Peace Officer/Public Safety Transfer Pathway Associate of Science

Program Overview:

The Peace Officer/Public Safety Transfer Pathway offers students a powerful option: the opportunity to complete an Associate of Science degree with course credits that directly transfer to designated Peace Officer/Public Safety bachelor’s degree programs at Minnesota State universities. The curriculum has been specifically designed so that students completing this pathway degree and transferring to one of the seven Minnesota State universities enter the university with junior-year status.

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:

All courses in the Transfer Pathway associate degree will directly transfer and apply to the designated bachelor’s degree programs in a related field.

*Universities within the Minnesota State system include Bemidji State University; Metropolitan State University; Minnesota State University, Mankato; Minnesota State University Moorhead; Southwest Minnesota State University; St. Cloud State University; and Winona State University

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/PUBLIC SAFETY TRANSFER PATHWAY AS

MINNESOTA TRANSFER CURRICULUM (MnTC)/GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (30 CREDITS)

GOAL 1: COMMUNICATION (11 CREDITS)

• COMM 1114 – Fundamentals of Public Speaking (3 cr) OR COMM 1130 – Interpersonal Communication (3 cr) OR COMM 2100 – Intercultural Communication (3 cr)
• ENGL 1117 – Reading and Writing Critically I (4 cr)
• ENGL 1118 – Reading and Writing Critically II (4 cr)

GOAL 4: MATHEMATICAL/LOGICAL REASONING (3 CREDITS)

• MATH 1111 – Quantitative Reasoning (3 cr)

GOAL 5: HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES (6 CREDITS)

• PSYC 1611 – Psychology of Adjustment (3 cr) OR PSYC 2618 – General Psychology (4 cr)
• SOC 1614 – Introduction to Sociology (3 cr)

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

• PHIL 1125 – Ethics (3 cr)

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

• SOC 2625 – Minority Group Relations (3 cr)

MnTC ELECTIVES (4 CREDIT)

Any MnTC Goal 3, 8, or 10

• CHEM 1031 – Introduction to Forensic Chemistry (3 cr) OR HUM/SPAN 1001 – Introduction to Hispanic Cultures (3 cr) OR SPAN 1101 – Beginning Spanish I (4 cr)

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (1 CREDIT)

• PHED 1189 – Boot Camp (1 cr)

PROGRAM CORE REQUIREMENTS (25 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)
• 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 (18 CREDITS): EMC 1121, ENGL 1118, MnTC Goal 4, PHIL 1125, POFC 2125, PSYC 1611 OR 2618
• Semester 3 (19 CREDITS): COMM 1114 OR COMM 1130 OR COMM 2100, CRJU 2122, MnTC Goal 3, 8, or 10, 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