Modern Policing

The associate of science degree in Modern Policing is designed to fulfill the state requirements (California AB 89) for future employment as a full time, sworn peace officer, while preparing students to continue studies toward a B.A. or B.S. degree.

Over the last 3 years, Moreno Valley College, in partnership with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has graduated Law Enforcement Basic Academy students three times a year in the Intensive format.  Each academy has 60-90 students for a total of 180-270 students that will need this degree.

In the Law Enforcement Basic Academy Modular format (part time 16 month program) we have an average of 15 students a year.  Currently these are completers of Module I.  We are currently the only community college that has graduated students from Module I.

All law enforcement officers will need to have this degree starting in November of 2025, so depending on the number of colleges that offer this program, the numbers could be more significant.

The goal of this program is to inspire, challenge and empower our diverse multicultural community of learners to realize their goal of a career in law enforcement by providing an educational pathway for peace officers.  Our program not only promotes citizenship, integrity, leadership and global awareness; it encourages academic excellence and professionalism that has a direct impact on the communities they serve. 

This program will follow the recommendations from the State Chancellor’s Office Taskforce assembled to meet and create a statewide model for the Modern Policing associate degree.  The program will outline the four competencies of the knowledge and skills graduates of the Modern Policing Degree program will exhibit to serve as well-rounded members of law enforcement officers.

The four competencies are:

• Culturally competent and equity-minded
• Critical thinker
• Communicator
• Resilient

Graduates will exhibit cultural competence, which is the ability to honor and respect the beliefs, language, interpersonal styles, behaviors and lifestyles of those receiving and providing services.  Individuals practicing cultural competency have knowledge of the intersectionality of social identities and the multiple acts of oppression that people from different racial, ethnic, and other minoritized groups face.  Individuals striving to develop cultural competence recognize that it is a dynamic, ongoing process that requires a long-term commitment to learning.

Graduates will be critical thinkers who know how to utilize multiple perspectives when making decisions on the job.  This program will build upon the academy training and enhance the graduates’ ability to critically analyze situations and use good judgement under stressful circumstances, even when limited information is available.  Making appropriate decisions independently, especially those related to ensuring equitable justice and treatment.

Graduates will be able to communicate in a culturally competent manner in their role as a Peace Officer.  The graduate will build upon the academy training and enhance their ability to actively listen, adaptivity and use of crisis communication and understand how to de-escalate situations and prevent use of force through effective communication with different audiences.

Graduates will build upon the academy training and enhance their ability to be resilient.  The graduate will be able to utilize mental and emotional strategies to remain balanced, manage strong or difficult circumstances or emotions, face pressure and challenges and rebound from them, and cope with a crisis in a positive and constructive way.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Define and recognize the fundamental duties, obligations, and philosophies of a multicultural society and the importance of social justice in the law enforcement profession.
• Effectively and ethically apply analytical and critical thinking skills to evaluate and assess law enforcement interactions with multicultural communities, and the impact on traditionally marginalized communities and individuals.
• Assess historical and present-day diversity, human rights, and civil rights as it pertains to the interactions of the police with the communities they serve.
• Analyze the generational impact of events and the implementation of culturally competent and emotionally intelligent policing practices within the American justice system.
• Define the role of the police in a modern society in which all individuals are entitled to equal protection under the law and no individual is above the law regardless of their social, ethnic, or economic status/condition.

California Assembly Bill 89 requires that any community college that has a Law Enforcement Basic Academy (POST certified) shall have an associate degree in Modern Policing.  Moreno Valley College has this academy at the Ben Clark Education Center and therefore, are required by legislative mandate to have this degree available by Nov.1, 2025.  The full-time faculty that wrote this Program Outline was a member of the State Chancellor’s Taskforce that developed the Modern Policing Associate Degree template. 

The State Chancellor’s taskforce utilized CID numbers of classes required to ensure consistency throughout the state.  They were tasked with ensuring that the degree aligned with current IGETC requirements to allow students completing this degree to matriculate to 4-year universities and colleges. 

This program follows the State Chancellors recommendations and matches CID numbered courses with one exception that will be discussed in detail:

There were two courses required by the State Chancellor’s Office template that we needed to address in this area:

• LLPS 120
• ARTH 140

LLPS 120- Moreno Valley did not have a course that met this CID number.  A course was written and is currently in the curriculum process.  The class is ADJ 150 Ethics and Moral Reasoning in Criminal Justice.  This course, once approved in curriculum will go through the CID process and it is expected that it will be recognized as CID # LLPS 120.

ARTH 140- Changing the recommended Art History course (our course Art History 5) with Art History 6.  The reason for this change is that Art History 5 was offered at all 3 colleges in the district from 2018 to 2021 with extremely low interest/enrollment in the class.  In May of 2021 the three subject matter experts from all three colleges voted to make this course inactive in May of 2021.

The Art History discipline expert at Moreno Valley College has evaluated both curriculum and recommends that the substituted course will meet the same cultural competencies that the State Chancellor’s Office template requires.