Academic Programs

Law Enforcement (AAS.LE)

The Law Enforcement degree is intended for students who do not intend to transfer to a university after graduation and who primarily intend to seek a career as a police officer in a local or county police agency. This degree can also be ideal for those seeking a career in corrections by taking electives related to the field. Contact an academic advisor for a specific academic plan leading to successful graduation.

Program requirements may change over time. Specific degree/graduation requirements are determined by a degree audit.

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Catalog Term Year: 2025

First Year
First Semester

CORECJS-150

Credit Hours: 3.00

CORECJS-080

Credit Hours: 3.00

GENCOM-200

Credit Hours: 3.00

GENSOC-280

Credit Hours: 3.00

GENENG-119

-OR-
Credit Hours: 3.00

First Year
Second Semester

CORECJS-152

Credit Hours: 3.00

CORECJS-156

Credit Hours: 3.00

CORECJS-081

Credit Hours: 2.00

GENPSY-271

Credit Hours: 3.00

GEN--- ---

-OR-
Credit Hours: 3.00

ELE--- ---

Credit Hours: 2.00

Second Year
First Semester

CORECJS-160

Credit Hours: 3.00

CORECJS-153

Credit Hours: 3.00

CORECJS-090

Credit Hours: 3.00

GENSOC-286

-OR-
Credit Hours: 3.00

ELE--- ---

Credit Hours: 3.00

Second Year
Second Semester

CORECJS-158

Credit Hours: 3.00

CORECJS-091

Credit Hours: 3.00

CORECJS-250

Credit Hours: 3.00

GENHED-178

Credit Hours: 2.00

ELE--- ---

Credit Hours: 3.00

FIRST YEAR
First Semester			Hours
CORE	CJS-150	Intro/Criminal Just CJS-150 Intro/Criminal Just Focuses on an overview of the justice system with emphasis on the total system of police, courts, and corrections. Course Outline	3.0
GEN	COM-200	Interpersonal Communication COM-200 Interpersonal Communication Principles and practices of oral communication emphasizing message formation and delivery, listening, perception, awareness of verbal and non-verbal codes, and managing conflict. Course Outline	3.0
CORE	CJS-080	Introduction to Policing CJS-080 Introduction to Policing This course provides an introduction to the police profession by examining the history of policing, the mental and physical requirements for a police officer, and police operational issues. Consideration is also given to current policing trends. Course Outline	3.0
GEN	SOC-280	Introduction to Sociology SOC-280 Introduction to Sociology Study of human interaction focusing on social influences shaping personality, structure and dynamics of human society. Topics include: sociological perspective, culture, society, social interaction; social change in global perspective; socialization; families; social class; and social stratification; race and ethnicity; and deviance. Course Outline	3.0
GEN	ENG-119	Composition I Pathway ENG-119 Composition I Pathway Students will study the writing process by reading essays illustrating a variety of rhetorical strategies, analyzing texts and writing, revising and editing short essays. Course is for students who have assessed into developmental English, receiving supplemental instruction for course completion. Course Outline OR
GEN	ENG-120	Composition I ENG-120 Composition I Students develop a writing process by reading and analyzing texts that illustrate various rhetorical strategies as well as writing, revising and editing short essays. Minimally, students must compose four formal, revised writing assignments, having one reach at least 1,250 words. Course Outline	3.0
	Semester Totals		15.0
Second Semester
CORE	CJS-152	Criminal Investigation I CJS-152 Criminal Investigation I Focuses on the fundamentals of investigation, crime scene applications, and investigative techniques and procedures. Upon completion of this course, the student will understand the theory and practicality of investigation from crime scene to courtroom. Course Outline	3.0
CORE	CJS-156	Criminal Law CJS-156 Criminal Law A study of the concept of social order, examining criminal law. Crime is defined and examined as is criminal responsibility, mental state, physical act and other fundamental legal doctrines. Course Outline	3.0
CORE	CJS-081	Police Report Writing CJS-081 Police Report Writing This course provides an understanding of the fundamental principles of good writing and effective police reporting by developing a practical, basic understanding to the types of reports and forms commonly used in the field of criminal justice. Course Outline	2.0
GEN	PSY-271	Intr/Psychology PSY-271 Intr/Psychology Focuses on psychology as a science, presenting concepts, research methods and research in a variety of subfields, including neuroscience, sensation and perception, consciousness, learning and memory, cognition, motivation and emotion, development, personality, disorders and therapy and social psychology. Course Outline	3.0
GEN	--- ---	IAI Mathematics --- --- IAI Mathematics OR
GEN	--- ---	IAI Science --- --- IAI Science	3.0
ELE	--- ---	Career Elective --- --- Career Elective	2.0
	Semester Totals		16.0

