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Criminal Justice Diploma Course List
Semester 1
The Canadian Criminal Justice System
This foundation will course provides an overview of the history, organization, and functions within the systems and subsystems of criminal justice in Canada. The focus is on the inter-relational requirements for law enforcement agencies, non-governmental organizations, law courts, correctional services, youth justice, with Indigenous and immigrant considerations.
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Law Enforcement Investigations (Level I) – Statements, Crime Scenes, Patrol Strategies
This introductory course provides an understanding of police responsibility for public safety, and the practices and procedures used by police first responders to a crime scene. This includes statutory powers and authority, basic crime scene management, gathering evidence, search and seizure, obtaining statements from witnesses and victims and effective note taking.
Justice and Criminology
This course provides an introduction to the theoretical and conceptual approaches of criminology that influence the Canadian criminal justice system and its response to crime. Additionally, other factors influencing the application of criminological principles will be explored.
Effective Writing and Research Methods
This course highlights the competencies required to produce compelling and thorough investigative research articles. This course will be a requirement for learners to take the first semester of the diploma program. An emphasis will be placed on the integration of supportive and contradictory data and models of writing outcomes. This course will also provide the learner with competencies in critical analysis, and content for opposed and continuous topics.
Fitness and Lifestyle I
This course will introduce learners to the concepts needed to ensure a healthy lifestyle while embarking on a career in law enforcement. Learning objectives will focus on physical and mental wellness and include topics such as nutrition, time management, goal setting, and physical activity. Case studies and participation in practical exercises will engage the learner and assist with the development of habits required to support a healthy lifestyle and build resiliency for a successful career and life beyond work. This course will also prepare learners for the successful completion of the required physical testing of applicants to different law enforcement organizations.
Semester 2
Common Law, Criminal Procedures, and the Criminal Code
This course examines selected topics in criminal procedure and court processes within The Canadian context. Emphasis is placed on how criminal cases are processed through the criminal justice system. Learners will gain an understanding of the system of rules and standards which determine the admissibility of evidence. Case law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms will be reviewed as learners gain an understanding on its criminal procedure and evidence.
Law Enforcement Investigations (Level II) – Major Case Management
This course will provide an understanding of major case management principles and practices associated with specialized criminal investigations. Specific investigative techniques associated with serious and organized crime occurrences will be examined. Legal and ethical considerations associated with major crime investigations will be studied.
Traffic Investigations, Enforcement and Management
Traffic safety, investigation, and enforcement remain the primary responsibility of police officers. This course prepares the learner with the knowledge and skills in the preservation and recording of evidence, scene management, and investigations. Learners will follow the investigative and enforcement process required to coordinate and plan traffic flow operations, integrating specialized instruments needed for these complex investigations. Learners will follow the enforcement process from charge to traffic court, highlighting the elements required for prosecution to articulation of testimony in provincial court.
Police Powers and Authority
This introductory course provides a baseline of understanding the legal authority and jurisdictions vested in the Canadian public and private policing; including powers of arrest, release, detention, the use of force continuum, best practices associated with search and seizure, and the processing of exhibits.
Policing Indigenous People and Community
This course provides the foundation of how our protective agencies engage and respond to Indigenous communities. Culturally rich experiences within this course, including traditional healing and justice practices will challenge the student’s current perceptions and assumptions. An emphasis will be placed on the recommendations provided by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the potential impact on individual and community.
Semester 3
Criminal Justice Careers Practicum (240 Hours)
This practicum, offered concurrently with the diploma program, will provide the learner with work experience and coaching opportunities within a justice specific practicum host organization. This practicum is an applied learning experience involving work within a criminal or social justice career setting in a local, national, or international community. It bridges the academic coursework to current practices in justice and justice careers and will provide learners with the opportunity to take their educational training and learning in justice and apply skills and knowledge in different ways. Learners are expected to develop and seek approval for a 240-hour minimum practicum experience commencing at the start of the second semester.
