Criminal justice programs require students to take mathematics or statistics. Students need to gain experience in probability and statistics and should also become familiar with numeration systems and numeric theory. The courses are general mathematics courses and are not tailored for the field of criminal justice.
Students seeking an associate of arts in criminal justice will be required to enroll in courses for English language, including courses with an emphasis on expository and technical writing. The courses, which may also concentrate of effective reading, are generally not part of the criminal justice core curriculum, but are taken in other departments at the university, including the English department. Some associate of arts programs also require oral communications courses, in addition to courses emphasizing writing skills.
An associate of arts degree program includes a course that gives students an overview of the history, mission and goals of criminal justice. Course titles could include "Survey of the Criminal Justice System" or "Introduction to Policing." These introductory courses are designed to make students aware of what will be studied during the course of they associate of arts degree program and are usually given in the first months of the study program.
Students are also expected to gain knowledge about the courts. Courses will give an overview of how evidence is gathered, including how to manage a crime scene and how the evidence must be introduced into court, as well as criminal procedures during trial. The focus is on method, rather than substance.
Criminal justice workers, such as police and detectives, must know how to prove by reliable evidence that a criminal law has been violated. In substantive criminal law course, students study the definition and elements for different types of crimes - for example, the definition of burglary is: the unlawful entry onto the property of another to take another's property. Therefore, to prove burglary, the police must gather evidence to show that a suspect was unlawfully on the property of another person, that she took property, and that the property belonged to someone else. If any one of those elements is not proven, the suspect cannot be convicted of the crime of burglary in a court of law.
Jail, prisons and detention facilities form part of the criminal justice system. Students must study the theories behind crime and punishment and be familiar with research and studies regarding the criminal justice systems around the world. These courses also focus on the fairness of criminal justice by looking at the prison population and demographics as well as the effect of socioeconomic, racial and ethnic factors in sentencing and punishment.