Criminology & Criminal Justice

CRIMIN 1100 Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice (MOTR CRJS 101): 3 semester hours

This course is an introduction to the basic concepts and approaches in the study of criminology and criminal justice. The major components of the criminal justice system are examined. This course fulfills the American History and Government general education requirement.

CRIMIN 1101 Crime and Criminal Justice Today: 1-2 semester hours

This course provides students insight into crime and the criminal justice system in contemporary America. All students, whether enrolled for one or two hours, will complete the same core course requirements. Those students enrolled for two hours will complete additional course work as outlined in the course syllabus.

CRIMIN 1110 Theories of Crime: 3 semester hours

This course provides an introduction to major theoretical approaches to the study of crime and justice.

CRIMIN 1120 Criminal Law: 3 semester hours

This course provides an analysis of substantive criminal law, evidence, and judicial procedure.

CRIMIN 1200 Foundations of Law: An Introduction to Legal Studies: 3 semester hours

Same as POL SCI 1200. As a broad liberal-arts approach to the study of law, this course is designed to familiarize students with legal ideas, legal reasoning, and legal processes. It also provides comparative and historical perspectives on law that will help explain legal diversity and legal change. Finally, it offers opportunities to explore some of the persistent issues in law and legal theory: for example, issues about the sources of law, the responsibilities of the legal profession, or the relative merits of the adversary system.

CRIMIN 2130 Criminal Justice Policy: 3 semester hours

This course provides an introduction to criminal justice policy making, planning, and implementation. This course fulfills the American History and Government general education requirement.

CRIMIN 2180 Alcohol, Drugs and Society: 3 semester hours

Same as SOC 2180. Prerequisites: SOC 1010 or PSYCH 1003. This course examines the medical, legal and social aspects of alcohol and drug use. Medical aspects considered include treatment approaches and the role of physicians in controlling such behavior. In the legal realm, past and present alcohol and drug laws are explored. Cultural and social influences on alcohol and drug use are discussed.

CRIMIN 2210 Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours

This course provides an examination of basic methods of research design, measurement, and data collection in criminology and criminal justice. This course fulfills the Information Literacy general educations requirement.

CRIMIN 2220 Statistical Analysis in Criminology and Criminal Justice: 4 semester hours

Prerequisites: CRIMIN 2210 (may be taken concurrently) and the university math proficiency requirement. This course is an introduction to techniques of quantitative data analysis. Both descriptive and inferential statistics are applied to problems in criminology and criminal justice. It includes a one hour lab. This course fulfills the Information Literacy general education requirement.

CRIMIN 2240 Policing: 3 semester hours

This course provides an overview of current and historical perspectives on the function of American policing. There is emphasis on the management of police organizations and relationships with the community.

CRIMIN 2250 Courts: 3 semester hours

This course provides an overview of current and historical perspectives on the function of the American courts. There is emphasis on the dynamics of courthouse justice, with special attention placed on the roles of the prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys, defendants, victims, and jurors regarding the decisions that impact the adjudication process.

CRIMIN 2251 Youth Gangs: 3 semester hours

This course provides an overview of research and policy concerning youth gangs. Definitional and methodological issues are examined, along with both qualitative and quantitative research. Topics may include the causes of gangs and gang involvement with focus on variations by race, gender, time period, and geography.

CRIMIN 2252 Crime and Punishment: 3 semester hours

Same as PHIL 2252. This course will address fundamental conceptual, ethical, and moral issues that arise in the context of the legal system. Topics may include punishment, pre-trial detention, the death penalty, acquittal of persons who are legally guilty, plea bargaining, moral obligation to obey the law, and laws restricting civil liberties.

CRIMIN 2260 Corrections: 3 semester hours

This course provides an examination of correctional philosophies and practices. There is emphasis on the history of corrections, the formal and informal organization of correctional facilities, inmate rights, and correctional alternatives.

CRIMIN 3209 Forensic Anthropology: 4 semester hours

Same as ANTHRO 3209. Prerequisites: ANTHRO 1005 or BIOL 1102 or consent of instructor. Students learn basic human dental and skeletal anatomy and the methods used by biological anthropologists and archaeologists to collect and analyze human skeletal remains, including how to age and sex skeletal remains, identify ethnic markers, determine stature and handedness, and identify the presence of trauma and/or pathology. Also covers the role of the forensic anthropologist in crime scene investigations and human rights issues. In the weekly lab section students will have an opportunity for hands-on application of techniques to skeletal remains.

