This course of study is designed to prepare students for entry level positions in municipal and county law enforcement agencies (i.e. police or sheriff departments), and/or to transfer to Bachelor’s degree programs in Criminal Justice or related fields to prepare for federal or state-level law enforcement positions (i.e., FBI, DEA, INS, etc.)

Certificate of Achievement Requirements

Complete all Department Requirements for the Certificate of Achievement with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or better.  Candidates for a Certificate of Achievement are required to complete at least 20% of the department requirements through SBCC.

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the American criminal justice system and the scope of responsibilities of the various local, state and federal law enforcement agencies beginning with arrest through parole.
2. Articulate the system’s objectives, the crime problem, and role expectations of criminal justice personnel, and describe the various agencies and each subsystem within the system.
3. Describe the system’s responsibilities to the community, factors in crime causation, the social implications of crime and communication barriers between the system and the community.
4. Articulate the differences between the major criminological theories of the causes of crime and how those theories relate to policies toward crime and criminal behavior.
5. Analyze legal concepts and make rational decisions about case processing. Demonstrate knowledge of the rules of evidence, legal definitions and concepts of evidentiary law. Apply basic investigative proficiencies.
6. Demonstrate critical thinking and analytical skills acquired in the social sciences in preparation for continuance of college-level education.

Make an appointment with your SBCC academic counselor through Starfish to create a Student Education Plan that reflects a recommended course sequence for this program that is tailored to your individual needs.

How to schedule an Academic Counseling appointment.