Peace Officer Associate of Applied Science

Program Overview:

The Peace Officer - Associate in Applied Science degree satisfies requirements to become Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board Exam eligible. Graduates seeking employment as a Peace Officer will be required to pass the POST exam to become eligible to be licensed as a Peace Officer in the State of Minnesota.

Program Outcomes:

Upon completion of the Peace Officer program at RCTC, students will achieve the following outcomes:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the Criminal Justice System and criminal procedure.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the current Juvenile Justice System.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of ethics in law enforcement.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the Minnesota Criminal Statutes to satisfy POST Learning Objectives.

Additional Information:

Notice of Minnesota Background Check Requirement Minnesota Statute 245C requires that students who have contact with individuals in licensed institutions complete an annual background study with the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Individuals who do not pass the background check will not be allowed to participate in program activities. A list of disqualifying offenses is available at https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=245C.15 Information about completing the background study will be available from program faculty.

PEACE OFFICER AAS

MINNESOTA TRANSFER CURRICULUM (MnTC)/GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (19 CREDITS)

GOAL 1: COMMUNICATION (7 CREDITS)

• COMM 1130 Interpersonal Communication (3 cr)
• ENGL 1117 Reading and Writing Critically I (4 cr)

GOAL 3: NATURAL SCIENCES OR GOAL 4: MATHEMATICAL/LOGICAL REASONING (3 CREDITS)

• CHEM 1031 – Introduction to Forensic Chemistry (3 cr) OR MATH 1111 – Quantitative Reasoning (3 cr)

GOAL 5: HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES (3 CREDITS)

• SOC 1614 – Introduction to Sociology (3 cr)

GOAL 6: THE HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS (3 CREDITS)

• ART 1184 – Photography (3 cr) OR HUM/SPAN 1001 – Introduction to Hispanic Cultures (3 cr)

GOALS 7: HUMAN DIVERSITY, RACE, POWER, AND JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES (3 CREDITS)

Course from Goal 7 (3 cr)

HEALTH AND PHYSCIAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (1 CREDIT)

• PHED 1189 – Boot Camp (1 cr)

PROGRAM CORE REQUIREMENTS (28 CREDITS)

• CRJU 1305 – Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 cr) OR
• POFC 1105 – Introduction to Peace Officers and the Criminal Justice System (3 cr)
• CRJU 2122 – Criminal Procedure (3 cr)
• CRJU 2127 – Juvenile Law and Procedures (3 cr)
• CRJU 2215 – Homeland Security/Defense (3 cr)
• EMC 1121 – First Responder (2 cr)
• POFC 1112 – Introduction to Criminal Investigations (3 cr)
• POFC 1115 – Basic Firearms (2 cr)
• POFC 2119 – Minnesota Criminal and Traffic Statutes (3 cr)
• POFC 2121 – Human Behavior and Ethics for Peace Officers (3 cr)
• POFC 2125 – Community Policing and Service (3 cr)

SKILLS COURSES (12 CREDITS)

• POFS 2101 – Crime Scene Processing (2 cr)*
• POFS 2102 – Traffic Enforcement (3 cr)*
• POFS 2103 – Defensive Tactics (2 cr)*
• POFS 2104 – Firearms for SKILLS (2 cr)*
• POFS 2105 – Patrol Practical’s (3 cr)*

*Tuition differential associated with these courses

RECOMMENDED COURSE SEQUENCES

FULL-TIME

• Semester 1 (16 CREDITS): CRJU 1305 OR POFC 1105, ENGL 1117, PHED 1189, POFC 1112, POFC 1115, SOC 1614
• Semester 2 (15 CREDITS): CHEM 1031 OR MATH 1111, COMM 1130, CRJU 1215, EMC 1121, POFC 2215
• Semester 3 (15 CREDITS): ART 1184 OR HUM/SPAN 1001, CRJU 2122, POFC 2119, POFC 2121, SOC 2625
• Semester 4 (15 CREDITS): CRJU 2127, POFS 2101, POFS 2102, POFS 2103, POFS 2104, POFS 2105

Course descriptions can be found at: RCTC course descriptions