CRIMIN 3230 Crime Prevention: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently) or consent of instructor. This course provides an examination of situational, social, and legislative approaches to the prevention of crime and delinquency. There is emphasis on theories, implementation, and consequences of these approaches.

CRIMIN 3270 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently) or consent of instructor. This course provides an examination of formal and informal responses to juvenile delinquency. There is emphasis on theories of delinquency and the decision-making processes of police, court and probation officials.

CRIMIN 3280 Internship in Criminology and Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Junior standing. This course consists of an internship in a criminal justice setting under faculty supervision. It may be repeated for a maximum of six credit hours.

CRIMIN 3290 Special Readings: 1-6 semester hours

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Individualized study, under regular faculty supervision, designed to meet particular educational needs of selected students.

CRIMIN 3305 Crime and Justice in a Globalized World: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently or waived for non-CCJ majors) or consent of instructor. This course will provide an analysis of crime and criminal justice systems in selected cultures around the world. It will emphasize the ways in which various cultures define and respond to criminal behavior. This course fulfills the Cultural Diversity requirement.

CRIMIN 3310 Computers in Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently) or consent of instructor. This course will critically examine computer crime, cyber-criminology, and the ways in which technology and the Internet facilitate criminal and deviant behavior. Discussion will focus on the types of crime using computer technology, theories addressing digital criminals, and an overview of the criminal justice response to these issues.

CRIMIN 3330 Corporate, Organizational, and White-Collar Crime: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently) or consent of instructor. This course provides an overview of what is known about corporate, organizational, and white-collar offending. The nature and extent of this type of offending will be discussed as well as its causes and social, political and economic consequences. Some topics may include definitional and measurement challenges, similarities and differences between business (suite) and traditional (street) crime, and enforcement strategies.

CRIMIN 3345 Constitutional Law and the Criminal Justice System: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently) or consent of instructor. This course provides an analysis of the objectives of criminal law regarding the United States Constitution. It emphasizes the rights of persons suspected or convicted of crime within the institutional settings of the police, courts, and corrections.

CRIMIN 3405 Forensic Psychology: 3 semester hours

Same as PSYCH 3405. Prerequisites: PSYCH 1003 or CRIMIN 1100. This course is the application of scientific psychological knowledge to matters that come before a judge or jury using actual case studies. It will focus on criminal cases such as homicide and sex offender commitment and on personal injury cases. Topics may include psychological tests used and recommended by forensic psychologists, sex offender risk assessment, consultation with attorneys, and keys to being a forensic expert on the witness stand.

CRIMIN 4300 Communities and Crime: 3 semester hours

Same as SOC 4300. Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently) or consent of instructor. This course provides an analysis of the sources, consequences, and control of crime within communities. There is emphasis on social and ecological theories of crime, and on population instability, family structure, and the concentration of poverty as causes of crime.

CRIMIN 4320 Forms of Criminal Behavior: 3 semester hours

Same as SOC 4320. Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently) or consent of instructor. This course provides an examination of major types of criminal behavior including violent, property, public order, and organizational offenses. There is emphasis on theories of and responses to these crimes.

CRIMIN 4325 Gender, Crime, and Justice: 3 semester hours

Same as SOC 4325 and GS 4325. Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently) or consent of instructor. This course provides an analysis of the role of gender in crime and in the justice system. There is emphasis on gender differences in crime commission, criminal processing, and the employment of women in criminal justice agencies. Fulfills CRIMIN diversity requirement.

CRIMIN 4330 Violence Against Women: 3 semester hours

Same as GS 4330. Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently) or consent of instructor. This course examines the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of various types of violence against women, including rape, sexual assault, stalking, and intimate partner violence. Criminal justice policy and practice regarding violence against women are also examined.

CRIMIN 4335 Probation and Parole: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently) or consent of instructor. This course provides an analysis of alternatives to incarceration and postincarceration supervision. There is emphasis on diversion, restitution, and community reintegration.

CRIMIN 4340 Race, Crime, and Justice: 3 semester hours

Same as SOC 4340. Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently) or consent of instructor. This course provides an analysis of the involvement of racial minorities in crime and the criminal justice system. There is emphasis on group differences in offending, processing, victimization, and employment in criminal justice agencies. Fulfills CRIMIN diversity requirement.

