Public Safety Administration

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The Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Public Safety Administration prepares students with the skills necessary to coordinate, develop, and direct the resources of a variety of public safety agencies. Courses within this program analyze the legal, political, and social factors related to public safety, and provide an overview of topics such as organizational theory, public policy, resource management, leadership, and ethics. Prior to completion of this program, students will complete a capstone project within the field of public safety administration, applying the concepts covered throughout the program.

Details

Field of Interest
Behavioral Science and Human Services
Degree Type
Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS)
Academic Plan
Public Safety Administration (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
9303
Total credits required
120
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Admissions criteria

Students seeking admission into one of the Specializations presented below must meet the specified requirements. Consult with a Program Director or an Academic Advisor in the field of interest.

Corrections and Detention Specialization

This specialization is offered through an educational partnership. Employment by the partnership organization is required for admission.

Fire Science Specialization

Students must be current and in good standing with the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Emergency Medical Services-Certified Technician. EMT certification preparatory courses are available at Maricopa County Community Colleges. Contact an academic advisor for details. Admission to specialization is required. See Program Director for details.

Fire Management Specialization

Students must be currently employed as a firefighter and/or Firefighter I and II Certification and/or related experience as determined by the Program Director.

Law Enforcement Specialization

Must meet AzPOST minimum requirements for a law enforcement officer and meet any physical requirements by the Academy Director. This program is offered as an educational partnership at Rio Salado College.

Paramedicine Specialization

Students must be current and in good standing with the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Emergency Medical Services-Certified Technician. EMT certification preparatory courses are available at Maricopa County Community Colleges. Contact an academic advisor for details. Students must complete an application and selection process.

Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in each course in the program.

The BAS in Public Safety Administration is aligned with current Maricopa CCL and AAS awards and supports students seeking professional advancement.

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Examine public administration management within the context of public safety and criminal justice organizations.
  2. Analyze public policies, structures, and the social forces that influence policy utilizing research to evaluate their effect on public safety and criminal justice organizations.
  3. Assess the ethical basis for public service.
  4. Assess the impact of key leadership and organizational theories within public safety and criminal justice organizations.
  5. Develop plans to manage complex events and incidents.
  6. Analyze the role of evolving technologies and social media including their application to practices within the fields of public safety and criminal justice.
  7. Demonstrate effective oral and written communication to diverse audiences as it relates to the fields of public safety and criminal justice.

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based annual median wages* for this program. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information.

First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

$57,130

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

$97,840

* Wage information sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program. Updated May 2022.

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Pathway Planner tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the locations, partners, and available tracks of the award.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Note: You will have to select one of the options below to view available course sequences.

Pathway Map Option Details

No pathway map option has been selected. Please select from the pathway map options listed above.

Full-time Sequence

To view course sequences, select one of the pathway map options above.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Part-time Sequence

To view course sequences, select one of the pathway map options above.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 10

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 10
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 11

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 11
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 12

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 12
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 13

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 13
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 14

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 14
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 15

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 15
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 16

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 16
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 17

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 17
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

Term 18

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 18
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits

General Electives

Select courses 100-level or higher from the subjects below to complete a minimum of 120 semester credits. Consult with a faculty advisor, program director, and/or academic advisor to identify coursework that best aligns with academic and professional goals.

ACC+++++ Any ACC Accounting course(s)
AJS+++++ Any AJS Administration of Justice Studies course(s)
CWE+++++ Any CWE Career Work Experience course(s)
DPR+++++ Any DPR Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response course(s)
ECN+++++ Any ECN Economics course(s)
EMT+++++ Any EMT Emergency Medical Technology course(s)
FOR+++++ Any FOR Forensic Science course(s)
FSC+++++ Any FSC Fire Science Technology course(s)
GBS+++++ Any GBS General Business course(s)
HCC+++++ Any HCC Health Core Curriculum course(s)
HCR+++++ Any HCR Health Care Related course(s)
LAS+++++ Any LAS Paralegal Studies course(s)
LET+++++ Any LET Law Enforcement Training course(s)
MGT+++++ Any MGT Management course(s)
PAD+++++ Any PAD Public Administration course(s)
PAR+++++ Any PAR Paralegal course(s)
PME+++++ Any PME Paramedicine course(s)
POS+++++ Any POS Political Science course(s)
PSA+++++ Any PSA Public Safety Administration course(s)
PSY+++++ Any PSY Psychology course(s)
SOC+++++ Any SOC Sociology course(s)

Course Area Key

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=175873).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Public Safety Administration FAQ

The Bachelor's degree in Public Safety Administration (PSA) is a great opportunity for our criminal justice students to start at any Maricopa Community College and finish at Rio Salado or Phoenix College. We hope this FAQ sheet will clarify how students can start their program, transfer credits, and change current programs.

