Criminology and Criminal Justice Department
Goals
The principal goal of the program is to provide the student with a liberal arts education. We are also dedicated to equipping the student for a career in criminal justice or a related field. Furthermore, our intent is to prepare students for the changes they are likely to confront in the areas of technology, social diversity and legal responsibilities. Finally, we seek to ready the qualified student for graduate study or law school.
Mission Statement
The mission of the criminology and criminal justice department is to instill in the student a respect for the rights of all persons before and after coming into contact with the criminal justice system. We also desire to imbue in our students a commitment to a series of values which prepare them for leadership but also provide them with the ability to think critically with respect to the important issues facing them. This is achieved by offering a balanced curriculum with courses in the etiology of crime, law enforcement, adjudication, corrections, and field internships.
Bachelors
Minor
Note: Completion of required courses and junior or senior status are prerequisites for any advised elective listed.
Courses
CRJ 101 — Intro to Crim Just (SS) (3 credits)
An overview of the design and functioning of the criminal justice system in the United States. The nature and extent of crime, criminal procedure, the constitutional basis for due process, principles of the criminal law, and the agencies of criminal justice will be examined.
CRJ 102 — Criminology (SS) (3 credits)
Historical and contemporary perspectives on the causes of crime and deviance in society and the treatment of offenders. Major social, psychological, and economic theories will be assessed. Non-behavioral science perspectives will also be examined.
CRJ 104 — Law Enforcement (SS) (3 credits)
The history and state-of-the-art in evaluating the police role in the community in attempting to balance peace, order and individual rights. Influential theoretical and empirical studies of police discretion, attitudes, and corruption will be examined. Other topics include: the effect of Supreme Court decisions on police practices, evaluating police performance and policewomen.
CRJ 240 — American Criminal Courts (3 credits)
This course focuses on courts in the criminal justice system. It outlines sources of law, different types of law, and the structure of the American court system. This course also examines the influence of major court actors, such as judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, defendants, victims, and juries. Additional topics include pretrial, trial, and appellate processes.
CRJ 250 — Juvenile Justice (SS) (3 credits)
Examines philosophy and administration of the juvenile justice system. Incorporates social science research and case law to understand the system. Focus devoted to: (1) history of juvenile justice, (2) theoretical explanations of juvenile delinquency, (3) family, school, and cultural influences on juvenile behavior, and (4) interventions for juvenile offenders. Formerlcy CRJ 103
CRJ 265 — Principles Justice (SS) (3 credits)
Examines criminal punishment as a social and political institution. Critically examines prominent philosophical justifications for criminal punishment, their guiding principles, and their implications for contemporary policy. Explores related principles such as equality, rights, proportionality, and moral desert.
CRJ 270 — Corrections (SS) (3 credits)
Examines the prison within a social, political, and economic context as well as its place within contemporary crime-control debates. Explores the nature of the prison environment, including the prison subculture, violence and its management, correctional officers, and the prospects for reform. Critically evaluates imprisonments impact on prisoners and their post-release adjustment, families, and communities.
CRJ 305 — Urban Crime (SS) (3 credits)
This class will examine and explain the nature and prevalence of street-level offending in urban communities. The class will look closely at the day-to-day lives of street offenders and examine motivations and cause of street crime. It will closely examine crimes like robbery, street level drug dealing, and various forms of street violence.
CRJ 310 — Celebrated Cases (SS) (3 credits)
This course will provide an overview of celebrated criminal cases that received significant mass media coverage. These cases influenced public perceptions of crime and raised important justice debates. Their cultural impact on the criminal justice system and procedures will be examined as will significant 20th and 21st Century United States Supreme Court Cases relating to these cases.
CRJ 315 — Organiz Criminality (SS) (3 credits)
The nature, extent, and impact of illicit behavior on the part of corporations, illicit organizations, government agencies, and employees. The causes, enforcement, prosecution, sentencing, and prevention of organized criminal behavior will be examined. Political, white-collar, organized and corporate crime are assessed.
CRJ 320 — Comp Criminal Justice (SS) (3 credits)
An examination of the design, functioning, and legal basis for systems of criminal justice in other countries. An attempt will be made to relate governmental, political, demographic, and economic factors in explaining past and current trends in the adjudication of offenders. Cross-cultural analysis of the causes of crime.
CRJ 325 — Drugs & Crim Just Sys (3 credits)
An examination of the history of drug use and abuse, the nations current drug policy, and issues relative to the prevalence of drugs in society, the effects on the body, current law enforcement practices, and the prospects for rehabilitation and prevention of drug abuse.
CRJ 330 — Forensic Anthropology and Osteology (SS) (3 credits)
A survey of the techniques used by forensic anthropologists in the identification, recovery, and interpretation of human skeletal remains within medico-legal contexts. Topics include basic anatomy and development of bone and teeth, methods for description and identification of human remains, forensic case studies and lab activities to illustrate methods.
CRJ 335 — Private Security (SS) (3 credits)
The history and present status of private law enforcement in the United States. Assessment of need for policing in the private sector, and review of the causes and effectiveness of control procedures for employee theft, shoplifting, commercial burglary, and other crimes. The legal powers and restrictions of private law enforcement will be examined.
CRJ 340 — Inovations Policing (SS) (3 credits)
This course examines forensic accounting and economic crime, integrating accounting, criminal justice, and computer and information systems concepts and issues. The course includes limited accounting theory and concentrates on financial fraud, white-collar crime, how financial fraud is perpetrated, approaches to fraud investigation and documentation, and fraud detection and prevention.
