Criminal justice is a people-oriented field that requires skills including good oral and written communication, reporting, independent organization, and decision-making and problem-solving.

Job opportunities are available in law enforcement, corrections, probation, security, loss prevention, rehabilitation, youth development centers and domestic violence centers. The U.S. Department of Labor projects a 10-year growth in jobs for police and corrections officers of 21-35 percent.

The CCC Criminal Justice program is offered at the Grand Island Campus.

Although the associate of applied science degree is intended to prepare graduates for immediate employment, many courses will transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

In addition, CCC offers an associate of science degree that provides the first two years of study for students who want to complete bachelor’s degrees at four-year colleges. Students completing an associate of science degree with an emphasis on criminal justice can transfer up to 64 semester-hours of credit to the University of Nebraska-Kearney, including 21 semester-hours in criminal justice.

Students planning to transfer to UNK or other four-year colleges should discuss their plans with their adviser.

The Nebraska Law Enforcement program includes criminal justice and general education courses provided by the college and an eight-week internship at the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center in Grand Island. Students are responsible for paying the cost of the internships -- about $4,500 -- unless a sponsoring agency such as a police department pays the fee.

Graduates of the program receive an associate of applied science degree and are certified to work in Nebraska law enforcement.

Online Learning - The Criminal Justice programs at each of the six community colleges in Nebraska have developed and implemented criminal justice courses on the Internet. If students are unable to register for a particular class at CCC and it is available at another community college on the Internet, we encourage the student to take the Internet class then transfer it to CCC.

Below are listed each community college and their respective web site:

Central Community College

www.cccneb.edu/online/courseoffer.html

Metropolitan Community College

www.mccneb.edu

Mid-Plains Community College

www.mpcca.cc.ne.us

Northeast Community College

www.northeastcollege.com

Southeast Community College

www.southeast.edu

Western Nebraska Community College

www.wncc.cc.ne.us