The Criminal Justice AAS prepares you for careers in policing, corrections, probation, court services and private security. The program emphasizes community relationships, ethics and the skills that build public trust.
What you’ll learn
- The criminal justice system and criminal law
- Policing, community relations and de-escalation
- Corrections, probation and reentry
- Criminal investigation and evidence
- Ethics, constitutional law and cultural awareness
Why Palmetto Ridge
Our faculty include a retired sheriff’s captain, a former probation officer and a defense attorney, so you hear every side of the system. Instructor Calvin leads our scenario-based training room in Ridgeview Commons, where you’ll practice interviews, traffic stops and crisis response. Internships with local police, sheriff’s offices, courts and victim services agencies give you real experience before graduation. Hybrid courses let you study through RidgeLearn, which is popular with veterans and working adults. Graduates also have the option to continue toward a bachelor’s in criminal justice at an SC public university.
Careers & next steps
- Police Officer
- Deputy Sheriff
- Correctional Officer
- Probation and Parole Agent
- Victim Advocate
- Security Supervisor
Ready to start?
Applying is free. An advisor will help you map every class from day one to graduation.