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Criminal Justice Transfer Pathway

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Academics > Criminal Justice > Criminal Justice Transfer Pathway

Career Area: Education & Human Services
Program: Criminal Justice
Campus(es): Online


Major Details

Courses

Cost

Careers

Outcomes

Highlights

Instructors

Media

Criminal justice is, at its core, a human services field. The diverse members of this growing career field successfully combine a strong desire to help others with a powerful drive to create a more just society.

If you're planning a career in criminal justice with opportunities for advancement, the Criminal Justice Transfer Pathway Associate of Science degree at Minnesota State College Southeast is a great way to begin. Our faculty members have decades of combined experience in the three main components of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, the courts, and corrections.

Students in this 100% online program are well-prepared for further study toward completion of a bachelor's degree at a Minnesota State university. You'll transfer seamlessly with a flexible, affordable combination of criminal justice classes and the 40-credit Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) package.

The MSC Southeast Criminal Justice Transfer Pathway AS is for current and future criminal justice professionals, taught by criminal justice professionals. Start your journey with us!

Apply now for admission to MSC Southeast

Transfer Pathways

The Criminal Justice Transfer Pathway AS offers students a powerful option: the opportunity to complete an Associate of Science degree with course credits that directly transfer to related bachelor's degree programs at Minnesota State universities.

The curriculum has been specifically designed so that students completing this pathway degree and transferring to one of the seven Minnesota State universities enter the university with junior-year status.

All courses in the Transfer Pathway associate degree will directly transfer and apply to the designated bachelor’s degree programs in a related field.

The Criminal Justice Transfer Pathway (AS) degree transfers to the following 4-year degree programs:
Transfer College4-Year Degree Name
Bemidji State UniversityCriminal Justice, BS
Metropolitan State UniversityCriminal Justice, BA
Minnesota State University, MankatoCriminal Justice-Law Enforcement, BS
Minnesota State University, MoorheadCriminal Justice, BA
Southwest Minnesota State UniversityLaw Enforcement Administration, BAS
St. Cloud State UniversityCriminal Justice, BA
Winona State UniversityCriminal Justice-Law Enforcement, BS
Cluster/Pathway
Career Field: Human Services
Cluster: Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security
Pathway: Law Enforcement Services
Recommended high school classes and basic job/program skills

Download the Program Plan

Courses

Associate of Science Degree General Requirements for Criminal Justice Transfer Pathway

  1. A minimum of 60 semester credits.
  2. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
  3. A minimum cumulative MnTC GPA of 2.0.
  4. A minimum of 20 semester credits applied toward the degree must be taken at Minnesota State College Southeast.
  5. Completion of the specific degree requirements below.

Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) Requirements - A minimum of 40 credits to complete the MnTC required 6 goal areas for the AS degree. A MnTC course may satisfy more than one goal area; however, the credits only count once.

CORE GOAL AREAS:

Goal 1 Communication (Three courses) - 9 credits 

  • ENGL1215 - College Writing 1 (3 credits)  
  • ENGL2525 - College Writing 2 (3 credits)  
  • COMM1218 College Speech OR COMM1228 Interpersonal Communications  

Goal 2 Critical Thinking (met when 40 MnTC credits satisfying all 10 goal areas have been completed)

Goal 3 Natural Science (Two science courses from at least two different subject areas. One course must have a traditional lab and the other must have a traditional lab or lab-like experience.) - 6-8 credits 

Goal 4 Mathematical/Logical Reasoning (One course) - 3 credits 

  • MATH1230 Introduction to Statistics  

Goal 5 History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences (Three courses from at least two different subject areas) - 9 credits

  • PSYC1110  Introduction to Psychology (3 credits) 
  • SOCS1110 Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)
  • See restricted elective below (3 credits)

Goal 6 The Humanities and Fine Arts (3 courses from at least two different subject areas) - 9 credits 

  • HUMA1125 Moral Problems (3 credits)

Additional Goal 6 courses (6)

THEME GOAL AREAS:   

Goal 7 Human Diversity (One course/Satisfied by SOCS1110) - 3 credits 

Goal 8 Global Perspective (One course) - 3 credits 

Goal 9 Ethical and Civic Responsibility (One course/Satisfied by HUMA1125) - 3 credits 

Goal 10 People and the Environment (One course) -3 credits

Restricted Elective: (select one course from the following Goal 5 options to satisfy Elective B: Stratification course):

  • SOCS2525 Social Deviance (3 credits)
  • SOCS2545 Diversity and Social Change (3 credits)

