The Administration of Justice Program (AOJ) is designed to provide professional courses in AOJ fields for the pre-service student, and for the criminal justice employee preparing for promotional exams or to upgrade or maintain skills and knowledge. At Shasta College, you will receive occupational training for both the entrance and promotional levels of AOJ agencies and allied services. With additional general education courses, you will also be able to fulfill the requirements to transfer to a four-year college with junior standing. A variety of agencies exist at the federal, state and local levels of government; and also through private industry.
This degree is approved through the California Community College Chancellor’s Office. Upon satisfactory completion of all degree requirements and filing an application for graduation with Admissions and Records, the student’s transcript will reflect completion of this degree.
Choose your path
Map your education by viewing the program map for the degree or certificate you’re interested in earning below. Meet with a counselor to create your official comprehensive education plan.
A program map shows all the required and recommended courses you need to graduate and a suggested order in which you should take them. The suggested sequence of courses is based on enrollment and includes all major and general education courses required for the degree.
Fall Semester, First Year
14Units Total
ENGL 1A
GE
General Education
4
4 Units
Reading & Composition
ENGL 1A
Units4
This course is the transferable course in composition currently offered to qualified freshmen at practically all American colleges and universities. It presupposes that the students already have a substantial grasp of grammar, syntax, and organization, and that their writing is reasonably free from errors. The course concentrates on developing effective writing and reading. A library research paper is required for successful completion of the course.
This composition class is also taught by Distance Learning. In these sections of ENGL 1A, students will be required to attend class lecture/discussion in a virtual on-line classroom instead of physically attending in a classroom. This will require participation through a text-only Internet connection utilizing a WebCT classroom. Minimum requirement: ability to access World Wide Web addresses. Students may access WebCT through any Internet ramp, including Personal Computer or Web T.V. connection or any Internet connection accessible through the local library, work, school, etc.
Advisory: A grade of C or higher in ENGL 190, or English Placement Level 6 or higher.
An introductory course in statistics designed to show the role of modern statistical methods in the process of decision making. Concepts are introduced by example rather than by rigorous mathematical theory. The following topics will be covered: measures of central tendency and dispersion, regression and correlation, probability, sampling distributions including the normal, t, and chi-square, statistical inference using confidence intervals and hypotheses testing. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
The history and philosophy of administration of justice in America. Recapitulation of the system, identifying the various sub-systems, role expectations, and their inter-relationships; theories of crime, punishment, and rehabilitation ethics, education and the training for professionalism in the system. This course may be offered in a distance learning format. Required for Administration of Justice majors.
Origin, development and philosophy of evidence; kinds and degrees of evidence, and rules governing admissibility; judicial decisions interpreting individual rights, search and seizure, the case study approach, privileged communication and witness competency. Required for Administration of Justice majors.
Advisory: A grade of C or higher in ENGL 190 or English Placement Level 6 or higher.
This course is an introduction to the process of human communication with emphasis on public speaking. Subjects covered are audience analysis, choosing speech topics, finding and using supporting materials, arranging and outlining related points, essentials of speech delivery and evaluation. College level writing skills will be expected on all papers, outlines and short essays.
This course offers an analysis of the doctrines of criminal liability in the United States and the classification of crimes against persons, property, morals, and public welfare. Special emphasis is placed on the classification of crime, the general elements of crime, the definitions of common and statutory law, and the nature of acceptable evidence. This course utilizes case law and case studies to introduce students to criminal law. The completion of this course offers a foundation upon which upper-division criminal justice courses will build. The course will also include some limited discussion of prosecution and defense decision making, criminal culpability, and defenses to crimes. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
This course examines the complex, dynamic relationships between communities and the justice system in addressing crime and conflict with emphasis on the challenges and prospects of administering justice within a diverse, multicultural population and the roles played by race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, social class, culture, and justice professionals in shaping relationships within the justice system. Special topics include crime prevention, restorative justice, and conflict resolution and pure justice. Required for Administration of Justice majors. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
This course is designed to acquaint students with current employment techniques and standards in multiple areas of the Administration of Justice field. Students will be exposed to multi-agency recruiting, testing and hiring practices. Students will learn to identify personal challenges regarding these practices and will be instructed as to how to seek out and obtain possible solutions to these problems. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
Advisory: ENGL 196 with a grade of C or higher, or English Placement Level 6 or higher
This course is a comparative survey of the major ancient world civilizations which developed between 3500 B.C.E. and 1500 C.E. It examines political institutions, religious ideologies, the rise and fall of empires, and the major cultural innovations of each of the major world civilizations. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
Advisory: Students who wish to add a lab component to this class should co-enroll in AGNR 61.
