This course explores the administration of criminal justice in the U.S. with a general overview of the total system. Students will explore the role of the police, criminal courts and corrections while learning about the increasing number of careers available within criminal justice. Students also will be expected to conduct "field experiences" of their choice in order to better explore the broad field and multidisciplinary nature of criminal justice.

This course will address a specific area of study in criminal justice not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course examines the role of corrections (i.e., jails, probation, intermediate sanctions, prisons and parole) in the criminal justice system. Topics include operations and management issues of correctional institutions: custody and discipline; recidivism; alternatives to incarceration; treatment; rehabilitation and reentry of offenders; capital punishment; and current and future trends in corrections. The completion of "field experiences" outside the classroom will be expected as a means to enhance and apply course material.

This course is designed to help students improve their research and writing skills. Students will learn how to find academic sources through library research, how to organize research material and use it to write a paper that follows APA Publication Manual rules, and how to create a reference list for the paper. It will also help students prepare for entering the job market by discussing how to write a professional resume and cover letter, how to prepare PowerPoint presentations, and how to write a variety of professional reports.

All societies are characterized by the unequal distribution of income, wealth, mobility, power, prestige, etc. This course introduces students to various patterns of social inequalities, and to factors that shape such inequalities over time. Students learn about the ways in which different forms of social inequalities influence individual and group life. Efforts undertaken by various social agents to reduce the existing gaps between various categories of people, both in the developed and the developing societies, are also discussed.

This course provides an introduction to theories of criminal causation/control and a general overview of the history and development of both criminology and criminality. Additional areas of study include the criminological enterprise, with attention to crime, criminals, victims and punishment, and special emphasis on understanding the social meaning of crime.

The course provides students with an understanding in the substantive criminal law. Topics include the general principles of criminal liability, such as the elements of actus reus and mens rea; justifications and excuses; vicarious liability and inchoate crimes; and specific analysis of crimes against persons, property and public order. As part of a "field experience," students will be expected to observe a criminal court proceeding or similar experience.

This course examines the policing occupation as it has evolved in the U.S. Traditional law enforcement practices will be compared with contemporary policing and the uses of modern technology. Contemporary topics include spatial crime analysis, directed patrol, profiling, terrorism, misuse of force, problem solving, intelligence-led policing and community building. Students will be expected to conduct "field experiences" outside of the classroom that may be completed individually or within groups.

This course will address a specific area of study in criminal justice not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course examines the conception of law and justice in Western and Eastern societies, including the cultural foundations of legal systems and how these legal systems are sometimes used as instruments of cultural and social change. Interpretations of ideological and developmental differences and similarities are utilized to identify differences and similarities among legal systems. Patterns in laws, crimes, corrections and law enforcement practices of selected Western and Eastern societies are also identified.

This course examines the historical context of emergency management to the present day evolution into the world of homeland security. Focus is on the disciplines of the emergency management process: mitigation, preparedness, communications, response and recovery. Students will be provided with a background in international emergency management policies and challenged to develop their own ideas about the future of emergency management in America.

This course is about effective leadership in the workplace, specifically as it relates to private security. We will discuss and contrast the relationships between private protection services and public law enforcement. A crime prevention model will be developed and used to shape our analysis of the justice system as it relates to both public and private policing. Students will become acquainted with basic principles of security, loss prevention and situational crime prevention that are common and fundamental to all areas of business and assets protection. In addition, concepts underlining situational crime prevention will be discussed with references to contemporary theory and research findings.

This course centers on the organization and operation of probation and parole systems in the U.S., including history, law, ideologies, varieties of practice, evaluation, contemporary issues, and future trends in probation and parole. The response of these agencies to public pressures and court regulation is also examined, along with implications for rehabilitation.

The case method is utilized to analyze the principles of the American Constitution. Topics include presidential, congressional and Supreme Court power, equal protection of the law and race, gender, sexual orientation, implied fundamental rights to abortion choice and education, free speech and religion, and modern constitutional theories.

