Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement

This two-year program prepares students for a career in Law Enforcement. Upon successful completion of the program, students obtain an AAS degree and the opportunity to take the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) State Licensing Exam. This program satisfies all the educational requirements for such agencies as the Houston Police Department and the Department of Public Safety. Most of the coursework may be taken at any of the HCC campuses; however, the last semester must be taken at HCC Northeast Campus.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) allows students to earn only one AAS in Criminal Justice.

In addition, please note that a student may only earn one Occupational Skills Award (OSA) per academic year.

You can not be placed in any Law Enforcement AAS plan until you have completed the TCOLE certificate (Basic Peace Officer Academy).

TSI testing required prior to first enrollment for all AAS degrees and Level II certificates.

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) establishes eligibility. HCC requires documentation that a cadet is ready for college-level reading and writing prior to admission. A member of our staff will examine your transcript to determine if you meet the academic prerequisites.

The general requirements:

• High School Diploma or GED
• College-Ready Reading & Writing
• 21 Years of Age Before Graduation from the Academy
• Generally No Prior Convictions, Community Supervision, or Deferred Adjudication
• Examination by a Physician, Including a Drug Screening
• Examination by a Psychologist
• Honorable Discharge if Prior Military Service
• Valid Texas Driver's License
• United States Citizen
• Social Security Card

• Full-time: The full-time academy meets Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., for approximately six months.
• Part-time Day: The part-time day academy meets Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., for approximately ten months.
• Part-time Evening: The part-time evening academy meets Monday through Friday, 5:30 until 10 p.m., for approximately ten months.

The HCC Police Academy has scheduled a part-time evening Police Academy (5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.) Those individuals interested in attending are invited to call 713.718.8361 or 713.718.8377. All interested individuals are required to attend a mandatory orientation.

Part-time night orientation

Orientation: March 4, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
Start Date: April 15, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. (Class is Full)
Class Hours: Mon-Fri. (5:30p.m.-10:00p.m.) for approximately 10 months

Coordinator: Sonny Goode  713.718.8388 sonny.goode@hccs.edu

Orientation: July 8, 2019 @5:30 p.m.
Start date: August 26, 2019, at 5:30 p.m.
Class Hours: Mon-Fri. (5:30 - 10:00 p.m.) for approximately 10 months

Coordinator:  Rodney Jackson - 713.718.8386 rodney.jackson@hccs.edu

The HCC Police Academy has scheduled a half-day Police Academy (8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) Those individuals interested in attending are invited to call 713.718.8361 or 713.718.8377. All interested individuals are required to attend a mandatory orientation.

Our next part-time day police academy will start in February 2020, with a mandatory orientation that will occur in the fall of this year. Please contact the coordinator for the orientation date.

The coordinator for this academy class is Catheryn Gardner, she can be contacted at 713.718.8374 or by e-mail at catheryn.gardner@hccs.edu

The HCC Police Academy has scheduled a full-time Police Academy (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) Those individuals interested in attending are invited to call 713.718.8361 or 713.718.8377. All interested individuals are required to attend a mandatory orientation.

Full-time orientation:
July 8, 2019, at 9 a.m. and  the academy will start on August 26, 2019

The coordinator for this academy class is Clint Galloway; he can be contacted at 713.718.8336 or by e-mail at clint.galloway@hccs.edu

Test Site

State Licensing testing for individuals who have received TCOLE endorsement, contact Dr. Chris Carmean at 713.718.8377 to make an appointment. Bring photo ID and $25.00 testing fee.

The HCC Police Academy Occupational licensure and/or certification pass rate with TCOLE is currently 99%.

There are 14,243 Police Patrol Officers employed in the Greater Houston Area. This number is expected to increase by 7.6% over the next four years.

The estimated annual job openings is 785 jobs a year.
Median Wages - $26.81 hourly, $56,000 annual

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) establishes eligibility. HCC requires documentation a cadet that is competent at college-level reading and writing prior to admission. An academic advisor will examine your transcript to determine if you meet the academic prerequisite. The general requirements are listed below:

1. High School Diploma or GED
2. College Ready Reading & Writing
3. 21 Years of Age Before Graduation from the Academy
4. Generally No Prior Convictions, Community Supervision, or Deferred Adjudication
5. Examination by a Physician Including a Drug Screen
6. Examination by a Psychologist
7. Honorable Discharge if Prior Military Service
8. Valid Texas Drivers License
9. United States Citizen
10. Social Security Card

The academy costs approximately $2,000. Follow the links below to connect with HCC’s Financial Aid Office, HCC’s Veteran Affairs Office, and the HCC Foundation. HCC also offers payment plans and accepts major credit cards. Besides HCC, Workforce Solutions is another alternative for financial aid.

20 credit hours.

Active police officers are eligible for tuition waiver.

For more information, contact Dr. Chris Carmean at 713.718.8377.