Finding the Right Educational Degree Plan for You

Step 1: Career Cluster

Step 2: Educational Pattern

Step 3: Degree Plan

3. Creating a Workforce Career Degree Plan Workforce Career Plan for the Government and Public Services Cluster and the Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security Cluster You have chosen the Workforce Career pattern of education in the Government, Public Adminstration, Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security (GOVPS) career clusters. The Workforce Career Pattern means that you will be taking mostly Technical Job-focused courses and a few General Education courses for the completion of your Marketable Skills Achievement Award (MSA), Certificate of Completion and/or Associate in Applied Science degree at Houston Community College. Careers related to Criminal Justice, Forensics, Law, Paralegal, Public Administration, Law Enforcement, Fire Protection & Safety, International Relations, Political Science, Homeland Security. Your educational degree plan will be a Certificate of Completion or an Associate in Applied Science Email your HCC Student ID number to a counselor to let him/her know that you are choosing one of the degree plans listed below from the GOVPS Career Clusters. A Counselor will respond within 24-36 hours. Email contacts: ne.counseling@hccs.edu Workforce Education Awards offered at Houston Community College: AAS indicates Associate in Applied Science degree (~2 years full-time or 4 years part-time study) Certificate indicates Certificate of Completion (length varies from 1-3 semesters study) MSA indicates Marketable Skills Achievement Award (~1 semester study) AAS Criminal Justice (61 sem. hours) Certificate Criminal Justice - Crime and Digital Evidence (16 sem. hours) Certificate Criminal Justice - Crime Scene Technology (15 sem. hours)   AAS Fire & Arson Investigation Technology (64 sem. hours)   AAS Fire Protection & Safety Technology (69 sem. hours) Certificate Fire Protection & Safety Technology - Basic Firefighter (24 sem. hours) Certificate Fire Protection & Safety Technology - Fire Officer I (15 sem. hours) MSA Fire Instructor Technology (10 sem. hours)   AAS Paralegal Technology (63 sem. hours) Certificate Paralegal Technology - Law Office Clerk (15 sem. hours) Certificate Paralegal Technology - Legal Assistant (30 sem. hours)   AAS Police Science (Law Enforcement) (68 sem. hours) Certificate Police Science - Basic Peace Officer Licensing (21 sem. hours) MSA Basic Correctional Officer Certification (10 sem. hours)   AAS Public Administration (63 sem. hours) Certificate Public Administration (30 sem. hours) MSA Public Administration (12 sem. hours) MSA Public Sector Budgeting (12 sem. hours) Note: Each award above is designed to be an exit point to the world of work enabling the graduate to have the skills for entry level and more advanced occupations. Each award above is also designed to build upon each other. Thus, a student can achieve a Marketable Skills Achievement Award (MSA) and then go to work. The MSA Completer can continue his/her education applying the MSA courses toward a Certificate of Completion in the same field. The Certificate of Completion graduate can continue his/her education and apply the Certificate courses toward the Associate in Applied Science degree (AAS) in the same field. There are also many creative and non-traditional accredited universities who will transfer the AAS degree toward a bachelor degree either in the same field or in a related field. Thus, at each point of completion, the student will possess skills directly impacting performance in the work world and the student can continue progressing in his/her educational pathway eventually attaining the associate and the bachelor degree. The courses in each award above are detailed in the college catalog in force at the time of your first enrollment at HCC. Look at the Academic Transfer Pattern in this Cluster Choose a different Career Cluster