Students can enter into the Bachelor's degree program via many pathways identified as “specializations.” The Public Safety Administration (PSA) degree has two focus areas: criminal justice and emergency management. It might be easy to confuse the term “specialization” as a “minor” of the PSA degree. If a student is not certain which specialization fits their career goals, please contact an advisor. A common pathway open to all students is the Administration of Justice (AJS) specialization. This pathway is shared with all the Maricopa Colleges except for Gateway. Students who start their AJS pathway at a college other than Rio or Phoenix can transfer their credits when they are ready to begin their upper-division courses.

The bachelor's degree is meant to be a stackable credential so it is recommended that students complete their respective associate degree programs prior to transferring, however, this is not required. If a student feels that it is more beneficial to transfer prior to completion of an associate degree, that can be done. These students should get in touch with their academic advisor upon transfer to discuss how their transfer credits apply to the bachelor’s degree.

Students with or without an AAS degree can pursue this bachelor’s program. Students that do have an associate degree that aligns with one of the 12 specialization options will be further along toward their bachelor’s degree requirements compared to those who do not, but any student interested in this bachelor’s program can pursue it.

The closed specializations are exclusive partnerships with certain public safety organizations. Students are employed by the public safety organization and receive college credit for on-the-job training.

Although Rio Salado does not offer certain specializations, Rio accepts all the specialization pathways obtained with a prior AAS or Certificate of Completion. Likewise, Phoenix College does not offer closed specializations but they will also accept all the specialization pathways.

For example:

Student Jones completed an AAS in Forensics at Scottsdale Community College and now wants to pursue the Public Safety Administration degree. They prefer a fully online program; therefore, will choose Rio to fit their schedule.

Student Johnson is currently in the Fire Science program at Glendale Community College and only has a few more classes to complete their Associate degree in the program. They want to begin taking upper-division courses toward the Bachelor’s. When can they start taking upper-division courses at Rio or PC?

Officer Smith received a certificate of completion for their police academy basic training from Rio Salado. They want to pursue the Public Safety Administration degree and prefer to attend in-person classes. They can transfer their credits to Phoenix. Phoenix offers a blend of in-person, hybrid, and online courses.

The Public Safety Administration degree includes a general Public Safety specialization or pathway. It is inclusive of many prefixes such as those listed below. Consult with a faculty advisor, program director, and/or academic advisor to identify coursework that best aligns with academic and professional goals.

Prefix Course Discipline Prefix Course Discipline
ACC Any ACC Accounting course(s) JUD Any JUD Judicial Studies course(s)
AJS Any AJS Administration of Justice Studies course(s) LAS Any LAS Paralegal Studies course(s)
CWE Any CWE Career Work Experience course(s) LEO Any LEO Law Enforcement Operations course(s)
DPR Any DPR Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response course(s) LET Any LET Law Enforcement Training course(s)
ECN Any ECN Economics course(s) MGT Any MGT Management course(s)
EMT Any EMT Emergency Medical Technology course(s) PAD Any PAD Public Administration course(s)
FOR Any FOR Forensic Science course(s) PAR Any PAR Paralegal course(s)
FSC Any FSC Fire Science Technology course(s) PME Any PME Paramedicine course(s)
GBS Any GBS General Business course(s) POS Any POS Political Science course(s)
HCC Any HCC Health Core Curriculum course(s) PSA Any PSA Public Safety Administration course(s)
HCR Any HCR Healthcare Related course(s) PSY Any PSY Psychology course(s)
JAS Any JAS Justice and Government Agencies Administration course(s) SOC Any SOC Sociology course(s)

It may count! Practitioners with extensive experience and professional development can explore credit for prior learning also known as prior learning assessment. Industry certifications can be evaluated, as well. There is also an opportunity to earn credit through portfolio assessment coming soon. Please contact the program director/faculty chair or work with your assigned advisor.

Degree and certificate-seeking students can start taking classes fairly quickly. There are 16 start dates each fall and spring semester and 8 start dates in the summer at Rio Salado. Students new to Rio will be able to learn more about our flexible start dates as they go through their enrollment steps.

If it's been a few semesters since you have taken a course, you'll need to reactivate your Maricopa reactivate your Maricopa ID by reapplying. If you need further assistance with reactivating your Maricopa ID, please call the college in which you plan to attend for support. Once you have reactivated your account, it's important to seek Academic Advisement for assistance with course selection and educational planning. For students planning to attend Rio Salado, you will be assigned an academic advisor. Rio students can find their academic advisor through the RioLearn portal.

Students currently enrolled in a program at their college can switch majors at the end of a semester and prior to the beginning of their next semester. You can update your program through the My Maricopa Student Portal application. We recommend that you meet with an academic advisor prior to updating your program. In addition, updating your program may impact your financial aid or veteran benefits.