Criminal Justice @ MCC

Be a Hero

It feels good to be needed, and the world needs plenty of trained and educated individuals to fill a range of positions in the criminal justice realm. Some people thrive on recognition and visibility in the community while others prefer taking a leadership role behind the scenes. If you are someone who wants to earn respect and honor while serving the community, the Criminal Justice program at Marshalltown Community College will set you on the right path.
 

Heroes aren’t born; they are developed through education, preparation, application, and teamwork. Heroes are built on knowledge and skills. MCC’s Criminal Justice program can open many different doors – you choose the one to enter.
 

MCC’s Criminal Justice courses provide overall instruction from experienced professionals who have lived what they teach.
 

Many of today’s heroes are individuals who dedicate themselves to enforcing or monitoring justice. MCC’s Criminal Justice program teaches background skills that you will apply on the job or on which you can build if you choose to pursue a transfer program. Criminal Justice is about having knowledge and understanding people. It’s a field where your qualifications give you the confidence to take necessary action – in a courtroom, a corrections facility, or on the street.
 

Marshalltown Community College’s Criminal Justice program is training real heroes. Want to be one of them? Read on.

Degree Details

• List of Criminal Justice Courses

• Degrees Offered

  • Criminal Justice AA

  • Criminal Justice AAS

   

  |  Applications Checklist   |  For More Information  |

Meet the Instructor

Brian Agnitsch,  Social Sciences Assistant Professor

AA, Iowa Central Community College
BS, Criminal Justice Administration, Central Missouri State University
MS, Criminal Justice Administration, Central Missouri State University
Coursework completed toward MS, Sociology, Iowa State University
bagnitsc@iavalley.edu
641-752-7106, ext. 255 or Toll-free 866-MCC-IS-IT
Office, Room 622

Brian Agnitsch brings real personal experience to his Criminal Justice courses. While in graduate school he was named the outstanding graduate student in Criminal Justice at Central Missouri State University.

After he graduated, he served as a police officer for seven years, then worked in criminal investigations for the Iowa Public Defender’s Office before coming to Marshalltown Community College to teach.

 

What is Criminal Justice?
 

Marshalltown Community College’s Criminal Justice program is designed to help you prepare for employment in a wide range of related careers or to transfer into a four-year program associated with corrections, criminal justice, security and law enforcement.
 

Graduates of this two-year Associate in Science degree program work as correction officers, security guards, police or patrol officers, and in other law enforcement positions – society’s real heroes.
 

You may choose from three areas of emphasis – law enforcement, corrections, or security. In these career fields, criminal justice professionals serve to prevent and control crime, shield the public from harm, provide rehabilitation and detention services, and utilize the judicial system to ensure equal justice for all citizens.
 

A long list of job opportunities awaits those with criminal justice training. that increases your value in the job market. Training can lead to positions in alcohol, tobacco & firearms control; child welfare; customs and drug enforcement; the FBI; postal service investigation; secret service; corrections counseling; parole; law; probation work; victim services; and specialities in arson, ballistics, fingerprinting, documents, controlled substances or polygraphs.

“I like the different options the criminal justice program here has. Nothing holds my interest like this program. There’s so much I like about it. I like to help people and the criminal justice field is a way to do that.”

Melissa Jensen
Criminal Justice major
 

What qualities are helpful?
Several skills are essential for success in criminal justice jobs, including:

• Thinking analytically in the face of adversity.

• Working well under pressure or when in physical danger.

• Responding as situations arise.

• Respecting the values and workings of the legal system.

• Working both independently and as part of a team.

• Communicating verbally and in writing.

• Maintaining a high degree of physical fitness.

“The criminal justice program is invaluable. It has opened my mind to the bigger picture of criminal justice. You wouldn’t get that by passing the physical and getting a badge number. The whole of law enforcement has changed so much and we have to change with it.”

Dan Rudkin
Criminal Justice major