L&C Offers In-Demand Criminal Justice Program Options

GODFREY – Law enforcement professionals are always in demand and the Criminal Justice program at Lewis and Clark Community College offers options that fit the needs of new students, returning students or students seeking an incoming or outgoing transfer degree.

According to Criminal Justice Program Coordinator Jessica Noble, students can qualify for a job with all local law enforcement agencies, including the Illinois State Police, with an associate degree, which can be completed with only 60 credit hours.

“The criminal justice system is actively hiring police officers, corrections officers and other state and county employees,” Noble said. “The job market is in a great place for those earning this degree.”

The versatility of the Criminal Justice program allows students to choose how often they want to be on campus.

“The 60-credit hour Associate in Applied Science degree can be done online with the exception of the speech requirement, for which students would have to come to campus to deliver speeches,” Noble said. “The rest of the course can be completed entirely online.”

Even those seeking a bachelor’s degree can get their start at L&C and, in the process, save thousands of dollars.

“We have articulation agreements with schools that offer bachelor’s degrees online and fully accept our 60-hour program,” Noble said. “Students can earn their associate degree and then a bachelor’s degree all online.”

Noble also welcomes students transferring from other colleges into the Criminal Justice program and said L&C can accept earned credits from MacMurray College, which closed its doors in May 2020.

“We can provide a perfect opportunity for students who attended MacMurray or other colleges to obtain an associate degree and save a lot of money on the front end,” Noble said. “Students entering would earn an Associate in Applied Science with 60 credit hours and would pay a fourth of the price than they would at a university.”

Students who have already earned an associate (or higher) degree in any discipline from an accredited college or university can take advantage of L&C’s 30 and Out Criminal Justice program option, which allows students to earn an Associate in Applied Science degree by completing just 30 semester hours (about 10 courses) of approved degree-related courses.

For more information on L&C’s Criminal Justice program, contact Noble at (618) 468-4524 or jbnelson@lc.edu. Visit the program website at www.lc.edu/program/criminaljustice.

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