Administration of Justice
Associate in Arts Administration of Justice · Evergreen Valley College · 2025-2026 Catalog
Overview
The Administration of Justice department offers several associate degrees intended to academically prepare students with the necessary skills to work in the criminal justice field, in both public and private sectors. The department uses theory and praxis to study crime and the criminal justice system in a global multicultural society while emphasizing essential learning dimensions of effective communication, critical inquiry, information literacy, social and cultural awareness, and ethical intelligence. The Associate in Arts (AA) in Administration of Justice degree will benefit students who want to pursue an advanced degree at a university/college, who want to enter the workforce or build career education, or who want to enhance their personal educational enrichment in the field of study. The AA in Administration of Justice is designed to prepare students for careers in law enforcement, corrections, courts, social and judicial services, and the private sector. Students who successfully complete the program will be eligible to transfer to the university/college system to continue their studies or can enter the labor market to compete for careers in criminal justice fields.
Students must complete each major course and each major elective course with a grade “C” or better to be awarded the AA degree. A “P” (Pass) grade is also an acceptable grade for courses in the major if the course is taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.
Learning Outcomes
Program Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate effective written and oral communication necessary in the criminal justice field.
- Interpret and analyze information, concepts, and theories of the criminal justice system from multiple perspectives
- Apply and integrate terminology, concepts, and practices of law enforcement, the courts, and corrections.
- Recognize the value of a multicultural society and the importance of social justice within the community both personally and within the criminal justice field
- Analyze and consider personal decisions and ideas related to the criminal justice system that are based on civility, civic responsibility, and public perception.
Required Courses
Major Requirements
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AJ 010 | Introduction to Administration Of Justice | 3 |
| AJ 011 | Criminal Law | 3 |
| AJ 013 | Criminal Procedures | 3 |
| AJ 014 | Contemporary Police Issues | 3 |
| AJ 015 | Introduction to Criminal Investigation | 3 |
Major Electives
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select one from the following AJ courses: | 3 | |
| AJ 019 | Law Enforcement in Multicultural Communities | |
| AJ 110 | Drugs and Society | |
| AJ 111 | Juvenile Law and Procedures | |
| AJ 112 | Introduction to Evidence | |
| AJ 113 | Crime and Violence in America | |
| AJ 115 | Introduction to Forensic Science | |
| AJ 116 | Introduction to Corrections | |
| AJ 120 | Ethics and Moral Reasoning in Criminal Justice | |
| AJ 123 | Women and Criminal Justice | |
| AJ 125 | Probation, Parole, and Intermediate Sanctions | |
| AJ 139 | Introduction to Public Safety Community Service Officer | |
| Other Major Electives - Two courses from the following: | 6 | |
| ANTH 063 | Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology | |
| COMS 035 | Intercultural Communication | |
| ETH 020 | African American Culture | |
| ETH 035 | Sociology of the Chicanx Experience | |
| HIST 014 | Women in American History | |
| HIST 021 | African American History | |
| HIST 022 | Mexican-American History | |
| HIST 023 | Asian American History | |
| LA 050 | Constitutional Law | |
| PHIL 060 | Logic and Critical Thinking | |
| PHIL 065 | Introduction to Ethics | |
| POLS C1000 | American Government and Politics In America | |
| PSYCH 018 | Introduction to Research Methods | |
| PSYCH 020 | Psychology of Stress Reduction | |
| PSYCH 026 | Violence Against Women: Cross-Cultural Perspective | |
| PSYCH 027 | Introduction to LGBTQ Studies | |
| PSYCH 051 | Introduction to Cross-Cultural Psychology | |
| PSYCH 060 | Personal Growth and Adjustment | |
| SOC 011 | Social Problems | |
| SOC 018 | Sociology of Race & Ethnicity | |
| SOC 019 | Sociology of Sex and Gender | |
| One of the following Statistics courses: | ||
| BUS 060 | Fundamentals of Business Statistics | |
| orSTAT C1000 | Introduction to Statistics | |
Total Requirements
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | 15 | |
| General Education Requirements | 34 | |
| Major Electives | 9 | |
| Electives (as needed to complete 60 AA Applicable units) | ||
| Total Units | 60 | |
- Some GE courses may be double-counted within the major and will reduce the number of units. General electives may be needed to reach 60 units. Please consult with a counselor to determine which courses are applicable.