Undergraduate Course Descriptions
Required Criminal Justice Classes:
1301 Introduction to Criminal Justice
Development and philosophy of criminal justice in a democratic society; introduction to agencies involved in the administration of criminal justice.
3300 Applied Research Methods in Criminal Justice
An overview of the process of effective assessment in the development, application, and administration of criminal justice policy.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 1301 with a grade of “C” or better.
3313 Criminology
This course surveys historical perspectives on crime, contemporary criminological theory, penological theory, current trends in crime, and critical thought on current criminal justice practices and procedures. Particular emphasis is given to the development and application of theory in regard to different types of crimes, “crime waves”, and appropriate penal policy.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 1301 with a grade of “C” or better.
4312 Criminal Procedure
This course presents an overview of the constitutional rules governing the criminal investigation, detention, prosecution and adjudication of persons in the United States with focus on the Forth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments of the United States Constitution and the Supreme court decisions that have interpreted the meaning of these amendments.
Criminal Justice Lower-Division System Classes: Select 3 classes from the following 4:
1306 Court Systems and Practices
Focuses on the role of the courts in the administration of criminal justice, with special attention to the legal processing of criminal defendants. Topics include the structure of the American courts, due process, right to counsel, pre-trial release, plea bargaining, trial proceedings, and sentencing.
1310 Criminal Law
History and philosophy of modern criminal law, including the structure, definition, and application of statute and leading case law; the elements of crimes and penalties.
2313 Correctional Systems and Practices
A tracing of the evolution and the philosophical underpinnings of institutional and community based correctional practices.
2328 Police Systems and Practices
An overview of the structures, functions, and operations of law enforcement agencies in the United States, with emphasis on municipal police departments.
Criminal Justice Elective Courses: Select 5 classes
(one class may be lower division if desired)
3308 Juvenile Justice
The law of juvenile delinquency and the administration of the juvenile justice system. The historical development of the concept of delinquency, the special status of juveniles before the law, and juvenile justice procedural law will be examined in detail.
3309 Community Corrections and Correctional Counseling
An examination of methods used by correctional officers in rehabilitating criminal offenders in community settings
3311 Crime Control and Prevention
An examination of those activities undertaken by public and private organizations to control and prevent crime. Those programs which have been successful in reducing the amount of crime will be analyzed, as well as attempts which have been made at predicting and deterring behavior.
3321 Family Violence
This course surveys definitions, prevalence, and theories of family violence in the United States. Special emphasis is given to 1) the impact of variation in definitions of family violence on scientific research and conclusions; 2) the societal response to family violence; and 3) the effectiveness of policing strategies of domestic violence.
3351 Criminal Justice on the United States-Mexico Border
An examination of the nature and scope of crime on the United States-Mexico border and an evaluation of the strategies and programs employed by both governments to control criminal activity on the border.
3389 Criminal Justice Ethics
This course identifies and examines the complexity of ethics pertaining to the practice of criminal justice. It focuses on applied ethics and the reasoning process justice practitioners can use to analyze and evaluate ethical dilemmas.
4300 Selected Topics in Criminal Justice
Focuses on those selected issues and problems confronting the various components of the criminal justice system. Topics covered may change each semester. May be repeated for credit upon change of topic.
4302 Cyber Crime
In addition to the history of computer and internet crime, this course addresses how computers have become tools and targets of criminal activity and how they represent national security threats. The topics covered include hardware and software network components, vulnerable infrastructures and readiness for cyber terrorism.
4303 Crime, Criminal Justice & Film
Using film as a medium for culture, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of how cultural norms, values, goals and beliefs pertaining to crime and the criminal justice system are important to the scholarly study of law-making, law-breaking and law-enforcement (i.e., criminology). Films, including documentaries, represent an ideal medium to consider popular as well as scholarly understanding of the causes of crime and the operation of the criminal justice system, as well as how these understandings have changed over time and vary across cultures.
4309 Internship in Criminal Justice I
First part of a program in which the student is assigned two days (or 16-20 hours) each week to a criminal justice agency. A weekly seminar is also required. Designed to provide the student with an opportunity to apply academic training in practical situations.
Prerequisite: See Internship Qualification Criteria (tabs on left)
4310 Internship in Criminal Justice II
A program in which the student is assigned 16-20 hours each week to a criminal justice agency. Designed to provide the student with an opportunity to apply academic training in practical situations.
Prerequisite: See Internship Qualification Criteria (tabs on left)
4311 Immigration Law and Administration
An examination of federal regulations pertaining to legal and illegal immigration into the United States. Among the topics discussed are legalization, employer sanctions, amnesty, and constitutional rights of immigrants.
4313 White Collar Crime
This course will focus on the history and philosophy of white-collar crime in the United States with an emphasis on private, corporate, and governmental actions that define white-collar crime as well as governmental responses to control it.
4314 Women in Criminal Justice
This course will focus on the history and role of women as offenders, victims and professionals within the criminal justice system.
4315 Homicide
This course examines patterns and trends in homicide as well as the various theoretical explanations for why offenders engage in homicide. It will focus on the process of solving homicides including investigation techniques, evidence, interrogation, investigative profiling, and cold case squads.
4316 Comparative Criminal Justice and Transnational Crime
This course provides a description, discussion, and evaluation of the various criminal justice systems across the globe with special attention given to the three stages of criminal justice system (police, courts, and corrections). It also explores crimes involving more than one country
4317 Victimology
This course examines patterns and trends in victimization as well as an overview of the history and theory of victimology. It will identify the categories of people facing the greatest risks and assesses victim-blaming arguments that invoke facilitation, precipitation, and provocation.
4318 Violence in America
This course will cover the epidemiology of violence as well as the roots of violence including biological, psychological, and social causes (e.g., economic deprivation, religious factors).
4319 Street Gangs: Structure, Activity, and Response
This course introduces students to factors that contribute to gang formation and membership, the structure and function of gangs, and patterns of gang crime. It will also focus on the various policy and programmatic response to ganges from the traditional law enforcement based efforts to school based initiatives.
4320 Criminal Justice Organization and Management
The structures, functions, and operations of criminal justice agencies, including the police, the courts, and corrections are analyzed from an organizational and managerial perspective. Particular attention is given to supervision decision-making and policy analysis in the administration of justice.
4321 Organized Crime
This course examines the origins and modern activity of organized crime groups in the United States and internationally.
4385 Study Abroad in Criminal Justice
Students will develop a deeper comparative understanding of one or more criminological or criminal justice issues by studying and traveling internationally to one or more countries as a class and with a designated instructor. Travel Cost and payment of study abroad program fees are required additional costs. A student will learn how criminal justice issues relate in a global context, and will learn an appreciation of other cultures.
4390 Advanced Concepts in Criminal Justice
This course is a critical examination of selected problems and issues in the criminal justice system from an interdisciplinary perspective. It includes an emphasis on theory and research, using comparative and integrative approaches, and case studies.