Police Science: Career Associate

The Police Science AA degree provides students with the opportunity to obtain practical experience in the HACC Criminalistics Laboratory, one of the best-equipped crime laboratories in Pennsylvania. Students receive hands-on training in bloodstain pattern analysis, firearms examination, shooting reconstruction, police photography, crime scene processing, fingerprint analysis, polygraph, forensic pathology, and microscopy. This program may require the student to submit to an ACT 34 Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Background Check prior to enrollment, prior to the start of a field experience, prior to testing and/or obtaining employment.  The student should consider this factor before enrolling in this program.  If the student has any questions regarding this, he or she should contact the department chair. The complete program is available at the Harrisburg Campus. The program may also be completed at the Gettysburg Campus by taking some online courses. Some of the required courses are available at the Lancaster, Lebanon, and York campuses.

Graduates are employed locally and nationally as municipal or state police officers, agents for specialized law-enforcement agencies, private investigators, private security supervisors, and evidence technicians.

General Education   
ENGL 101 English Composition I  3 
ENGL 102 English Composition II (or)  3 
  ENGL 104 Technical Writing (or)  (3)
  ENGL 106 Business Writing  (3)
COMM 101 Effective Speaking  3 
Core A Elective  3 
Core B Elective  3 
Core C Elective  3 
Free Electives  6 
Physical Education & Wellness  1 

Major Requirements     
CJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice  3   
CJ 104 Police Operations  3   
CJ 108 Criminology  3   
CJ 109 Instrumentation and Technologies  3   
CJ 201 Criminal Investigation  3   
CJ 203 Criminal Evidence  3   
CJ 206 Criminalistics  4   
CJ 208 Intermediate Criminalistics  4   
CJ 212 Criminal Law and Procedure  3   
CJ 240 Ethics and Diverse Cultures (D)  3   
Criminal Justice Program Electives  6   

This curriculum is designed to prepare students to:

Discuss the history, philosophy, and organization of law enforcement and criminal justice systems

Apply principles of police management and operations

Demonstrate the proper methods of collection, documentation, and preservation of evidence

Identify the technologies commonly operated by police agencies

Practice the management and techniques of patrol operations

Distinguish between the various theories that identify the causes of criminal behavior

Apply for a Full-Ride Scholarship

Are you a future student and ready to apply to HACC? 
By applying to HACC, you have the opportunity to apply for a full-ride scholarship! HACC will fund two years of your education – enough to complete your associate degree.

Thanks to the support of the HACC Foundation, the College is able to offer FREE money to support future students, like you, in reaching your educational goals. Six full-ride scholarships are available – one from each of the five campuses and one through HACC’s Virtual Learning Program. 

Please note that current students are not eligible for the full-ride scholarships. However, there are more than 250 scholarships available for current students.

What should you know about the full-ride scholarship?

The scholarship covers tuition, books and fees for a full academic year. 

The scholarship will automatically renew each term for up to six consecutive terms if you maintain your eligibility.

Once you apply to the College and receive a HACC ID and email address, you may apply for the full-ride scholarship. You do not have to register for classes before applying for the scholarship.

Are you eligible?

To be eligible, you must:

Apply to HACC

Take 12-15 credits each term for no more than six consecutive terms (two years)

Live in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Schuylkill or York county

Have a minimum cumulative high school GPA of 3.0

Provide a 480 SAT reading score, 21 ACT or comparable scores on the College’s placement test

Maintain a GPA of 3.0 while enrolled at HACC

Participate in at least two HACC student organizations