Criminal Justice

Department: Criminal Justice

Program Type: Fire Science and Public Safety

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Overview

At Elgin Community College, our Criminal Justice program gives you the knowledge and skills you need to advance your law enforcement, courts, and corrections career. This program does not include the training required to become a certified police officer. If you're already working in law enforcement or another part of the justice system, you may be able to earn college credit for your professional experience.

Our classes cover important topics like:

Community policing
Ethics
Personal fitness
Criminal justice system basics
Writing skills

This program is a great starting point if you're considering a career in law enforcement, corrections, courts, probation, or private security. Check out our course listings and class descriptions to learn more about our classes and program options.

Prepare for Immediate Employment

Whether you're interested in public safety, investigations, or working with new technologies, the criminal justice field offers a wide range of career paths. Visit Career Coach to explore job options, salaries, and more.

Plan of Study and Course Descriptions

Review the ECC catalog for details about the criminal justice plan of study and course descriptions.

Associate of Applied Science

Basic Vocational Certificates

Digital Forensics

Digital Forensics

The Associate in Applied Science in Digital Forensics is part of the Criminal Justice Program. It focuses on computers and other digital devices used in business and personal life. In the Digital Forensics Program, you'll study how people communicate, store data, and analyze the evidence trails left electronically. ECC’s digital forensics degree will prepare you to identify, collect, and preserve digital artifacts for reliable court evidence.

The Basic Vocational Specialist certificate in digital forensics is designed for professionals in law enforcement, criminal justice, and the private sector. It helps them expand their skills for work in the field. For additional information, including course listings and class descriptions, click here.

The college also offers certificates in public safety communications for work as 911 dispatchers and telecommunications officers in police stations, fire stations, hospitals, or centralized city communications centers.