The Amarillo College Criminal Justice Department is committed to training students to launch viable careers in a wide variety of criminal justice-related jobs. The Panhandle Regional Law Enforcement Academy (a Texas basic peace officer academy) is the cornerstone of the training program; however, AC offers A.S. and A.A.S. degrees in Criminal Justice as well. A degree typically takes two years to complete and can serve as a launching pad for all types of great careers. This is important because many law enforcement agencies are requiring some college credit in order to qualify for a given position. All AC degree courses are offered both online and in the classroom to allow for busy and varying schedules.
Amarillo College’s First Responders Academy, which opened in 2024, serves as a unique and essential hub for Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and Fire Protection Technology training.
By bringing these critical public-safety disciplines together under a single roof, the Academy fosters collaborative cross-training opportunities that are crucial to the future of first responder training.
The state-of-the art facility rests on AC’s Plains Boulevard Campus – in close proximity to Amarillo ISD’s AmTech Career Academy.
First Responders Academy
3891 Plains Blvd.
Amarillo, TX 79102
(806) 457-4450
What can you do with a Criminal Justice degree or certificate?
Criminal justice programs cover everything from research methods and statistics to corrections and criminal law. The study of criminal justice gives students a working knowledge of how the courts, corrections institutions, and law enforcement agencies function. Those who earn a degree often go on to accept jobs such as crime scene investigators, probation officers, correctional counselors, FBI special agents, paralegals, criminal justice professors, or police detectives.
