Administration of Justice AS Degree
Associate in Science | SC Program: AS.1001
The Administration of Justice Program (AOJ) is designed to provide professional courses in AOJ fields for the pre-service student, and for the criminal justice employee preparing for promotional exams or to upgrade or maintain skills and knowledge. At Shasta College, you will receive occupational training for both the entrance and promotional levels of AOJ agencies and allied services. With additional general education courses, you will also be able to fulfill the requirements to transfer to a four-year college with junior standing. A variety of agencies exist at the federal, state and local levels of government; and also through private industry.
This degree is approved through the California Community College Chancellor’s Office. Upon satisfactory completion of all degree requirements and filing an application for graduation with Admissions and Records, the student’s transcript will reflect completion of this degree.



Choose your path
Map your education by viewing the program map for the degree or certificate you’re interested in earning below. Meet with a counselor to create your official comprehensive education plan.
A program map shows all the required and recommended courses you need to graduate and a suggested order in which you should take them. The suggested sequence of courses is based on enrollment and includes all major and general education courses required for the degree.
Fall Semester, First Year
14 Units TotalAn introductory course in statistics designed to show the role of modern statistical methods in the process of decision making. Concepts are introduced by example rather than by rigorous mathematical theory. The following topics will be covered: measures of central tendency and dispersion, regression and correlation, probability, sampling distributions including the normal, t, and chi-square, statistical inference using confidence intervals and hypotheses testing. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
Spring Semester, First Year
15 Units TotalThis course is an introduction to the process of human communication with emphasis on public speaking. The subjects covered are speech topic selection, audience analysis, information competency (e.g. researching, evaluating and using supporting materials), presentation outlining, principles of effective speech delivery, critical evaluation of speeches, and presentation of informative and persuasive speeches. Most students will have the opportunity to be recorded and to use presentational technology. College level writing skills will be expected on all papers, outlines and short essays. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
This course is a comparative survey of the major ancient world civilizations which developed between 3500 B.C.E. and 1500 C.E. It examines political institutions, religious ideologies, the rise and fall of empires, and the major cultural innovations of each of the major world civilizations. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
Fall Semester, Second Year
15 Units TotalThis course is an introduction to the conservation or wise use of natural resources and incorporates discussions about the complex relationships of man to the environment. Students will learn about the diverse agencies that manage our resources along with their history and philosophies. The course will cover each of the major natural resources - such as water, air, energy, forests, wildlife, agriculture, and soils - as well as environmental policy and laws that govern the use of these resources. An emphasis is placed on the practical components of Environmental Science as it relates to social and economic aspects of conservation. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
Spring Semester, Second Year
16 Units TotalThis course provides an introduction to psychology as a science and as an applied field. The course provides an integration of physiological, cognitive, social-behavioral, psychodynamic, humanistic, cultural, and evolutionary perspectives. Topics include research methods, the nervous system, perception, learning, thinking, memory, human development, social behavior, emotions, motivation, personality, abnormal behavior, and psychotherapy. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
Provides practical instruction and experience in the proper techniques of report writing and courtroom presentation of evidence. Major emphasis will include the correct writing process, spelling, main elements of a report, report content, as well as important aspects of courtroom testimony. Required for Administration of Justice majors. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
The Administration of Justice Vocational Worksite Learning course allows the student to gain on-the-job experience through employment/volunteerism at an approved administration of justice job site that is acquired by the student and related to the student's major. A faculty member supervises all WSL courses to ensure that the work experience is of educational value. The course stresses good work habits and meeting of competencies through actual on-the-job performance. A student may earn up to 16 units through repeating this course since course content varies and skills are enhanced by supervised repetition and practice. A maximum of 8 units may be earned in a single semester.
This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of race and ethnicity in the United States. It examines social justice movements in relation to ethnic and racial groups in the United States to provide a basis for a better understanding of the socioeconomic, cultural, and political conditions among key social groups including, but not limited to, Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Latina/o Americans. This course examines the systemic nature of racial/ethnic oppression through an examination of key concepts including racialization and ethnocentrism, with a specific focus on the persistence of white supremacy. Using an anti-racist framework, the course will examine historical and contemporary social movements dedicated to the decolonization of social institutions, resistance, and social justice. This course may be offered in a distance education format.
Please see a counselor to discuss options for meeting general education requirements for transfer to California State Universities (CSU) and/or University of California (UC) campuses, as well as any specific additional courses that may be required by your chosen institution of transfer.
*Alternative Courses: Please see a Shasta College counselor for alternative course options. You can also view the following to find other courses to meet degree/certificate requirements:
- California State Universities – General Education
- IGETC – Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum
Need a print out? Feel free to download and/or print out a copy of the sample program map(s).
- Administration of Justice AS Degree (PDF)
*These printouts are currently not yet available, but they will be linked as soon as they're ready!
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