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El Cajon | San Diego Criminal Justice School

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Criminal Justice Training | El Cajon, Ca

Get Your Criminal Justice Diploma in as Little as 9 Months!

ATA College

  • Program designed to prepare ATA College graduates for entry into state, local, or federal law enforcement, corrections, or private security.
  • Learn about the U.S. Constitution, American court systems, Federal and California state laws, and past and current criminal trends.
  • After completing the criminal justice diploma program, students have the option to continue with courses in the Associate of Science program; which can be completed in an additional 6 months.
  • Upon graduation, you can possibly work in areas such as homeland security, corrections, corporate security, crime scene investigations and more.
  • ATA College offers flexible schedule, hands-on learning taught by instructors with real-world experience. Financial aid is available if you qualify.

Are your ready to make a positive change in your life?

Criminal Justice & Public Safety Diploma

40 Semester Credits / 36 Weeks

El Cajon | San Diego Criminal Justice School 1


The Criminal Justice & Public Safety training program at ATA College in El Cajon is designed to prepare graduates for entry into state, local, or federal law enforcement, corrections, or private security. Students will study the U.S. Constitution, American court systems, Federal and California state laws, and past and current criminal trends. ATA College students will be prepared to properly articulate, format and complete various types of reports and professional communication. Prior to graduation, students will be introduced to the application process for various local, state, and federal agencies.

After completing the 9-month diploma training program at our El Cajon | San Diego criminal justice school, students have the option to continue with courses in the Associate of Science program. The criminal justice associate degree is available in multiple emphasis pathways and can be completed in an additional 6 months after general education courses.

Associate of Science in Criminal Justice

  • Emphasis in Homeland Security
  • Emphasis in Corrections
  • Emphasis in Crime Scene Investigations
  • Emphasis in Corporate Security

71 semester credits / 60 weeks

What Qualities are needed?

Communication skills. Police and detectives must be able to speak with people when gathering facts about a crime and to express details about a given incident in writing.

Empathy. Police officers need to understand the perspectives of a wide variety of people in their jurisdiction and have a willingness to help the public.

Good judgment. Police and detectives must be able to determine the best way to solve a wide array of problems quickly.

Leadership skills. Police officers must be comfortable with being a highly visible member of their community, as the public looks to them for assistance in emergency situations.

Perceptiveness. Officers, detectives, and fish and game wardens must be able to anticipate a person’s reactions and understand why people act a certain way.

Physical stamina. Officers and detectives must be in good physical shape, both to pass required tests for entry into the field, and to keep up with the daily rigors of the job.

Physical strength. Police officers must be strong enough to physically apprehend offenders.

Ready to Start Working?

Complete our criminal justice diploma in only 8 months

Our Criminal Justice training programs are designed to have you working right after graduation. Check out our Careers Services to learn about Job Placement.

Students pursuing a career in the Security Field living in California may be required to obtain a Guard Card prior to employment. ATA College instructors are approved by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (Approval # ATC 2881) to provide this training and ATA College will assist students in seeking a Guard Card.

What will you learn?

Diploma Curriculum & Courses

Introduction to Criminal Justice
LS 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice

2.66 Credits

This criminal justice course provides an overview and introduction to criminal justice. Focus on the nature of crime, law and criminal justice, the police and law enforcement, the makeup of the courts, the adjudication system, the issues facing police, corrections.

Criminal Law
LS 110 Criminal Law

2.66 Credits

This criminal justice course will cover the study of the power of arrest, relevant federal and California constitutional provisions applicable to a criminal defendant. ATA College students will be introduced to the structures of both the federal and state government including the court systems. Students will be introduced to various types of crimes, their element, and possible defenses. Relevant pre-trial procedures will be discussed. Theories for punishing criminal law violators will be explored and case briefing and IRAC concepts will be emphasized to students.

Criminal Procedure and the Constitution
LS 120 Criminal Procedure and the Constitution

2.66 Credits

There will be a discussion of the Constitutional aspects of criminal procedure. The student will learn procedural aspects of the criminal system from arrest or summons through pretrial motions, trial, postconviction, and appellate processes. A study of the Constitution at work in the court system with current applications.

Deviance & Violence
LS 130 Deviance & Violence

1.99 Credits

This criminal justice course explores research in the field of behavioral deviance. ATA College students will analyze case studies of various types of psychologic deviances and behaviors, focusing on casual explanations, police investigative strategies, and research-based recommendations for preventing and responding to these violent acts.

Criminal Evidence
LS 140 Criminal Evidence

2.33 Credits

This criminal justice course focuses on the nature of evidence as it relates to the pretrial and trial process, including: witnesses, hearsay, admissions and confessions, and the exclusionary rule. Emphasis is placed on specific types of evidence: circumstantial, documentary, physical, documentary and recorded.

Gangs and Narcotics
LS 150 Gangs and Narcotics

2.66 Credits

This criminal justice course presents an overview of the various classifications and characteristics of drugs and narcotics; as well as a comprehensive, contemporary, and interdisciplinary perspective on criminal sub-cultures in America.

American Criminal Courts
LS 160 American Criminal Courts

2.66 Credits

This criminal justice course presents an introduction to the structure of the court system (federal, state, and local) in the United States. Topics include descriptions and jurisdictions of each type of court, key court personnel, selection process and working environments, and the judge’s unique role. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to chart both state and federal court structure and explain the roles of court personnel.

Communication & Report Writing
LS 201 Communication & Report Writing

1.99 Credits

ATA College students will learn and apply specialized techniques and approaches to interviews and interrogations as well as legal implications based on a variety of situations. Interviews and interrogation focuses on techniques and philosophies of conducting human communication in a criminal justice or legal environment in which the goal is to obtain accurate information. Obtaining eyewitness information in an investigative environment is also discussed.