SECOND YEAR
First Semester			Hours
CORE	CJS-160	Criminal Evidence and Procedure CJS-160 Criminal Evidence and Procedure Focuses on the application of Constitutional law. Procedural responsibilities of the police as they apply to the constitutional rights of the individual will be emphasized. Course Outline	3.0
CORE	CJS-153	Police Operations CJS-153 Police Operations This course focuses on the duties and responsibilities of the patrol officer. Topics covered will include routine patrol, traffic enforcement, and officer survival. Course Outline	3.0
CORE	CJS-090	Community Policing CJS-090 Community Policing This course examines the relationship between police and the community and provides information on how to strengthen that relationship. Strategies for effective community policing are examined. Course Outline	3.0
GEN	SOC-286	Racial and Ethnic Groups SOC-286 Racial and Ethnic Groups An examination of American racial and ethnic diversity with an attempt to understand racial and ethnic relations. The examination is made emphasizing the sociological perspective while including material from the other social sciences. Course Outline OR
GEN	SOC-282	Social Problems SOC-282 Social Problems An issue oriented course. Among the issues covered are how sociologists view social problems, the changing family, poverty, race and ethnic relations, aging, crime and criminal justice, human sexual behavior, problems of physical and mental illness, urban problems, and other areas based upon student interests. Course Outline	3.0
ELE	--- ---	Career Elective --- --- Career Elective	3.0
	Semester Totals		15.0
Second Semester
CORE	CJS-158	Juvenile Justice CJS-158 Juvenile Justice This course is designed to familiarize the student with development and trends in the juvenile justice system. It includes delinquency prevention, causation of juvenile crime and treatment and control of the juvenile delinquent. Course Outline	3.0
CORE	CJS-091	Ethics in Criminal Justice CJS-091 Ethics in Criminal Justice This course analyzes various aspects of ethics in the criminal justice system, including the police, the court system, and the correctional system. Course Outline	3.0
CORE	CJS-250	Criminology CJS-250 Criminology This course analyzes criminological theories. Crime in relation to physical and psychological factors, to cultural areas, to the family and to other social institutions will be examined. Consideration is given to professional crime and white collar crime. Course Outline	3.0
GEN	HED-178	Responding to Emergencies HED-178 Responding to Emergencies The purpose of the American Red Cross Responding to Emergency course is to provide the citizen responder with the knowledge and skills necessary in an emergency to help sustain life. Course Outline	2.0
ELE	--- ---	Career Elective --- --- Career Elective	3.0
	Semester Totals		14.0

Total Program Hours

60.0

Call Counseling Services: 217-234-5232
Email: counsel@lakelandcollege.edu

Faculty Contact: David A Chambers
Faculty Email: dchambers@lakelandcollege.edu
Faculty Phone: 217-234-5310

* There are prerequisites, course requisites, or minimum placement test scores for this course.
** Electives must be approved by the Program Coordinator
+ Course only offered fall semester
++ Course only offered spring and summer semester
+++ Course only offered spring semester
++++ Course offered in summer term only
^ SOS 050 Human Relations and PSY 271 Introduction to Psychology cannot be used as a social science elective
^^ Consult Academic Advisor for appropriate course
^^^ Course requires a 30-hour practicum experience in addition to classroom lecture hours
^^^^ ECE 120 and ECE 125 must be taken the same semester

Law Enforcement (AAS.LE)

Extra Resources

Catalog Term Year: 2025

First YearFirst Semester

First YearSecond Semester

Second YearFirst Semester

Second YearSecond Semester

CJS-150Intro/Criminal Just

COM-200Interpersonal Communication

CJS-080Introduction to Policing

SOC-280Introduction to Sociology

ENG-119Composition I Pathway

ENG-120Composition I

Semester Totals

CJS-152Criminal Investigation I

CJS-156Criminal Law

CJS-081Police Report Writing

PSY-271Intr/Psychology

--- ---IAI Mathematics

--- ---IAI Science

--- ---Career Elective

Semester Totals

CJS-160Criminal Evidence and Procedure

CJS-153Police Operations

CJS-090Community Policing

SOC-286Racial and Ethnic Groups

SOC-282Social Problems

--- ---Career Elective

Semester Totals

CJS-158Juvenile Justice

CJS-091Ethics in Criminal Justice

CJS-250Criminology

HED-178Responding to Emergencies

--- ---Career Elective

Semester Totals

Total Program Hours

First Year
First Semester

First Year
Second Semester

Second Year
First Semester

Second Year
Second Semester

CJS-150
Intro/Criminal Just

COM-200
Interpersonal Communication

CJS-080
Introduction to Policing

SOC-280
Introduction to Sociology

ENG-119
Composition I Pathway

ENG-120
Composition I

CJS-152
Criminal Investigation I

CJS-156
Criminal Law

CJS-081
Police Report Writing

PSY-271
Intr/Psychology

--- ---
IAI Mathematics

--- ---
IAI Science

--- ---
Career Elective

CJS-160
Criminal Evidence and Procedure

CJS-153
Police Operations

CJS-090
Community Policing

SOC-286
Racial and Ethnic Groups

SOC-282
Social Problems

--- ---
Career Elective

CJS-158
Juvenile Justice

CJS-091
Ethics in Criminal Justice

CJS-250
Criminology

HED-178
Responding to Emergencies

--- ---
Career Elective