Criminal Justice

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WHY CHOOSE THIS PROGRAM?

The Criminal Justice program gives students the opportunity to work and learn from professionals and scholars in the field to prepare for careers or transfer to a four year institution. Fields include Private and Business Security, Law Enforcement, Investigation, Court Services, Corrections, Probation, and Parole at the local, state, and federal level.

Average median Criminal Justice graduate salary in Indiana

$17.86/hour

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2,808 Annual Job Openings projected through 2020

Wage data taken from U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: Indiana. (2020).

About the Program

Ivy Tech Community College Criminal Justice Program State Curriculum Committee Social Justice Statement

The faculty of the Criminal Justice Program State Curriculum Committee of Ivy Tech Community College affirm their solidarity for those who struggle for social justice and the triumph of human rights. We stand in defiance of those who would deny that black lives matter, who ignore that marginalized populations and people of color have been systemically prejudiced against, and who pretend that the American Dream has not been availed to all for reasons nothing to do with ability or determination. We recognize we are at a pivot point in American society, wherein our aspirational commitment to equality and liberty and justice for all can be more fully realized through common purpose and commitment. A common purpose of higher education is a higher developed social consciousness, an enlightenment concerning the realities that deny and delay the attainment of a truly just and equal society. We are fully committed to this purpose and to the contributions of the ideals and unmet promises of our great nation.

Criminal Justice instructors at Ivy Tech have real-world experience and are professionals in their fields. You may experience crime labs, court rooms, probation, community corrections, correctional facilities, jails, drug courts, investigative techniques that include physical evidence, psychological profiles, and cyber forensics as well as private and business security.

While in the Criminal Justice program students can choose to focus on several different areas. 

• Law Enforcement - You will experience how to provide assistance, respond to emergency calls, investigate crime scenes, and testify in court. By developing the skills needed to be a police officer, including law, community relations, procedural law and criminal investigations you may be employed with your local police department, sheriffs, Indiana State Police, conservation officers, Homeland Security, prosecutors, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and private investigators.
• Corrections/ Probation - You will examine correctional policies and practices, criminal sentencing, jails, prisons, alternative sentencing, prisoner rights, rehabilitation, and community corrections including probation and parole. By exploring the American correctional system you may be employed at the local, state, and federal probation, parole, or correctional agencies in both the adult and juvenile systems.
• Court Services - You will develop skills in community relations, procedural law, court processes and cultural awareness. By exploring the Court Services you may be employed with victims’ assistance, probation support services, law offices, legal aid, public defenders, bailiffs, clerk offices, and local, state, federal courts.
• Public, Private  & Business Security and Forensics/Cyber - You will conduct risk/threat assessments, emergency management plans, security survey reports, design security, crime and loss prevention programs for individual and business enterprises such as airports and casinos. You will develop skills in investigation process for both physical and cyber evidence, assess crime scenes and handle evidentiary material, and how to testify in court. 

Our Graduates

Graduates of our Associate of Science (AS) degree can seamlessly transfer to a four-year institution through our “Transfer as a Junior” program, entering at a junior status. To learn more about our Transfer as a Junior programs, and how they can save you money, visit our TSAP page. Please keep in mind, you will also need to be admitted to the four-year institution you intend to transfer to, admission is not guaranteed just by enrolling in a Transfer as a Junior program.

Transfer Partners

In addition to our TSAP program, if you would like to continue your education after completing your Ivy Tech degree, we have several four-year transfer partnerships in place. Talk to your transfer advocate for more information about transfer opportunities!

Return to: Criminal Justice