Earn your criminal justice certificate online from Southeast to discover career opportunities in the criminal justice field. With a criminal justice certificate from Minnesota State College Southeast online degree program, you'll learn the skills to serve your community in criminal justice entry level positions.
Career Area: Education & Human Services
Program: Criminal Justice
Campus(es): Online
Are you motivated to serve your community? Do you have a strong sense of justice? Are you curious about what goes on behind the scenes in law enforcement, the courts, and corrections facilities? Minnesota State College Southeast's Criminal Justice certificate program is an excellent place to start your education.
A criminal justice certificate will increase your value in the law enforcement field
Southeast started my successful career in corrections. With real life experienced instructors, and experience gained during my internship, I found employment in the field before graduating from Southeast.
– Mike S., Corrections Officer
If you're considering entry level positions or careers in the criminal justice field, the 16-credit certificate in Criminal Justice is a good place to start. This program includes two liberal arts classes and three classes directly related to criminal justice, plus a 1-credit class in Career and Education planning.
The Criminal Justice majors at Southeast provide students with varying levels of education. While some positions require an associate degree or higher, the knowledge and skills attained through a criminal justice certificate or diploma is preferred for nearly all entry level jobs. After you gain the certificate, you can add on additional coursework to earn the diploma or associate of applied science degree in Criminal Justice.
For maximum flexibility, all Criminal Justice coursework is available 100% online, so you can plan your education around the work and family commitments in your life.
Every faculty member in Southeast's Criminal Justice program has working experience in the criminal justice profession, totaling over 150 years of experience. Additionally, all faculty have post-graduate degrees. This combination of expertise in the profession coupled with commitment to higher education is a testimony to the depth and knowledge of Minnesota State College Southeast's Criminal Justice Program.
Please note:
The majors in the Criminal Justice program do not lead directly to a professional license. Additional education and training is required to meet the standards established by the Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board for employment as a peace/law enforcement officer.
Apply now for admission to Minnesota State College Southeast
Cluster/Pathway
Cluster: Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security
Pathway: Law Enforcement Services
Recommended high school classes and basic job/program skills
Courses
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Total Credits Required for this Major: 16
Cost
| Approximate Tuition/Fees: | $3,506 |
|---|---|
| Minimum Tool Cost: | N/A |
| Books/Supplies: | $325 |
| Estimated Total: | $3,831 |
Career Opportunities
Corrections Officers
Probation Officers
Local Police Departments
State and Federal Agencies
Correctional Treatment Specialist
Security Officers
Gaming Surveillance Officers
Use the MN DEED Career and Education Explorer Data Tool to learn about wages, job growth, and much more in this career field.
Outcomes
Program graduates will be able to:
Understand how the criminal justice system works and how public opinion influences policies for responding to crime
Understand the numerous components of criminal justice system
Understand the causation of friction between community and police such as political influence, corruption, policy/law discretion, and discriminatory acts
Understand the sociological, psychological and biological perspectives on the causation of crime and criminal behavior
Understand hiring practices, training evolutions, subcultures, attitudes and orientation of criminal justice professionals
Highlights
Explore the roles of law enforcement, courts, corrections and community corrections agencies
Learn about ethical principles as applied to the moral issues and challenges individuals encounter in everyday life
Understand the complexity of policing and recognize the challenges with community policing
Create a personal career plan for successful college completion
Instructors
Gregory Cady
M.S., Criminal Justice, St. Cloud State University
B.E.S., Sociology and Criminal Justice, St. Cloud State UniversityGreg Cady began teaching at Minnesota State College Southeast as an adjunct instructor in 2004, moving to a full-time tenure track position in 2007. Prior to joining the teaching team, he dedicated 18 years in various positions within the criminal justice profession in California and Minnesota. Greg is a retired commissioned officer from the U.S. Navy with 30 years of service.
Tamra Graham
J.D., William Mitchell College of Law M.A., American University B.A., Music, University of Alaska-Anchorage Tamra Graham was a President's Scholar at William Mitchell College of Law. She has worked in both the public and private legal sectors. Since 2005, she has taught political science, philosophy, and criminal justice courses at Southeast. She was raised in Alaska and enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading, and many outdoor activities, including geocaching.
Travis Volkman
Travis Volkman began teaching at Southeast in 2013 as an adjunct instructor. Travis brings with him over 14 years of law enforcement experience, having been employed in various rolls of the criminal justice system. Travis is the Field Training Program Coordinator for the Goodview, MN Police Department and is assigned as an Investigator and Computer Forensics Examiner with the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. In addition to providing presentations about internet crimes against children, Travis teaches an online child exploitation class at Winona State University.
Tammy Wherley
M.A., Health and Human Services Administration, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota B.A., Sociology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Tammy Wherley has been an adjunct instructor at Southeast for many years. She began her career at the in 1997 as a Correctional Officer at Minnesota Correctional Facility-Red Wing, Minnesota's only state operated juvenile facility. She held various positions from Case Manager to Associate Warden of Administration at MCF-Oak Park Heights, MCF-Lino Lakes, and MCF-Stillwater, then returned to MCF-Red Wing as the Associate Warden of Operations in 2017.
Amy Whitcomb
M.S., Psychology, Western Illinois University
B.A., Psychology, Iowa Wesleyan College
A.A., Southeastern Community College, West Burlington, IowaAn Iowa native, Amy Whitcomb has been teaching psychology since 1999, and began teaching at Minnesota State College Southeast in the fall of 2010. In the past, she has done counseling and social work, but decided she loved teaching far more than trying to save the world. While she is interested in most areas of psychology and criminal justice, social psychology and criminology are her favorites. In her spare time, she likes reading true crime accounts, watching true crime shows, listening to opera and classic rock, and spending time with her children. She has become an excellent cook, but remains unfulfilled by it.