Associate Degree in Criminology

Criminology is a broad career choice that encompasses the fields of law enforcement, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, forensics, and a lot more. With a criminology degree, there is a myriad of job opportunities waiting for you at the bend on the road. The criminology academe is highly flexible as you can climb up the criminology professional ladder starting from a short course, escalating to higher forms of study. If you are looking for a short and quick course on criminology, an associate’s degree might be of interest to you.

What is an associate degree in criminology?

An associate’s degree is a short course in criminology that encompasses the basic and fundamental learning for a criminology profession. It is a good initial stepping stone for students who wish to start their criminology career the soonest time possible, while taking additional higher forms of studies in criminology after completion of an associate’s degree.

The degree program takes on minor subjects of a criminology degree. In most schools, the associate’s program partake 195 credit points or 10 units of elementary criminology subjects, including 60 credit points for practicum units and 45 credits points for elective courses.

What are the requirements for an associate degree in criminology?

Different schools may have different requirements for admission to any course. For an associate’s degree, we have listed below the usual requisites of most schools:

• High school grades. Most schools require general education subjects with a grade not less than C on English and communication subjects. Other criminology-related subjects that can be taken in high school may also be included, such as introduction to criminal law, political science, and the like. For such requirement, students must present their transcript of records to the respective criminology school.
• English proficiency tests. One of the fundamental requirements for admission to a criminology degree is test results of English proficiency examinations. This may take in the form of TOEFL, IELTS, and other such tests. Acceptable scores are to be commanded depending on the school.
• Physical examination. A career in criminology, even at the start of theoretical and practical studies, entails rigid physical activities. Hence, it is prudent that criminology students are sound in mind and body. Routine physical examinations are to be done prior to admission for checkup of overall health status.

How long does it take to finish?

The associate degree program may be taken part-time or full-time. For a full-time program, students may be able to finish the course in a normal span of 2 years. A maxed-out full-time schedule (above 16 credits per semester) may allow students to finish the course a semester less than the usual. Part-time and online associate’s degree allows for 2 to 3 years of study for completion.

What are the job opportunities with an associate degree in criminology?

There is a plethora of job opportunities awaiting students who has finished an associate’s degree. Career options available include fields in the police academy, private security, and law. Additional studies are needed for other jobs like forensics and federal law.