Criminal Justice
Criminal justice is one of the top five fastest-growing career fields in the country. A highly respected program, it provides both vocational coursework for career preparation and advancement and academic coursework leading to baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate study.
With the full support and endorsement of local and regional law enforcement officials and other legal professionals, the advisory board includes members of the FBI, ATF, DPS, Sheriff's Department, Police Department, County District Attorney's office, and representatives from other local and state law enforcement agencies.
For students on the vocational path, job placement rates for the program are very high, with program graduates currently working for various federal and state criminal justice agencies. For students pursuing more advanced degree work, the programs' academic credits are also transferable under articulation agreements with Lamar University, the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Wesleyan University, and the United States Navy per its Master-at-Arms option.
Students with felony convictions on record may be unable to complete some of the requirements of the criminal justice programs.
Criminal justice is one of the top five fastest-growing career fields in the country. A highly respected program, it provides both vocational coursework for career preparation and advancement and academic coursework leading to baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate study.
With the full support and endorsement of local and regional law enforcement officials and other legal professionals, the advisory board includes members of the FBI, ATF, DPS, Sheriff's Department, Police Department, County District Attorney's office, and representatives from other local and state law enforcement agencies.
For students on the vocational path, job placement rates for the program are very high, with program graduates currently working for various federal and state criminal justice agencies. For students pursuing more advanced degree work, the programs' academic credits are also transferable under articulation agreements with Lamar University, the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Wesleyan University, and the United States Navy per its Master-at-Arms option.
Students with felony convictions on record may be unable to complete some of the requirements of the criminal justice programs.
The Criminal Justice Certificate requires a minimum of eight courses in the discipline, one of which involves field experience under the combined supervision and mentorship of the program director and members of local law enforcement agencies.
This curriculum will prepare students for entry into a field of criminal justice by combining both academic and technical concepts. Upon completion of this program, students may apply their coursework toward an associate of science degree in criminal justice.
NOTE: This program leads to LSCO's Criminal Justice Associate of Science Degree.
Students enrolling in this program who are current Texas Peace Officers MAY qualify for tuition and certain fees exemptions. See the financial aid office for details of the exemption.
Law Enforcement Articulated Credit Option:
A student may receive 12 semester credit hours for successfully completing an approved law enforcement training program/ Basic Police Academy and passing the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) exam after 1983. To receive credit, a student must have completed 3 semester credit hours with Lamar State College Orange, present proof that he/she has passed the Texas Basic Peace Officer Licensing Examination, complete and submit a course credit form, and pay the processing fee. Contact an academic advisor, the Criminal Justice Program Director, or the Dean of Technical Programs for more details.
The Associate of Science Degree in Criminal Justice is an academic transfer degree that requires the student to complete the core curriculum plus a minimum of 21 credit hours (seven courses) in the discipline by choosing from 9 different courses in criminal justice. This seven-course requirement is an unusually broad background in the discipline's content area for students pursuing associate degrees giving LSCO criminal justice graduates an academic advantage over students completing programs with less stringent requirements.
