About

The criminal justice program at Bellevue College provides a robust education in the field.

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Message from our Chair

Are you interested in law enforcement, courts, corrections, investigations, forensics, or helping make a difference in your community? You’re in the right place.

Our Criminal Justice program gives you more than a textbook understanding of the justice system. You’ll explore how the system works in the real world through hands-on learning, current events, case studies, discussion, and practical experiences that connect the classroom to careers.

Where Can a Criminal Justice Degree Take You?


Your Education can Prepare You for Opportunities in:

  • Law enforcement and policing
  • Sheriff and public safety careers
  • Corrections and detention
  • Courts and legal services
  • Investigations and evidence
  • Forensic science
  • Juvenile justice
  • Government and public service
  • Security and community safety

A two-year degree can help you enter the criminal justice workforce while also providing a foundation for continuing your education toward a bachelor’s degree or beyond.

Learn by Doing

Criminal justice isn’t just about memorizing laws and definitions.

You may have opportunities to explore forensic evidence, crime-scene investigation, criminal behavior, ethics in the criminal legal systems, policing, corrections, and the courts through applied learning experiences.

Interested in forensic science? Courses such as CJ& 240: Introduction to Forensic Science allow you to explore how evidence can help investigators understand what happened at a crime scene.

Your Career. Your Future.

Whether you already know exactly what you want to do—or you’re still figuring it out—we’re here to help you discover your path.

You don’t have to know your career on day one.

Start with Curiosity. Build Your Skills. Discover Your Future.

Welcome to criminal justice at Bellevue College!

Your career in criminal justice starts here.

Program

Explore your criminal justice education options.
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AAS-T Degree

The AAS-T combines technical courses required for job preparation and college-level general education courses.

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Concentration in Criminal Justice

Students who are following an Associate in Arts and Sciences degree can secure a ‘Concentration in Criminal Justice’ by successfully completing coursework that will be specially noted on their transcripts and degrees upon graduation.

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Courses

The Department of Criminal Justice offers a variety of courses to prepare students either for immediate employment or for transfer to a university bachelor’s degree.

Learning Areas

Degree recipients will acquire an understanding of the following:

  • Knowledge of the criminal justice system (law enforcement, court system, and corrections)
  • Stages of the criminal justice process
  • Criminology
  • Law enforcement and criminal justice ethics
  • Criminal and constitutional law
  • Written, verbal, and nonverbal communications

Learning Outcomes

Degree recipients should possess the skills & abilities described below:

  • Apply basic investigative techniques for developing solutions to crime problems
  • Use critical thinking skills to understand and analyze verbal, non-verbal and cultural communications in the field of criminal justice
  • Define, explain and contrast the basic sociological, economical and physiological theories relating to the causation of crime
  • Demonstrate how the theories relating to the causation of crime, law building and law enforcement reflect the historical context of times and culture in which they were developed
  • Explain and analyze different social, legal and political responses to criminal behavior
  • Define and explain the different philosophies of policing and determine which philosophy a police department is utilizing by analyzing process, programs and organizational structure
  • Define and explain the ethics and ethical paradoxes that face criminal justice professionals
  • Define and explain the basic precepts of criminal law as it applies in the state of Washington
  • Define and explain the major reform movements which have substantially impacted the policing profession in America

Prior College/University Credits

For credits from other institutions, meet with the program advisor for an initial unofficial transcript review.  For an official review, submit the Transfer Credit Evaluation Request form and an official transcript(s) in the prior institution(s) sealed envelope to Evaluations once registered for your first quarter of classes at Bellevue College.