Semester 4
Law Enforcement Investigations (Level III) – Homicide, Terrorism, Human Trafficking
During this course, learners will be expected to develop enhanced and investigative skills and techniques required for serious and organized crime (including politically motivated threats). This will include investigative techniques and tangible skills associated with enhanced interviewing techniques, informants and agents, undercover operations, and wiretap investigations. Time will be spent exploring threats to Canadian society and how law enforcement can strategically conduct investigations to target these threats. Major case management is reviewed and learners will be introduced to relevant case studies.
Communication and Conflict Resolution
This course introduces learners to the concepts of assessing and analyzing conflict’s root causes and resulting impacts. Learners will require skills and techniques to proactively address conflict, both in an interpersonal setting and organizationally. Emphasis will be placed on the opportunities that conflict provides and managing conflict effectively to ensure proper communication is sought between parties as they move towards resolution. Learners will practice the skills and techniques learned during the scenarios replicating real–life situations.
Search, Seizure and Evidence
This course provides a detailed examination and understanding of the legal authority and jurisdictions vested in the Canadian public and private policing. Legislative authorities, practices, and issues associated with the gathering of evidence and admissibility are explored
Canadian Youth Justice: Protecting Their Future
This course examines the dynamic policies and investigative processes associated with young offenders in the criminal justice system, over time. Factors such as family, school, and peer influences will be examined. Prevention and intervention strategies will be considered. A specific focus of the course will be to provide a working knowledge of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Mental Health and Addictions
During this course, learners will review mental health and addiction issues that front-line police officers are faced with daily. Learners will review community-based issues and mitigating strategies available within the criminal justice system. Legislation and current research on the topic of mental health and addictions will be reviewed and discussed within the course. Learners will be expected to explain the different mental health circumstances that police are confronted with and discuss potential courses of action.
Semester 5
Ethics, Police Leadership, and Decision-Making
This course examines the complex interrelationship between ethics, values, and the decision-making required in law enforcement. This includes moving far beyond the obvious right-from-wrong challenges towards an exploration of complex moral dilemmas. Through research, case studies, interviews, and trending issues this course will evoke complex moral reasoning and consideration
Law Enforcement Investigations (Level IV) – Cyber Crime
This comprehensive investigations course will provide Insight into cyber and other technological crimes facing law enforcement today. This course will explore the current and future trends and criminality and law enforcement’s response. With modern technology used as a platform in planning and committing crime, the investigator must understand the investigative strategy necessary to obtain direct evidence required for successful prosecutions. Societal trends, technical expertise, legal knowledge, communication, and investigative skills are required for these complex and emerging investigations.
Community Policing Initiatives
This course explores the development of policing as a profession while focusing on the community-based approaches to frontline operations. Additionally, there will be a focus on community safety and well–being, including its broad application in the fields of health, education, and social services. The shifting role of police officers will be explored including the integration of problem–oriented policing. Learners will be expected to utilize a problem-solving model to address community-based issues relevant to the criminal justice systems and local community expectations. Learners will review the relationship between community policing and the intelligence process utilized by law enforcement.
Human Rights and Diversity – Policing in a Multicultural Canada
Learners will examine the current issues and social problems relevant to criminal justice and community safety. Learners will explore concepts of diversity in Canada and the associated problems and issues surrounding it. Through open dialog and discussion, learners will challenge their perceptions while exploring concepts of identity, age, race, gender, social class, disabilities, criminality, and the impacts on criminal justice in Canada. Emphasis will be placed on Canadian context and issues and the factors underpinning the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in the Canadian criminal justice system.
Fitness and Lifestyle II
This course is an expansion of concepts learned during fitness and lifestyle one. A further exploration on a wholistic approach to wellness in law enforcement will be explored which includes the connection between physical activity, stress management, sleep, interpersonal relationships, nutrition, and time management. Learners will be expected to build on what they have learned previously as they prepare for career challenges, exposure to shift work, critical incidents, and vicarious trauma. Learners will gain the necessary skills to build mental preparedness and resilience while recognizing signs of mental health problems amongst their peers.