CRJ 345 — Serial Killers (SS) (3 credits)
Course studies the social construction of serial killers as a cultural and criminal justice phenomenon. It examines empirical research on typologies and applies criminological theories to explain motivations and onset, prevalence and persistence of serial homicide. Also studies and critiques criminal justice responses to serial killers including investigation techniques such as profiling.
CRJ 350 — Criminal Law (SS) (3 credits)
An examination of the constitutional rules and principles that help shape the law of substantive criminal law. Some of the issues covered include: sources of criminal law, due process, equal protection, freedom of speech, right to privacy, cruel and unusual punishments, actus rea, mens rea, omissions, causations, attempts, legal and factual impossibility, self defense, battered wife syndrome, necessity defense, and the insanity defense. Attention will be given to U.S. Supreme Court and state court decisions that interpret and apply federal and state constitutional provisions to these issues.
CRJ 355 — Victimology (3 credits)
This course provides an introduction to topics and issues of victimology. Students will learn the relevance and consequences of various forms of victimization. Focus will be placed on theories and consequences of victimization, temporally relevant topics, and societal and criminal justice responses to victims and services.
CRJ 360 — Criminal Procedure (SS) (3 credits)
Examines criminal punishment as a social and political institution. Critically examines prominent philosophical justifications for criminal punishment, their guiding principles, and their implications for contemporary policy. Explores related principles such as equality, rights, proportionality, and moral desert.
CRJ 365 — Violence (3 credits)
This course offers an introduction to and survey of the multi-disciplinary study of violence and society. The course material examines patterns of violence across social groups, the causes and correlates of violence, theoretical explanations, and programs/policies geared toward violence prevention and reduction.
CRJ 370 — Criminal Investigation (SS) (3 credits)
An examination of criminal investigations to understand how and why they are conducted. Emphasizes crime scenes, evidence, search and seizure, interviewing and interrogating individuals, and suspect identification. Their application to the investigation of deaths, assaults, property crime, and white-collar crime will be studied.
CRJ 375 — Alternatives Incarceration (SS) (3 credits)
An examination of the history, philosophy and functioning of community-based correctional programs. Each of the various types of programs, including probation and parole, will be discussed and evaluated.
CRJ 380 — Sentencing (SS) (3 credits)
The historical, philosophical and legal basis for criminal sentencing. Judicial discretion, disparity, indeterminate and determinate sentences, mandatory sentencing, parole procedures, and current legal provisions will be examined.
CRJ 385 — Women & Crime (3 credits)
This course will focus on the four major roles of women in the criminal justice system - women as criminal offenders, women as inmates, women as victims, and women as criminal justice professionals/practitioners. Each of these roles will be examined against the backdrop of the socialization of gender within our culture.
CRJ 390 — Field Experience (3 credits)
The application of accumulated knowledge in criminology and criminal justice in a field setting. Students will be placed in a criminal justice agency and perform planning, evaluation, or a research project under the supervision of a faculty member.
CRJ 395 — Independent Study (3 credits)
An opportunity for students to design and execute a research or evaluation project in an area of particular interest. Selection of topics, research plan, and methods used are left up to the student under the supervision of a faculty member. Instructor permission required.
CRJ 397 — Topic: (3 credits)
Seminar examines an issue affecting society and its relationship to the criminal justice system. Topics might include a discussion of ethics and the criminal justice system, computerized information systems and the criminal justice system, intimate and stranger crimes, or the criminal justice system in the future.
CRJ 400 — Criminology Res (SS) (3 credits)
Experimental and quasi-experimental designs in criminological applications. Sampling, reliability, validity, causality, and other topics will be presented and analyzed. The pros and cons of quantitative research design and measurement.
CRJ 403 — Honors Thesis I (3 credits)
Individual research of a substantive nature pursued in the students major field of study. The research will conclude in a written thesis or an original project, and an oral defense.
CRJ 404 — Honors Thesis II (3 credits)
Individual research of a substantive nature pursued in the students major field of study. The research will conclude in a written thesis or an original project, and an oral defense.
CRJ 490 — Policy Research Seminar (3 credits)
Students will participate in a seminar class designed to instruct the student on the completion of policy analysis projects that demonstrate a synthesis of accumulated knowledge. These projects will involve an evaluation or test of a research question affecting the criminal justice system.
CRJ 493 — Criminal Justice Co-op (6.00 credits)
A junior or senior work-study program providing relevant paid employment experience. Registration will occur at the beginning of the experience. The objective of the program is to integrate classroom theory and practical work experience, thus lending relevancy to learning and providing the student with a realistic exposure to career opportunities. Students interested in taking a co-op should talk to their adviser.
CRJ 494 — Criminal Justice Co-op (9.00 credits)
A junior or senior work-study program providing relevant paid employment experience. Registration will occur at the beginning of the experience. The objective of the program is to integrate classroom theory and practical work experience, thus lending relevancy to learning and providing the student with a realistic exposure to career opportunities. Students interested in taking a co-op should talk to their adviser.
CRJ 495 — Criminal Justice Co-op (6.00 credits)
A junior or senior work-study program providing relevant paid employment experience. Registration will occur at the beginning of the experience. The objective of the program is to integrate classroom theory and practical work experience, thus lending relevancy to learning and providing the student with a realistic exposure to career opportunities. Students interested in taking a co-op should talk to their adviser.
CRJ 496 — Criminal Justice Co-op (6.00 credits)
A junior or senior work-study program providing relevant paid employment experience. Registration will occur at the beginning of the experience. The objective of the program is to integrate classroom theory and practical work experience, thus lending relevancy to learning and providing the student with a realistic exposure to career opportunities. Students interested in taking a co-op should talk to their adviser.