Public Safety Hiring Process
LS 203 Public Safety Hiring Process

1.99 Credits

This criminal justice course provides an overview of employment in the criminal justice field. Topics include nature of the work, social media impacts, employment opportunities, median income, training, opportunity for advancement, employment outlook for ten different general classifications.

Career Development
CS 108 Career Development

1.99 Credits

Instruction on interviewing techniques and on-the-job career development; i.e., negotiating salary and job performance reviews. Instruction in resume development. Exercises will include creating a personal resume for the student to use in his/her job search.

Introduction to Homeland Security & Terrorism
HLS 101 Introduction to Homeland Security & Terrorism

2.66 Credits

The criminal justice course will cover the role of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), review the National Strategies for Homeland Security. Also, defined, reviewed, and discussed are terrorism, international terrorism, and the threats related with weapons of mass destruction. The course will review emergency preparedness and response to effectively attempt to mitigate the threats associated with an attack on the homeland.

Introduction to Corrections
CO 101 Introduction to Corrections

2.66 Credits

ATA College students will gain the knowledge and skills needed to use a PM/EHR to create appointments, as well as to add provider breaks, create recall lists, and print providers’ schedules. This criminal justice course covers the skills needed to use a PM/EHR to check patient balances and create chart numbers and cases. Describes methods used to enter documentation in an EHR, including the use of dictation and transcription, voice recognition software, and templates. Students practice entering progress notes with and without the use of a template. The e-prescribing and electronic order entry features of an EHR are also presented. Introduction to the basics of coding, including ICD-9-CM and ICD-10-CM, CPT, and E/M, and explains both paper and electronic encounter forms. The student learns how to use an EHR to record a patient’s history, allergies, medications, vital signs, and chief complaint. Students also practice sending and receiving intraoffice messages and creating patient reminder letters.

Physical Fitness for Public Safety
PHYS 101 Physical Fitness for Public Safety

1.66 Credits

Emphasizes total body fitness and focuses on aerobic activity and resistance training. Lecture and lab activities focus on cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, safe activity principles, nutrition, and risk factors for disease.

Writing I
ENG 101 Writing I

1.66 Credits

This course emphasizes integration of skills and strategies for academic reading and writing, including comprehension, vocabulary, fluency and development, and the conventions of academic texts. ATA College students will be introduced to standard writing formats.

Associate Degree General Education Curriculum & Courses

Business Ethics
BE 101 Business Ethics

2.66 Credits

This course will focus on ethical issues and scenarios that relate directly to employees and their work environment. Students will develop a clearer sense of how, as a future employee, their corporate code of ethics will relate to operational decisions made daily. Focus will be placed on organizational ethics, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, role of government, blowing the whistle, and ethics and technology

Introduction to Psychology
PSY 103 Introduction to Psychology

4.00 Credits

This course provides broad coverage of the field of psychology, introducing the basic concepts, theories, and applications that constitute the discipline. Topics covered include: sensation and perception, sleep and dreams, classical and operant conditioning, foundations of memory, motivation and emotion, nature and nurture, and personality.

Earth Science
SCI 101 Earth Science

3.72 Credits

This course introduces fundamental scientific concepts in Earth Science. Students will explore a broad spectrum of earth science topics from Earth’s position in the solar system to the delicate ecological
systems on Earth’s surface. Topics covered include: the scientific method, motions of earth, earth materials, plate tectonics, earthquakes, weathering, erosion, winds, atmosphere, weather, climate, oceans, and ecology and the environment.

College Math
MTH 101 College Math

3.72 Credits

This course covers basic mathematical topics in college math through everyday applications. The course first reviews fundamental math concepts such as whole numbers, fractions and mixed numbers, and decimals and then applies them to ratio, rate, proportion, and percent problems. Students will also be introduced to basic algebra concepts including simplifying, factoring, combining, and evaluating algebraic expressions.

Business Computer Applications
CPA 101 Business Computer Applications

1.99 Credits

This course provides an overview of current software packages used in the business environment. Students will learn to create, edit, print, and save effective documents using word processing software as well as the basics of creating a graphical slide show using presentation software. Instruction will include using software to create and edit spreadsheets with embedded charts and graphs. Real world application projects will test students’ skills in these applications.

U.S. History
HIS 101 U.S. History

4.00 Credits

This course presents a general overview of the history of the United States from pre-colonial times through the Reconstruction Era. It explores the cultural, political, geographical, economical, and technological changes that have shaped the United States as a nation. Through a chronological study of major events, people, and turning points in U.S. history, this course also provides tools for the critical thinking skills needed to interpret historical methods, points of view, and the meanings of events in historical contexts.

Disclosures

Cost of the Program

Diploma

$14,490.00 Tuition
$100.00 Fees

Associate of Science

$21,790.00 Tuition
$200.00 Fees

Graduation Rate (For 2019).

Diploma

XX% On-Time Graduation Rate (on-time graduation is 8 months)

Associate of Applied Science

XX% On-Time Graduation Rate (on-time graduation is 15 months)

The Median Loan Debt for Graduates leaving ATA College, for award year 2016-2017, is $6400.00.

Placement Rate (As reported to the Council on Occupational Education 2019 Annual Report)

Diploma

XX%

Associate of Applied Science

XX%

Location

ATA College is an accredited college which is conveniently located in East County, serving the communities of El Cajon, Santee, Lemon Grove, La Mesa, Lakeside, Alpine, Chula Vista, Spring Valley, Mission Valley, and San Diego.