Total minimum credits to complete the MnTC ten goal areas: 40 credits

In addition to completing the MnTC, the remaining 20 credits will include:

  • CJSP1102 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 credits)
  • CJSP1220 *Police and Community (3 credits)
  • CJSP1230 Introduction to Corrections (3 credits)
  • CJSP2104 Introduction to Criminology/Criminal Behavior (3 credits)
  • CJSP2110 *Juvenile Justice/Delinquency (3 credits)
  • CJSP2205 Criminal Law and Procedures (3 credits)
  • INSP1525 Career and Educational Planning (1 credit)
  • HLTH elective (1 credit)

*Satisfies Elective A (Contemporary social issues course)

Estimated Costs for this Major
Approximate Tuition/Fees:$12,932
Minimum Tool Cost:N/A
Books/Supplies:$620
Estimated Total:$13,552
 

 

Career Opportunities

Students will generally go on to complete a bachelor's degree or higher. A degree in Criminal Justice can lead to a wide variety of career fields, including:

  • Corrections Officer
  • Correctional Treatment Specialist
  • Probation Officer
  • Local Police Department
  • Human Services positions
  • State and Federal Agencies
  • Security Officer

Career Information

Use the MN DEED Career and Education Explorer Data Tool to learn about wages, job growth, and much more in this career field.

Outcomes

  1. Understand how the criminal justice system works and how public opinion influences policies for responding to crime
  2. Understand the numerous components of criminal justice system
  3. Understand the causation of friction between community and police such as political influence, corruption, policy/law discretion, and discriminatory acts
  4. Understand the sociological, psychological and biological perspectives on the causation of crime and criminal behavior
  5. Understand hiring practices, training evolutions, subcultures, attitudes and orientation of criminal justice professionals

Highlights

  • Experienced instructors in a supportive learning environment
  • Exploration of the roles of law enforcement, courts, and corrections agencies
  • Completion of the MnTC and core criminal justice courses
  • 100% online

Instructors

Gregory Cady
M.S., Criminal Justice, St. Cloud State University
B.E.S., Sociology and Criminal Justice, St. Cloud State University
Greg Cady began teaching at MSC Southeast as an adjunct instructor in 2004, moving to a full-time tenure track position in 2007. Prior to joining the teaching team, he dedicated 18 years in various positions within the criminal justice profession in California and Minnesota. Greg is a retired commissioned officer from the U.S. Navy with 30 years of service.
Tamra Graham
J.D., William Mitchell College of Law
B.A., Music, University of Alaska-Anchorage
Tamra Graham was a President's Scholar at William Mitchell College of Law. She has worked in both the public and private legal sectors. Since 2005, she has taught political science, philosophy, and criminal justice courses MSC Southeast. She was raised in Alaska and enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, and many outdoor activities, including geocaching.
Travis Volkman
Travis Volkman began teaching at MSC Southeast in 2013 as an adjunct instructor. Travis brings with him over 14 years of law enforcement experience in the criminal justice system; currently employed with the Goodview Police Department and assigned as an Investigator and Computer Forensics Examiner with the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. In addition to providing presentations about internet crimes against children, Travis teaches an online child exploitation class at Winona State University. Travis is the Field Training Program Coordinator for the Goodview, MN Police Department after having been employed in various rolls of the criminal justice system.
Tammy Wherley
M.A., Health and Human Services Administration, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
B.A., Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Tammy Wherley has been an adjunct instructor at MSC Southeast for more than 5 years. She began her career at the in 1997 as a Correctional Officer at Minnesota Correctional Facility-Red Wing, Minnesota's only state operated juvenile facility. She held various positions from Case Manager to Associate Warden of Administration at MCF-Oak Park Heights, MCF-Lino Lakes, and MCF-Stillwater, then returned to MCF-Red Wing as the Associate Warden of Operations in 2017.
Amy Whitcomb
M.S., Psychology, Western Illinois University
B.A., Psychology, Iowa Wesleyan College
A.A., Southeastern Community College, West Burlington, Iowa
An Iowa native, Amy Whitcomb has been teaching psychology since 1999, and began teaching at MSC Southeast in the fall of 2010. In the past, she has done counseling and social work, but decided she loved teaching far more than trying to save the world. While she is interested in most areas of psychology and criminal justice, social psychology and criminology are her favorites. In her spare time, she likes reading true crime accounts, watching true crime shows, listening to opera and classic rock, and spending time with her children. She has become an excellent cook, but remains unfulfilled by it.

Media

 

Other Majors in the Criminal Justice program

Criminal Justice AAS

Criminal Justice CERT

Criminal Justice DIP