This course is an introduction to the conservation or wise use of natural resources and incorporates discussions about the complex relationships of man to the environment. Students will learn about the diverse agencies that manage our resources along with their history and philosophies. Each of the major natural resources such as water, air, energy, forests, wildlife, agriculture, and soils will be covered and students will learn about the environmental policy and laws that govern use of these resources. An emphasis is placed on the practical components of Environmental Science as it relates to social and economic aspects of conservation. This course may be offered in a distance learning format.
A study of California and federal courts systems, detailed analysis of all aspects of the criminal justice system, especially identifying functions and relationships between the various sub-systems procedures from incident to final disposition; function of constitutional, federal, state, and civil law as it applies to and affects criminal justice. Required for Administration of Justice majors.
The study of basic principles of all types of investigation utilized in the justice system. Coverage will include human aspects in dealing with the public, specific knowledge necessary for handling crime scenes; interviews, evidence, surveillance, follow-up, technical resources, ethical issues in investigations and case preparation. Required for Administration of Justice majors.
This course will explore the Administration of Justice system and the development of drug policy and drug problems. This will include drug identification, drug user recognition, drug effects, narcotic enforcement, drug prosecution, drug treatment, rehabilitation, and education. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
Course focuses on critical thinking skills, close textual analysis, and expository and argumentative writing. Students apply critical thinking skills in reading non-fiction and fiction, and in writing essays of definition, cause/effect analysis, argumentation, refutation, and advocacy. Students will learn to use research strategies in analyzing others' ideas and supporting their own. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
Advisory: A grade of C or higher in ENGL 190 or English Placement Level 6 or higher.
PSYC 1A is the basic introductory course for the study of psychology as a science and as a profession. It provides both a general survey and intensive introduction to these concepts and elementary principles which are unique to psychology. Topics include perception, learning, development, motivation, personality, abnormal behavior, and biological and social bases of behavior. This course is also offered as Distance Education but is the same in content as that offered on campus.
This course is an examination of the motion picture as an art form. This course offers a concise introduction to the history of film against the broader changes in popular culture since the late nineteenth century. Students will see how elements of film can provide valuable insights into how movies communicate and convey meaning to their audiences using a unique network of techniques. Students will see how film, film genres, and developments within the film industry offer a first-hand look at how specific films illuminate important aspects of philosophical, historical, aesthetic, and social life and analyze how film connects with the larger world. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
Advisory: ENGL 190 with a grade of C or higher, or English Placement Level 6 or higher
Provides practical instruction and experience in the proper techniques of report writing and courtroom presentation of evidence. Major emphasis will include the correct writing process, spelling, main elements of a report, report content, as well as important aspects of courtroom testimony. Required for Administration of Justice majors. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
This course covers the organization, function, and jurisdiction of juvenile agencies; the processing and detention of juveniles; juvenile case disposition; and juvenile status and court procedures. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
Limitation on Enrollment: Financial aid students must maintain concurrent enrollment in seven (7) units which include worksite learning units. Students not receiving financial aid do not need to enroll in other courses in order to participate in Worksite Learning Classes.
The Administration of Justice Vocational Worksite Learning course allows the student to gain on-the-job experience through employment/volunteerism at an approved administration of justice job site that is acquired by the student and related to the student's major. A faculty member supervises all WSL courses to ensure that the work experience is of educational value. The course stresses good work habits and meeting of competencies through actual on-the-job performance. A student may earn up to 16 units through repeating this course since course content varies and skills are enhanced by supervised repetition and practice. A maximum of 8 units may be earned in a single semester.
This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of race and ethnicity in the United States. It examines social justice movements in relation to ethnic and racial groups in the United States to provide a basis for a better understanding of the socioeconomic, cultural, and political conditions among key social groups including, but not limited to, Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latina/o Americans. This course examines the systemic nature of racial/ethnic oppression through an examination of key concepts including racialization and ethnocentrism, with a specific focus on the persistence of white supremacy. Using an anti-racist framework, the course will examine historical and contemporary social movements dedicated to the decolonization of social institutions, resistance, and social justice. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
Please see a counselor to discuss options for meeting general education requirements for transfer to California State Universities (CSU) and/or University of California (UC) campuses, as well as any specific additional courses that may be required by your chosen institution of transfer.
*Alternative Courses: Please see a Shasta College counselor for alternative course options. You can also view the following to find other courses to meet degree/certificate requirements: