AUBURN - Citing
considerable student interest and a growing need to prepare future law
enforcement professionals, Central Maine Community College (CMCC) will begin
offering in the fall a degree program in Criminal Justice.
"We have been offering some criminal justice courses over the last few
years, but we've had a lot of demand for a degree program from high school
students, people coming out of the Lewiston Regional Technical Center,"
noted CMCC President Scott Knapp. There is an increasing shortage of
people who qualify for police jobs in state and local police agencies, Knapp
added.
Lewiston Police Chief William Welch has also noticed a shrinking applicant
pool. "One of the issues we all are facing is recruitment. We're
having difficulty getting qualified applicants. A few years ago I got 150.
Now I'm lucky if I can get twenty.”
The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Criminal Justice is
designed with a three-fold purpose: (1) to prepare graduates for entry
level positions relevant to law enforcement, (2) to prepare students for
upper division coursework at universities and colleges where a bachelor’s
degree is desired, and (3) to respond to the growing demand of law
enforcement employees seeking to upgrade their skills and knowledge base for
career advancement with a college degree. The program prepares graduates
wtih a foundatoin in theory, technology, criminal justice skils, and
interpersonal skills that may be applied in a variety of law enforcement
settings. Graduates will be prepared for career opportunities in local and
state law enforcement, forensics, corrections, probation/parole, private
security and investigations, asset protection and Homeland Security.
A distinctive feature of the program is the Computer Forensics option, which will prepare graduates for the growing field of investigating crime on computers. Students who pursue this option will also learn how to identify computer network vulnerabilities, and technical methods used to improve computer security. Applications to the Criminal Justice program are now being accepted for the fall semester Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED and meet all standard CMCC academic requirements. More information about the program, course offerings, and admissions can be found online at www.cmcc.edu. Interested students are also invited to call the Admissions Office at 1-800-891-2002, ext. 273 or enroll@CMCC.edu