Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Criminal Justice

Details

Field of Interest

Behavioral Science and Human Services

Degree Type

Associate in Arts (AA)

Academic Plan

Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Criminal Justice (DEG)

Academic Plan Code

8144

Effective Term

Fall 2025

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

Full-time
Part-time

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)
Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements. Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include: Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits) Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits) Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits) Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include: Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits) Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits) Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits) Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits) For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
AJS101	Introduction to Criminal Justice		Critical course Gateway course	SB	3
ENG101 or ENG107	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in ESL097 or WAC101) or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in ESL097 or WAC101),or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 and Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+).	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
MAT14+	College Mathematics		OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206.	QNR	3–6
FYE101 or FYE103	Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success				1–3
AJS109 or AJS113 or AJS192 or AJS212 or AJS225 or AJS260 or AJS270 or AJS275	Substantive Criminal Law or Criminal Justice Crime Control Policies and Practices or Serial Killers and Mass Murderers or Juvenile Justice Procedures or Criminology or Procedural Criminal Law or Community Relations or Criminal Investigation I		Select nine (9) credits from the course options	None or SB or None or SB or None	3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
ENG102 or ENG108	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENG101. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG107.		FYC or FYC	3
IAM	Institutions of the Americas			IAM	3
OCM	Oral Communication			OCM	3
AJS230	The Police Function				3
AJS109 or AJS113 or AJS192 or AJS212 or AJS225 or AJS260 or AJS270 or AJS275	Substantive Criminal Law or Criminal Justice Crime Control Policies and Practices or Serial Killers and Mass Murderers or Juvenile Justice Procedures or Criminology or Procedural Criminal Law or Community Relations or Criminal Investigation I		Select nine (9) credits from the course options	None or SB or None or SB or None	3
Elective	General Elective				0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Notes	Area	Credits
AJS200 or AJS/EMT/FSC258	Current Issues In Criminal Justice or Victimology and Crisis Management in Public Safety	AJS200 recommended for students transferring to ASU.	SB or C, SB	3
AJS109 or AJS113 or AJS192 or AJS212 or AJS225 or AJS260 or AJS270 or AJS275	Substantive Criminal Law or Criminal Justice Crime Control Policies and Practices or Serial Killers and Mass Murderers or Juvenile Justice Procedures or Criminology or Procedural Criminal Law or Community Relations or Criminal Investigation I	Select nine (9) credits from the course options	None or SB or None or SB or None	3
AHM	Arts and Humanities		AHM	3
NSI	Natural Sciences	Recommend FOR105 or FOR106.	NSI	4
Elective	General Elective			0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Notes	Area	Credits
AJS123	Ethics and the Administration of Justice		AHM, HU	3
AJS240	The Correction Function			3
NSI	Natural Sciences	Recommend FOR105 or FOR106.	NSI	4
SCB	Social and Behavioral Sciences		SCB	3
Elective	General Elective			0–3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)
Students pursuing an Associate for transfer to a university or a MCCCD bachelor's degree should note the following changes to the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) requirements, effective Catalog Years 2026-27 and beyond. Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to assess whether transitioning to the Reimagined AGEC requirements aligns with educational goals and to ensure completion of all graduation requirements. Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will include: Oral Communication [OCM] (3 Credits) Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] (3 Credits) Institutions in the Americas [IAM] (3 Credits) Effective Catalog Year 2026-27 and beyond, AGEC Requirements will no longer include: Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] (3 Credits) Computers/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS] (3-5 Credits) Cultural, Global, and Historical Awareness Areas [C, G, H] (0-3 Credits) Subject Options -AGEC-S only (8 Credits) For a full outline of the Reimagined AGEC Requirements, please visit Maricopa’s AGEC Webpage.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
AJS101	Introduction to Criminal Justice		Critical course Gateway course	SB	3
ENG101 or ENG107	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in ESL097 or WAC101) or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in ESL097 or WAC101),or (B/better in ALT100) or (C in ALT100 & Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+) or (C/better in ESL202 and Corequisites: ENG101LL or ENG107LL or WAC101 or ENG100A+).	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
FYE101 or FYE103	Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success				1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
MAT14+	College Mathematics		OR Higher mathematical level Quantitative Reasoning [QNR] approved General Education course with a MAT prefix except MAT206.	QNR	3–6
ENG102 or ENG108	First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ENG101. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ENG107.		FYC or FYC	3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
AJS109 or AJS113 or AJS192 or AJS212 or AJS225 or AJS260 or AJS270 or AJS275	Substantive Criminal Law or Criminal Justice Crime Control Policies and Practices or Serial Killers and Mass Murderers or Juvenile Justice Procedures or Criminology or Procedural Criminal Law or Community Relations or Criminal Investigation I		Select nine (9) credits from the course options	None or SB or None or SB or None	3
IAM	Institutions of the Americas			IAM	3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
AJS230	The Police Function				3
OCM	Oral Communication			OCM	3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
AJS109 or AJS113 or AJS192 or AJS212 or AJS225 or AJS260 or AJS270 or AJS275	Substantive Criminal Law or Criminal Justice Crime Control Policies and Practices or Serial Killers and Mass Murderers or Juvenile Justice Procedures or Criminology or Procedural Criminal Law or Community Relations or Criminal Investigation I		Select nine (9) credits from the course options	None or SB or None or SB or None	3
AJS200 or AJS/EMT/FSC258	Current Issues In Criminal Justice or Victimology and Crisis Management in Public Safety		AJS200 recommended for students transferring to ASU.	SB or C, SB	3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
AJS109 or AJS113 or AJS192 or AJS212 or AJS225 or AJS260 or AJS270 or AJS275	Substantive Criminal Law or Criminal Justice Crime Control Policies and Practices or Serial Killers and Mass Murderers or Juvenile Justice Procedures or Criminology or Procedural Criminal Law or Community Relations or Criminal Investigation I		Select nine (9) credits from the course options	None or SB or None or SB or None	3
AHM	Arts and Humanities			AHM	3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
AJS123	Ethics and the Administration of Justice			AHM, HU	3
NSI	Natural Sciences		Recommend FOR105 or FOR106.	NSI	4

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
AJS240	The Correction Function				3
SCB	Social and Behavioral Sciences			SCB	3

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
NSI	Natural Sciences		Recommend FOR105 or FOR106.	NSI	4
Elective	General Elective				0–3

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
Elective	General Elective				0–3
Elective	General Elective				0–3

General Electives

Select additional courses 100-level or higher to complete a minimum of 60 semester credits but no more than a total of 64 semester credits. Consult with an AJS faculty advisor, program director, and/or academic advisor to identify coursework that best aligns with academic and professional goals.

Students may be required to complete a language course at the elementary or intermediate level or demonstrate proficiency through this level as indicated by assessment. Refer to the MCCCD University Transfer Partner website for more information.

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.