed admission to a Criminal Justice program with junior standing at one of the California State University (CSU) campuses.
Associate Degree for Transfer
Associate Degrees
- Administration of Justice, Associate of Arts or Science (AA/AS): Law Enforcement Emphasis
- Administration of Justice, Associate of Science (AS): Criminology Emphasis
- Administration of Justice, Associate of Science (AS): Legal Studies Emphasis
Certificates of Achievement
Justice Studies (AJ)
AJ 101 Introduction To The Administration Of Justice (3 Units)
Course Advisories: Eligibility for ENG 110 or 110H.
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Comprehensive introduction to the history, functions, structures, processes and interactions of the basic components of the criminal justice system. Required course for majors.
SBCC General Education: SBCCGE Area B
Transfer Information: CSUGE Area D0, IGETC Area 4J, CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 102 Ethics In The Criminal Justice System (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Examination of the types and history of ethical theories and development of moral and ethical behavior for criminal justice practitioners. Students learn how to analyze an ethical dilemma and apply this process to contemporary law enforcement issues..
SBCC General Education: SBCCGE Area B
Transfer Information: CSUGE Area D0, CSUGE Area D8, IGETC Area 4J, CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 103 Legal Aspects Of Evidence and Procedure (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Covers the development, philosophy and constitutional basis of evidence and criminal procedure; legal considerations affecting arrest, search and seizure; kind and degrees of evidence; rules governing admissibility; judicial decisions interpreting individual rights; case studies; major stages of criminal justice processes.
Transfer Information: CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 104 Introduction to Corrections (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Examines major types of crime and criminal behavior, characteristics of offenders, factors that contribute to crime and delinquency, and the role of probation and parole. Analyzes historical changes in crime control, treatment and punishment.
SBCC General Education: SBCCGE Area B
Transfer Information: CSUGE Area D0, IGETC Area 4J, CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 105 Diversity, Law and Justice (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Legal perspectives on cultural diversity in the U.S., including race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion, disability and sexual orientation. Examines historical and contemporary laws cases that have shaped how these groups interact within society. Analysis of the role the criminal and civil justice systems plays in determining the status of minority groups and their relationship to the law.
SBCC General Education: SBCCGE Area C, SBCCGE Area E5
Transfer Information: CSUGE Area D3, CSUGE Area D8, IGETC Area 4C, IGETC Area 4H, CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 107 Concepts Of Criminal Law (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Historical development and philosophy of law and constitutional provisions; definitions, classifications of crimes, and their application to the system of administration of justice; legal research, study of case law, methodology, and concepts of law as a social force.
Transfer Information: CSUGE Area D8, IGETC Area 4J, CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 110 Introduction To Forensics (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Use of science and technology to investigate and establish facts in courts of law, with emphasis on examination and analysis of physical evidence. Explores the history of forensics, crime scene management, and various scientific techniques used to analyze the evidentiary value of items found during an investigation.
Transfer Information: CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 111 Criminal Investigation (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Fundamentals of investigation; techniques of crime scene search and recording; collection and preservation of evidence; modus operandi processes, sources of information and follow-up investigation.
Transfer Information: CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 113 Community Relations (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Examines the relationship between communities and the justice system in addressing crime and conflict. Emphasis on the challenges and prospects of administering justice within a diverse multicultural population. Topics include the consensus and conflicting values in cultural, religion, and law.
Transfer Information: CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 125 Introduction To Criminology (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Examines the relationship between communities and the justice system in addressing crime and conflict. Emphasis on the challenges and prospects of administering justice within a diverse multicultural population. Topics include the consensus and conflicting values in cultural, religion, and law.
SBCC General Education: SBCCGE Area B
Transfer Information: CSUGE Area D0, IGETC Area 4J, CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 245 Constitutional Law (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Critical study, analysis and evaluation of landmark cases of the U.S. Supreme Court. The logic and fallacies of the interpretive reasoning processes utilized by the court in reaching its decisions. Emphasis on the protection of individual rights and privileges contained in the Bill of Rights, and an understanding of the formal and informal thinking processes applied to judicial interpretation.
SBCC General Education: SBCCGE Area B
Transfer Information: CSUGE Area D8, CSU US-2, IGETC Area 4H, CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 250 The Study of Murder (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Historical and contemporary analysis of criminal homicide by examining the nature and extent of murder, including serial murder and sex crime-related murder.
Transfer Information: CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 255 Terrorism And The Criminal Justice System (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Historical perspectives and current terrorist threats and challenges; major terrorist groups and their strategies; limits on military and civilian authority; future trends and law enforcement responses.
SBCC General Education: SBCCGE Area B
Transfer Information: CSUGE Area D0, CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 265 Crime and Human Behavior (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Examines the application of psychology to crime and the criminal justice system. Analysis includes areas of intersection between the fields of psychology and criminal justice, the role of psychologists in the criminal justice system, the use of psychological concepts in court, and the psychology of criminal behavior.
SBCC General Education: SBCCGE Area B
Transfer Information: CSUGE Area D0, CSUGE Area D9, CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 271 The Study of Evil (3 Units)
Hours: 54 (54 lecture)
Examination of legal and societal interest in defining, identifying and punishing "evil" people and their actions. Identifies cultural contexts of evil from sociological, psychological, philosophical, biological and neuroscience perspectives. Focus on historical events, with analysis of the various definitions of evil. Analyzes how societies respond to such behaviors, and how the C.J. system is impacted.
Transfer Information: CSUGE Area D7, IGETC Area 4, CSU Transferable, UC Transferable
AJ 290 Work Experience In Administration Of Justice (3 Units)
Hours: 225 (225 lab)
Consists of supervised employment for students whose career objectives, course of study, and employment complement each other. One unit of credit is earned for each 75 hours of supervised on-the-job experience. Students must accomplish specific course objectives. Class meetings on campus will be scheduled each semester. Course restricted to 3 repetitions
Transfer Information: CSU Transferable