Criminal Justice: Foundations

The Criminal Justice Program at Virginia Western will prepare you for a wide range of career opportunities in the criminal justice field. The Criminal Justice: Foundations Career Studies Certificate, combined with the Criminal Justice: Advanced Foundations Career Studies Certificate, prepares you to complete the Criminal Justice Associate Degree in only an additional 2 semesters.

What career opportunities are available with a criminal justice degree? 

There are a wide range of positions within the field, all with the goal of improving communities and keeping citizens safe:  

• Police officer 
• Deputy sheriff 
• Crime analyst 
• Jailer 
• Probation officer 
• School resource officer 
• Court clerk 
• Outreach worker 
• Public safety telecommunicator 

There is a high local demand with organizations internationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA): 

• Roanoke City Police Department 
• Roanoke County Police Department 
• Salem Police Department 
• Franklin County Sheriff’s Office 
• Danville Police Department 
• Radford City Police Department 
• Blacksburg Police Department 
• Virginia Tech Police Department 
• Virginia State Police 

Existing law enforcement officers may gain increased opportunities for career advancement and earning potential. 

Related Programs

• Criminal Justice (Associate of Applied Science)
• Criminal Justice: Advanced Foundations (Career Studies Certificate)

Credit for Prior Learning

Per the articulation agreement between the Virginia Community College System and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, students who have satisfactorily documented successful completion of the Virginia State Police Academy or a regional and independent certified training academy shall be awarded credit for prior learning.