Criminal Justice/Forensics

Students in Criminal Justice/Forensics

Course Description

CEC provides several opportunities for you to get both college and high school credit while also learning about the criminal justice system. The mission of the program is to create a rigorous learning environment that provides an authentic, real-world context.

Criminal Justice
Students learn about the different areas of the criminal justice system through a problem-based approach with jail tours, guest speakers from the field, scenarios, case studies and other hands-on activities.  Even if you aren’t interested in this career field, you learn about the roles of the different entities in a democratic society as well as the checks and balances.

Crime and Forensics
Do you enjoy solving crimes and learning about the motivation behind criminal activity?  This course is for you. This lab focused class will learn about a case from the first responding officer to trial with an emphasis on forensics such as blood spatter, fingerprinting, profiling and the identification of human remains.

What does Criminal Justice/Forensics offer?

  • Introduces a study of the agencies and processes involved in the criminal justice system
  • Includes an analysis of the roles and problems of the criminal justice system in a democratic society
  • Examines the complexity and multi-dimensional aspects of the law enforcement role and career, law enforcement discretion, values and culture in modern America
  • Covers the role and functions of law enforcement in occupational, social, racial and ethnic, political and organizational contexts
  • Spring semester focuses on basic procedures in crime scene management to include preparing initial reports and sketches
  • Includes processing evidence and related criminalistic procedures such as fingerprinting, blood spatter, forensic anthropology, and manner/cause of death
  • Covers interviewing suspects, witnesses and victims to include the recording of identifications and descriptions
  • Incorporates lab and lecture

Possible career choices in Criminal Justice/Forensics

  • Law Enforcement Officers
  • Lawyers
  • Probation and Parole Officers
  • Correctional Officers
  • Federal Agents
  • Crime Scene Investigators

Course Credits

Credits Per Semester: 1.5 units
English credit depending on class taken

Concurrent Enrollment

  • CRJ 110-Introduction to Criminal Justice; 3
  • CRJ 125 Policing Systems: 3
  • CRJ 127 Crime Scene Investigation: 3
  • CRJ 145 Introduction to Correctional Process: 3
  • CRJ 205 Principles of Criminal Law: 3 (only offered at CCD, not at CEC)
  • COM 115 Public Speaking: 3 (offered outside of CJ classes)

Course Certifications Available

Law Enforcement certification through CCD.  All courses listed above are included in this certification.

Currently attending a different school?

Talk to your school counselor about attending CEC part-time for career classes.

Criminal Justice/Forensics Faculty