The focus of this course is the complex and ever-changing nature of homeland security in America. The development of the present system of the protection of our homeland is explored by examining the history of security threats to our nation. Students will learn about how the beginning of the Cold War period shaped America's policies in the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis and in Vietnam. The progressive nature of domestic and international terrorism that culminated in the single largest attack by a foreign enemy on American soil will be explained. In addition, the effect of natural disasters that impact our homeland security priorities will be identified.

Structures and legal concepts underlying the American criminal court process are the focus of this course, including theoretical framework and functional and dysfunctional aspects of courts of limited and general jurisdiction. Students will be expected to observe at least four hours of a trial at a local criminal court.

This course focuses on proper ways to examine crime scenes and collect a wide variety of physical evidence that may be encountered at crime scenes. In addition to the collection and preservation of evidence, this course will emphasize increased use of science and technology to solve crimes. Additional topics include the pragmatic aspects of using evidence to achieve the single goal of delivering justice in a fair and impartial manner.

Forensic science, simply defined, is the application of science to the law. It involves the collection, examination, evaluation, and interpretation of evidence. This course is intended to introduce students to the fundamental principles of forensic science and its application to the American justice system. Students are taught to evaluate the use of biological, chemical and behavioral sciences by our justice system while gaining a basic understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the application of forensic science to the law.

This course examines ideas and practices unique to the juvenile justice system, including differences based on established values and laws. Basic development concepts of delinquency are related to methods of delinquency control and roles of peace officers, court personnel and correctional staff in the juvenile justice system. Aspects of cultural values that exist in American society and their relationship to school delinquency and disorder are emphasized.

This course attempts to explain why terrorists "do what they do" by exploring the history of terrorism and shedding light on likely future scenarios. By design, the emphasis is on key historical themes rather than abstract theory. Related topics include international terrorism, religiously motivated terrorism, suicidal terrorism and how the media is used to shape public opinions about terrorist acts.

This course analyzes the concept of evidence and rules governing its admissibility. New technologies impacting constitutional rights will be explored. Additional topics include theoretical and pragmatic considerations of substantive and procedural laws affecting arrest, search and seizure.

This course examines the different organized criminal elements in American society, including crimes committed by corporations, governments, political groups, white-collar workers and syndicates. The economic effect of these violations on society is explored, as well as law enforcement efforts to minimize that effect.

This course explores how a "networked" world has bred new crimes and new responses. It investigates how information and communication technology (ICT) has become a tool, a target, and a place of criminal activity and national security threats, as well as a mechanism of response. This course addresses such questions as how emerging technologies challenge existing laws and criminal procedures; what reasonable expectations of privacy are in cyberspace; and how control is shifting from traditional mechanisms of law enforcement to new regulatory regimes, including technology. The focus of this course is how the emergence of advanced information societies challenges certain prevailing social and philosophical constructs of criminal justice, social control and individual freedom.

This course provides students with knowledge of basic principles and understandings fundamental to research used in criminal justice. Topics include the theory and application of social science research: the selection of appropriate research methods, ethical and practical issues, and data collection and preparation. Students will utilize SPSS in computer lab exercises to enter and analyze data to produce statistical information for interpretation and presentation of findings. Ultimately, the course aims to assist students in becoming more informed consumers and producers of criminal justice information. Students who double major in Psychology and Criminal Justice must complete both PSY-3500 and PSY-3520. CRJ-3610 may be waived if both PSY-3500 and PSY-3520 have been completed.

This course explains the causes, symptoms, and signs of child physical abuse and sexual abuse. Sexual abuse myths and realities are explored along with delayed disclosures and recantations. The lessons learned in this class will be practical and applicable for students in a wide variety of fields to include criminal justice, education, nursing, social work and psychology.

