Skip to Main Content

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/ FORENSICS/ LAW ENFORCEMENT

This guide provides resources for criminal justice/forensics/law enforcement students and instructors.

Criminal Justice/ Forensics/ Law Enforcement Programs at Coastal Bend College

Forensics 

This workforce course of study is designed to provide the student with the necessary skills and knowledge to investigate, document, and collect physical evidence at various types of crime scenes.  The student will study the science based disciplines found within the specialized Field of Forensic Science and Criminalistics and will prepare the student for employment as a Crime Scene Technician.  Course emphasis will include a combination of criminal justice, natural sciences, psychology, and mathematics, as well as specialized courses concerned with crime scene analysis, documentation, collection techniques and reconstruction. 

Criminalist careers are in high demand. Granted, the popularity of shows like CSI, Law & Order, and Bones brought forensic science into the mainstream. Still, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2021) has also noted an uptick in demand. From 2019 to 2029, forensic science technicians, who share a similar occupational title to criminalists, are projected to grow by 14 percent, a rate that is faster than the average for all occupations at 4 percent. 

Law Enforcement

The two-year curriculum prepares students for employment in public or private agencies charged with the responsibility of public safety, crime prevention, crime investigation, criminal apprehension, offender rehabilitation, and confinement.  Tech-Prep credit will be awarded using the CJLE or CJSA course prefix.  For a listing of advisory committee members and additional information on Level One High School Dual Credit Certificates, please go to the Additional Information section of the Coastal Bend Catalog.  Law Enforcement is an articulated high school credit program. Students who have successfully completed appropriate Law Enforcement courses in high school may be able to receive college credit for those courses. 

Criminal Justice

The Associate of Arts/Associate of Science Field of Study: Criminal Justice degree program is a two-year course of study that covers the core materials needed to complete the first two years of a Texas four-year college or university’s Bachelor of Arts (BA) /Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program with an emphasis in Criminal Justice. The AA-CJ/AS-CJ program is designed to parallel the student’s choice in a bachelor’s program at any Texas four-year college or university. 

Helpful Resources for Criminal Justice, Forensics, and Law Enforcement Students

 

     Find the Perfect Legal Form                             

interview, business, communication, conversation, collaboration, businessperson, management, white collar worker, service, job, business school

Work on Your Interview Skills, Search for a Career, and More

writing, pencil, number, font, text, handwriting, document, testing, test, exam, bubble form, test form, exam form, bubble sheet, multipe choice

Prepare for College Entrance Exams and Search for Scholarships

writing, work, brand, document, career, job search, resume, job hunting, seeking employment

           Build a Resume                                               

Explore the Military Database

Work on Your Adult Core Skills