Welcome to Taft College's Distance Learning Program
Criminal Justice Administration--Corrections
CJA-Correction Focus Core Courses
Criminal Justice Administration 3 -- Concepts of Criminal Law
(3 units)
Advisory: Eligibility for English 50 and 54 strongly recommended
This course covers the historical development, philosophy and practice of law and constitutional provisions; definitions and classifications of crime; and legal research study of case law, methodology, and concepts of law as a social force. Law as it affects the correctional component of the justice system will be clearly identified.
Criminal Justice Administration 21 -- Introduction to
Corrections (3 units)
Advisory: Eligibility for English 50 and 54 strongly recommended
This is a survey of the historical, theoretical and philosophical explanations of criminal behavior providing a treatise on the function and objectives of parole and probation. The judicial system and its relationship to the criminal offender as well as modern techniques of controlling crime are studied. The total correctional field with an emphasis on treatment and rehabilitation methods and facilities are surveyed.
Criminal Justice Administration 31 -- Control and Supervision
in Corrections (3 units)
Advisory: Eligibility for English 1A strongly recommended
This course offers an overview of supervision of inmates in the local, state and federal correctional institutions. The issues of control in a continuum from institutional daily living through crisis situations will be introduced and discussed. The course will emphasize the role played by the offender and correctional worker. Topics include inmate sub-culture, violence and the effects of crowding on inmates and staff, and coping techniques for correctional officers in a hostile prison environment. The causes and effects of abusive tactics will also be discussed.
Criminal Justice Administration 33 -- Legal Aspects of Corrections
(3 units)
Advisory: Eligibility for English 1A strongly recommended
This course provides students with an awareness of the historical framework, concepts, and precedents that guide correctional practice. Course material will broaden the individual's perspective of the corrections environment, the civil rights of prisoners and responsibilities and liabilities of correctional officers.
Criminal Justice Administration 34 -- Correctional Interviewing and Counseling
(3 units)
Advisory: Eligibility for English 1A strongly recommended
This course is an overview of the techniques in counseling available to practitioners in corrections. The student will learn the use of appropriate techniques and theories in confidence building which may be used by the correctional employee in client interviews and counseling. This is a basic course for students planning to enter or already employed within the correctional science field.
Criminal Justice Administration 35 -- Public Safety Communications (3 units)
Advisory: Eligibility for English 1A strongly recommended
This is an introductory course dealing with all aspects of public safety communication. It will cover the techniques of effectively communicating facts, information, and ideas in a clear and logical manner for a variety of public safety systems reports, i.e. crime/violation/incident reports, letters, memoranda, directives, and administrative reports. Student will gain practical experience in interviewing, note taking, report writing, and testifying.
Requirements for Associate Degree
Associate Degrees are conferred on students who fulfill the requirements prescribed by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges and the West Kern Community College District. The Associate in Science Degree is awarded to students who major in engineering, physical and biological sciences, or occupational curricula. The Associate in Arts Degree is awarded to students with other majors.
Minimum Requirements
A student is eligible for graduation with the Associate in Arts/Science Degree after satisfactorily completing at least 60 semester units of work with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better. Degree requirements are outlined below.
Competency requirements
In addition to the specific degree requirements listed below, students are required to meet competency requirements in three different areas: reading, written expression and math.
Reading--Placement in English 6 based on placement testing, or successful completion of three semester units of English 54 or a higher level reading course with a grade of C or better.
Written expression--Placement in English 1A on the basis of placement testing, or successful completion of three semester units of English 50 or a higher level writing course with a grade of C or better.
Mathematics--Placement in Mathematics 52 on the basis of placement testing, or successful completion of four semester units of Business 50, Petroleum Technology 59, Mathematics 50, or a higher level mathematics course with a grade of C or better.
A course may be used to satisfy both a competency requirement and another degree requirement.
Health Education (3 semester units)-
This requirement can be met by completing Health
Education 10. Veterans who have successfully completed basic training
and at least one year of military service are exempt.
American History and Institutions (3 semester units)-
This requirement can be met by completing History 17A,
History 17B, or Political Science 1.
Information Competency (1 semester unit)-
This requirement can be met by completing either
Information Competency 48 or by earning a satisfactory score on the
information competency test.
Major Field of Study (18-24 semester units)-
A major consists of at least 18 semester units in a
curriculum that the district accepts toward the degree listed in the
curricula requirements of this catalog. A course may not be used to
satisfy both a major requirement and a general education requirement.
Unit requirements vary by major.
Natural Science
Complete a minimum of 3 semester units from the following:
| Anatomy 6 | Chemistry 1A, 10 | Industrial Education 9 |
| Anthropology 1 | Electronics 40 | Microbiology 8 |
| Astronomy 10 | Environmental Studies 10 | Physics 2A, 4A, 11 |
| Biology 1, 1L | Geography 1 | Physiology 7, 7L |
| Biology 15 | Geology 10, 11 | Zoology 1A, 1B |
| Botany 1, 1L |
Social and Behavioral Science
Complete a minimum of 3 semester units from the following:
| Anthropology 2, 4 | History 4A, 4B, 17A, 17B, 39 | Psychology 1A, 3, 30, 33, 38 |
| Business 32 | *Humanities 1 | Sociology 1, 2, 3, 41 |
| Economics 1A, 1B | *Journalism 1 | |
| Geography 2 | Political Science 1, 5 |
* May be used to meet either Humanities or Social Science requirements but credit will be given for only one of the courses in this pair.
Humanities
Complete a minimum of 3 semester units from the following:
| Art 1A, 1B, 2, 10A, 12A, 25A, 25B | Humanities 1, 5, 10 | Photography 10, 11 |
| Drama 35 | Music 10 | Any foreign language |
| English 1B | Philosophy 1, 31 |
English Composition (Language and Rationality)
Complete a minimum of 3 semester units from the following:
English 1A, 1B, 50A
Communications and Analytical Thinking
Complete a minimum of 3 semester units from the following:
| Business 50 | Math 3A, 15, 16, 31, 50, 51, 52 | Speech 7, 11 |
| Computer Science 20, 21, 42, 43, 45, 46 | Petroleum Technology 59 | Statistics 10 |
Three additional general education units needed to total 18 units may be selected from any of the above categories.
Electives
Elective courses (18 units or less) used to meet the 60-unit
degree total must be degree applicable courses.
Other Courses Acceptable Toward Graduation
Courses taken during military service courses are credited in
accordance with the recommendations of the American Council on
Education. A maximum of 20 units for military service may be applied to Associate Degree requirements.
Appropriate extension or correspondence courses taken through accredited post-secondary institutions will be accepted toward fulfilling graduation requirements.