Whether it’s by fighting fires, maintaining law and order or supporting individuals through times of crisis, the collective goal of those in public safety careers is to protect the wellbeing of citizens, communities and organizations.
In order to do this effectively, it’s crucial that those in public safety roles have an understanding of people, how they interact with others and cope with trauma. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, pursing a public safety pathway through G3 gives you the opportunity to take courses in psychology, counseling, forensics, ethics and much more.
Here are just some of the public safety and criminal justice courses you could take through Virginia’s Community Colleges.
Principles of Criminal Investigation
If you’ve always wondered how crime scene investigators collect and handle evidence, this class will offer a peek behind the curtain. In Principles of Criminal Investigation, you’ll learn about the fundamentals of criminal investigation procedures and techniques including crime scene search, collecting, handling and preserving of evidence.
Abnormal Psychology
There are many branches of psychology. One that is often considered the most fascinating is abnormal psychology. This class explores historical views and current perspectives of abnormal behavior and emphasizes major diagnostic categories and criteria, individual and social factors of maladaptive behavior and types of therapy. You’ll also learn about methods of clinical assessment and research strategies.
Patrol Administration and Operations
Interested in what a police officer’s day looks like? A course in Patrol Administration and Operations could be your favorite class of the semester. In this class you’ll study the responsibilities, goals, methods and techniques of administrators and field supervisors of patrol in the local and state law enforcement agencies.
Homeland Security and Law
Did you know that some colleges offer an Administration of Justice degree with a specialization in Homeland Security? This class covers relationships abroad, the mission of federal, state, and local government at home and the best way to provide for the common defense. It will also examine Homeland Security and emergency management, civil rights issues and future challenges and roles of intelligence agencies, among other topics.
Gerontology
Gerontology is the scientific study of old age. In a gerontology course you will study the process of aging, its implications in relations to health, recreation, education, transportation, work and activity and community resources. This course would relate to working in human services, specifically with those who are older and of retirement age.
Organized Crime and Corruption
Intrigued by the true stories behind The Sopranos and Goodfellas? To receive a degree in Administration of Justice you may take a class in Organized Crime and Corruption. This course addresses judicial efforts against and involvement in corruption, drug, vice and white-collar crimes both individual and organized.
