Program: Criminal Justice A.A.S. - Montcalm Community College

2025-2026 Catalog

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Apr 07, 2025

(Code 1255)

This associate of applied science degree program prepares graduates for careers in criminal justice. This program provides coursework designed to provide an understanding of criminal justice, while allowing students to obtain special work-related skills necessary for work in a variety of criminal justice positions with police, courts, and corrections. Specific paths within this degree program will allow students to transfer to a police academy, or into a bachelor’s degree program at Ferris State University or Grand Valley State University.

Students with a criminal record should consult with the State of Michigan to verify that they are eligible to work in this field. Students are encouraged to meet with an MCC counselor prior to starting this program for help with the verification process.

Upon completion of this program [CIP: 43.0102], graduates should be able to:

demonstrate Health Care Techniques.
demonstrate understanding of the criminal justice system.
demonstrate understanding of criminal law and legal issues.
demonstrate understanding of clients and client relations within the criminal justice system.
demonstrate understanding of communication techniques within the criminal justice system.
demonstrate basic investigative techniques.
demonstrate basic understanding of life-long fitness.

Please Note:

Prerequisite courses may apply to this program. A minimum of 60 unduplicated credits (100 level or higher) are required for all associate degree programs.

General Education Requirements

Life Skills

The following course prepares students to meet MCC’s General Education Goal of Demonstrating Competence in Life Skills (the skills needed to succeed in work-life including critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, professionalism, self-awareness, and self-management) and is required in the students’ first semester at MCC:

GNST 100 - Success Skills for the 21st Century 3 Credit:

Written Communication

The following Michigan Transfer Agreement Recommended Courses prepares students to meet MCC’s General Education Goal of Demonstrating Competence in Written Communication, one required:

ENGL 100 - Freshman English I 3 Credit:

Oral Communication

The following Michigan Transfer Agreement Recommended Courses prepare students to meet MCC’s General Education Goal of Demonstrating Competence in Oral Communication, choose one:

COMM 210 - Speech 3 Credit:
COMM 215 - Introduction to Human Communication 3 Credit:
COMM 220 - Interpersonal Communication 3 Credit:

Laboratory Science

The following Michigan Transfer Agreement Recommended Courses prepare students to meet MCC’s General Education Goal of Demonstrating Competence in Application of Scientific Methodologies, choose one:

BIOL 100 - Biological Science 4 Credit:
BIOL 107 - Human Biology 4 Credit:
BIOL 121 - College Biology I 4 Credit:
BIOL 122 - College Biology II 4 Credit:
BIOL 201 - Microbiology 4 Credit:
BIOL 202 - Anatomy & Physiology I 4 Credit:
BIOL 203 - Anatomy & Physiology II 4 Credit:
CHEM 105 - Survey of General Chemistry 4 Credit:
CHEM 220 - College Chemistry I 5 Credit:
ENVR 101 - Environmental Science (Lecture and Lab) 4 Credit:
PHYS 101 - Physical Science 4 Credit:
PHYS 230 - College Physics I 4 Credit:
Click here for additional courses that fulfill MCC’s Laboratory Science requirement but may have limited transferability.

Mathematics

The following courses prepare students to meet MCC’s General Education Goal of Demonstrating Competence in Basic Computational Methods and Mathematical Concepts and Applications (MATH190 is also a Michigan Transfer Agreement Recommended Course), choose one:

MATH 101 - Math for Everyday Life 4 Credit:
MATH 190 - Introductory Statistics 4 Credit:

Global and Cultural Awareness

The following Michigan Transfer Agreement Recommended Courses prepare students to meet MCC’s General Education Goal of Demonstrating Competence in Global and Cultural Awareness, two courses are required in total; divided amongst the subgroups below.

SOCIAL SCIENCE: Take:

POLI 240 - American Political System 3 Credit:

AND

HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS: Choose one

PHIL 221 - Philosophy of World Religions 3 Credit:
SPAN 130 - Elementary Spanish I 4 Credit:

Program Requirements

AHEA 100 - Emergency Health Care 1 Credit:
CMIS 101 - Computer Literacy 3 Credit: —Competency Testing is Available
OR
CMIS 115 - Introduction to Computer Information Systems 3 Credit:
CRIM 100 - Introduction to Criminal Justice 3 Credit:
CRIM 105 - Physical Fitness for Criminal Justice 1 Credit:
CRIM 110 - Introduction to Corrections 3 Credit:
CRIM 120 - Corrections Institutions/Facilities 3 Credit:
CRIM 130 - Criminal Investigation 3 Credit:
CRIM 136 - Communication in Criminal Justice 3 Credit:
CRIM 210 - American Criminal Law 3 Credit:
CRIM 230 - Juvenile Delinquency 3 Credit:
CRIM 250 - Client Relations in Corrections 3 Credit:
CRIM 260 - Client Growth and Development 3 Credit:
ENGL 101 - Freshman English II 3 Credit:
PSYC 120 - General Psychology 3 Credit:
SOCI 230 - Sociology 3 Credit:

Other Programs:

MCC also offers a Criminal Justice/Corrections Certificate , Michigan Corrections Officer Training , and Associate of Science & Arts/MiTransfer Criminal Justice Concentration .