Criminal Justice Degrees and Certificates

COCC offers students four options within the criminal justice program:

Proficiency Areas: New to the criminal justice program, these five proficiency areas offer students a way to focus their electives. Upon completion of the electives in the different areas, the student will receive a signed training document from the department detailing the classes completed in each specific area.

Certificate of Completion: The statewide one-year certificate program with concentration in juvenile corrections is specifically designed for individuals who want to work directly with juvenile offenders in various settings. These settings may include Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) as well as other public, private and nonprofit agencies/programs. A criminal background check is required to complete the one-year certificate or the two-year degree. The criminal background check is also a requirement for any job in the criminal justice field.

Associate of Applied Science degree: This degree is designed for those students who wish to pursue a career in law enforcement or corrections. Most city and state law enforcement and correctional facilities require a high school diploma or GED. In Oregon, the competition for these jobs is intense. A college education is almost always a minimum requirement for the application process.

The Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree meets the State of Oregon Transfer degree requirements allowing students to transfer to an Oregon public university and some out-of-state universities having met all lower-division general education requirements; with the appropriate course planning, all lower division major requirements may also be met. Students should work closely with an advisor to select the best degree option and review specific transfer requirements.