This course is an advanced-level special topics elective in the criminal justice major curriculum. Given the cross-disciplinary nature of the topic, non-criminal justice majors are also welcome. This course is a broad-based overview of the phenomena of serial and mass homicide, and will involve learning about the various definitions and theories constructed to explain these types of killings. The course focuses specifically on distinguishing serial homicide from other forms of multiple homicide, on "serial killers" themselves, basic techniques of social-psychological profiling, the demographics of the crime of serial homicide and mass murder, methods of killing, general and serial homicide trends over time, the impact of multiple murder on society as a whole, and the difficulties in apprehension of serial killers and mass murderers from the perspective of law enforcement officials.

This course explores the use of typologies and profiles in criminological theory and criminal justice practice with focus on profiling of violent crimes. Central topics in the course include the purpose of typologies in criminal justice, criminal profiling and serial murder. This course is intended to provide students with a general understanding of the theory and purpose of criminal typologies and focused review of the literature on criminal profiling. Teaching students how to become "profilers" is beyond the scope of this course. Instead, students will be introduced to the theory and practice of profiling, and the scientific literature on criminal profiling and serial murder. Students will be engaged in critical discussion of the use of typologies and profiles in the criminal justice system. Throughout the course, students will be exposed to the existing profiles of a variety of offenders, offenses and victims through the analysis of case studies. Finally, students will connect course material to reality crime television ("First 48," "Cold Case Files," "Forensic Files," etc.) to determine how behavioral crime myths are often perpetuated by the media.

This course will address a specific area of study in criminal justice not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course is designed for criminal justice students who are undertaking an internship with a public agency or private firm. Research, observation, study and/or work in selected criminal justice agencies supplement classroom study with constructive participation in the criminal justice system. The internship experience must be planned through student-instructor interviews before registration as provided under internship regulations. The objective of the course is to assist the intern and the participating agencies in getting the most out of the student-learning experience. Students electing this option will need to complete a contract with the participating internship agency and a member of the criminal justice faculty. They will contract 48 clock hours for every one (1) semester hour. Therefore, a student must contract for at least 192 hours and a maximum of 576 hours to complete this elective. A maximum of four semester hours of internship count toward the criminal justice major electives, with any remaining semester hours counting toward the 120 total semester hours required for graduation. Permission of the instructor required.

This course is about how leadership drives change in criminal justice agencies. The impact of politics, unions, conflicting service demands and limited resources will be explored. This course provides a critical examination of the organization and administration of municipal police agencies and their functions. Concepts of organizational theory are used to integrate proven concepts into the police service.

This course is designed to give students an understanding of the role intelligence plays in making national security policy and insight into its strengths and weaknesses. The history and an overview of the U.S. intelligence community will be explored. Focus will be on the intelligence processes: requirements, collection, analysis, dissemination and policy. Additional topics will include covert action and counter intelligence. Students will be required to debate and form their own conclusions about how the U.S. intelligence community operates.

This course discusses effective management practices that are central to criminal justice professionals and academic researchers who evaluate and question managerial methodology. This course is designed to analyze these organizational changes to prepare students to effectively lead within these changes. Students will learn how to comprehend and direct strategic planning, missions, goals, objectives, and action plans through an ethical lens that will test personal values and beliefs. Students will be expected to develop a professional resume and create a working leadership career path. Permission of the instructor required.

This course will address a specific area of study in criminal justice not already covered by other course offerings. Prerequisites vary by topic.

This course is designed for criminal justice students who are undertaking an internship with a public agency or private firm. Research, observation, study and/or work in selected criminal justice agencies supplement classroom study with constructive participation in the criminal justice system. The internship experience must be planned through student-instructor interviews before registration as provided under internship regulations. The objective of the course is to assist the intern and the participating agencies in getting the most out of the student-learning experience. Students electing this option will need to complete a contract with the participating internship agency and a member of the criminal justice faculty. They will contract 48 clock hours for every one (1) semester hour. Therefore, a student must contract for at least 192 hours and a maximum of 576 hours to complete this elective. A maximum of four semester hours of internship count toward the criminal justice major electives, with any remaining semester hours counting toward the 120 total semester hours required for graduation. Permission of the instructor required.

Grading Type: Credit/No Credit