AS Criminology

Associate of Science Degree in Criminology

This two-year Associate of Science Degree in Criminology is designed for the student interested in transferring to a senior institution and completing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminology. The program combines a broad background of core Criminology courses with a sound liberal arts education. This degree may be used as the springboard for desired employment with federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, CIA, DEA, ATF or Federal Probation and parole as well as pre-law or political ambitions.

*Students should work closely with their advisors so that their career and academic goals are paired with the appropriate degrees.

Program Competencies

• Evaluate the functions and roles of various criminal justice practitioners in the operation of an ethical and professional system of justice that exists within a democratic society.

• Explore problems associated with providing justice in a diverse and stratified society.

• Dissect the history, functions, policies, and procedures used in each subsystem of justice and offer creative alternatives to current practice.

• Explicate the various crimes within the penal code and the potential punishments associated with each.

• Present a detailed explanation of the principles and philosophical structure of Criminal Law and the Rules of Evidence.

• Evaluate criminological theories of crime causation.

• Demonstrate developed skills in critical thinking, synthesis and analysis of informational sources concerning criminal law, policing, corrections, research, and social justice.

Program Assessment

Candidates for the Associate of Science degree in Criminology at Arkansas Northeastern College are required, as a condition of graduation, to participate in the outcomes assessments conducted by the academic units of the College, including general education. Students of the Criminology program are required to take the Area Concentration Achievement Test (ACAT) during their last semester.

Key Questions

Do you wish to be employed on the federal level?

• The AS in Criminology is the degree for you; careers on the federal level require at least a bachelor's degree and this degree transfers in its entirety to a four-year institution.

Do you wish to pursue a Bachelor's degree, Master's degree or Doctoral degree?

• The AS in Criminology includes all the general education courses required for a Bachelor's degree; the AAS does not.

Degree Transfer

The AS in Criminology is designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university to pursue a Bachelor's degree in the field of Criminology.

* For further information, please contact James Hartley at: jehartley@smail.anc.edu or call (870) 780-1208.