Our Criminal Justice Associate Degree Program provides students with a broad-based, sophisticated understanding of the role of the criminal justice system in American society. Students acquire the knowledge, values, and skills that will enable them to analyze rationally, the problems of the criminal justice system and the needs of society in a manner in keeping with democratic traditions of law, social well-being, and individual rights.

Students in this program will be exposed to the wide scope of criminal justice as well as a balanced presentation of the issues in this field. The structure of the curriculum and the related learning objectives will be consistent with published standards of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), a national professional society.

A vital component of the Criminal Justice Associate Degree Program is an externship provided to the students in the last semester where they work without remuneration. Students are placed in qualified establishments in their field including Police Departments, Private Security companies, Probation, Social Services and Corrections Departments in the tri-state area. The externship provides the student with an opportunity to practice the theoretical skills learned in course work at ASA.

Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate should be able to demonstrate the ability to:

• Identify, describe, and explain the current and historical practices, policies, structures, and stages of the criminal justice system at local, state and federal levels in the United States, from the commission of an actual crime through adjudication and corrections.
• Identify, describe, and apply historical, current and emerging theories and various social and analytic tools to the fields of human behavior, criminology, and corrections; to suggest ways to balance the rights of individual citizens with society’s need for security and safety.
• Conceptualize, analyze, and discuss crime in general with respect to longitudinal changes in the complex issues of crime, ethics, diversity, policymaking, and criminal justice administration.
• Develop awareness for and facility with the analytic tools of the criminal justice field through practical and hands-on experiences.
• Obtain employment in careers within the criminal justice and public service systems.

Graduates of ASA College’s Criminal Justice Associate Degree Program have a wide selection of career opportunities and advancements. Upon graduation, students will fulfill the necessary educational requirements to become an NYPD Police Officer. Graduates may also find employment within the private security sector as security personnel and analysts.

Furthermore, our Criminal Justice prepares students for the next step in their academic aspirations if they chose to study Criminal Justice or Political Science on a bachelor degree level.