General Catalog 2025-2026

Criminal Investigation (AA)

The Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Investigation contains a curriculum that prepares students with the essential elements in criminal research and at the same time prepares them to continue studies in the Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

The Program emphasizes the essential components of criminal investigation, as well as the operation of the agencies that are in charge of seeing to it that the law is upheld. Students will learn the essential elements of criminal investigation, the constitutional guarantees that protect the defendant, as well as the theories and general foundations related to the criminality and the system of penal justice.

The Ponce Campus are authorized to offer this Program in campus in face-to-face modality.

Competencies Profile of Graduates

The Associate of Arts Degree Program in Criminal Investigation is designed to achieve the development of professionals with the following competencies:

Knowledge

  1. Explain the theories on crime and the criminality.
  2. Describe general terms related to the laws and procedures in the penal environment.

Skills

  1. Use essential skills in the intervention with those that disobey the law.
  2. Make proper use of the principles of criminal investigation.

Attitudes

  1. Value the ethical principles that apply to the area of criminal investigation.

Admission Requirements

  1. Meet the admission norms established in the General Catalog of Inter American University of Puerto Rico.
  2. Submit a Negative Certificate of Criminal Records.

Graduation Requirements

  1. Have a minimum grade point index of 2.25.
  2. Pass all major courses with a minimum grade of C.

Requirements for the Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Investigation

General Education Requirements 24 credits
Major Requirements 36 credits
Total 60 credits

General Education Requirements - 24 credits

GESP Spanish - Select 6 credits from the GESP category

6

GEEN English - Select 6 credits from the GEEN category

6

GEP-GECF 1010Introduction to the Christian Faith

3

GEP-GEIC 1010Information and Computing Technologies

3

GEP-GEMA 1000Quantitative Reasoning

3

 

GEP-GEHS 2010Historical Process of Contemporary Puerto Rico

3

Or

GEP-GEEC 2000Entrepreneurial Culture

3

Major Requirements - 36 credits

CJUS 1000Introduction to Criminology

3

CJUS 2070Human and Civil Rights

3

CJUS 2090Juvenile Justice System

3

CJUS 2260Foundations of Criminal Investigation

3

CJUS 3025Criminal Law

3

CJUS 3027White Collar Crime

3

CJUS 3030Interviews and Interrogations

3

CJUS 3035Special Criminal Laws

3

CJUS 3250Criminal Investigation

3

SOCI 1030Introduction to Sociology

3

SOCI 2080Criminal Justice System

3

PSYC 1051General Psychology I

3