CRIMIN 4345 War Crimes, Genocide, and Justice in the 20th and 21st Centuries: 3 semester hours

Same as SOC 4345, POL SCI 4345, MVS 4345. Prerequisite: ENGL 3100. This course provides advanced undergraduate and Master's level students a comprehensive overview of the subject of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and legal responses to these crimes in the modern era. The goal of this course is to engage students in sustained, critical thought about these issues and to foster a deeper understanding of both the causes and consequences-legal, social and human-of these egregious crimes.

CRIMIN 4350 Victimology: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 (may be taken concurrently) or consent of instructor. This course provides an analysis of major perspectives on victimization. There is emphasis on patterns of victimization, the role of victims in the generation of crime, and the experience of the victim in the criminal justice system.

CRIMIN 4360 Sociology of Law: 3 semester hours

Same as SOC 4362. Prerequisites: ENGL 3100 or consent of the instructor. This course explores the interaction of legal, political and social forces in the US. It examines historical developments in law and politics in the US, including law and economics, crime policy, socioeconomic inequality, race relations, and state sanctioned punishment. The course also considers how America's federalist structure shapes law, politics and social relations. Last, it examines how legal and political institutions establish and shape power relations between social groups.

CRIMIN 4380 Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: ENGL 3100, which may be taken concurrently, or consent of instructor. This course provides an in-depth study of a selected topic in criminology and criminal justice. This course may be repeated for credit if the topic differs.

CRIMIN 4390 Seminar in Criminology and Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: CRIMIN 2210, CRIMIN 2220, and ENGL 3100, or consent of instructor. In this capstone course, students demonstrate the ability to work independently, integrating theory and research in criminology and criminal justice in a major paper supervised by the instructor.

CRIMIN 4487 Philosophy of Law: 3 semester hours

Same as PHIL 4487. Prerequisites: CRIMIN 1100 or three hours of philosophy or graduate standing or consent of instructor. This course provides an intensive study of recent philosophical debate about such issues as the authority of law, legal equality and justice, legal responsibility, self-determination and privacy, and legal punishment.

CRIMIN 5415 Foundations of Criminological Theory: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Graduate standing. This course examines the history of criminological thought, incorporating the major works of such theorists as Bentham, Beccaria, Marx, Durkheim, Lombroso, Sutherland, and Merton.

CRIMIN 5533 Philosophy of Law: 3 semester hours

Same as PHIL 5533. Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Examination of origins of law and the basis for legal obligation. Specific consideration of the justification of punishment, morality and law, and legal reasoning.

CRIMIN 6400 Proseminar: 3 semester hours

Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (must be taken in the first semester). A critical examination of theoretical, methodological and policy issues in criminology and criminal justice. Focus is on the nature of crime, policing, pretrial processes, adjudication and corrections.

CRIMIN 6405 Methods: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Graduate standing. This course examines basic methods for research design and data collection. Topics may include participant observation and interviewing, survey research, aggregate data analysis, and experimental design.

CRIMIN 6410 Statistical Applications in Criminology and Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Graduate standing. This course examines elementary principles of quantitative analysis and their application to crime and justice problems. Topics may include univariate, bivariate and multivariate procedures for discrete and continuous data, and a comprehensive introduction to ordinary least squares regression.

CRIMIN 6420 Contemporary Criminological Theories: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: CRIMIN 5415. This course examines contemporary explanations of crime and criminal justice. Theories covered include strain, control, culture, labeling, and conflict, as well as more recent attempts at theoretical and multidisciplinary integration.

CRIMIN 6430 Law and Social Control: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. This course examines the relationship between law and other social institutions, the values and interests that are expressed in law and shaped by legal structures and processes, and law as an instrument of public policy, social control and social change.

CRIMIN 6438 Inequalities and Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Graduate standing. This course examines the intersections between social inequality and the criminal justice system, including policing, adjudication and sentencing in the courts, community supervision, and incarceration. Additional focus is on the extent to which entry into the criminal justice system reflects existing social inequalities in American society, as well as to what extent the criminal justice system reproduces these inequalities. Last, this class includes an examination of how the criminal justice system intersects with other social institutions (e.g. labor market, housing, education).

CRIMIN 6440 Nature of Crime: 3 semester hours

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Examination of patterns and correlates of crime at the individual, situational, and aggregate levels. Topics include definitions of crime, offending topologies, and criminal careers.

CRIMIN 6441 Juvenile Delinquency: 3 semester hours

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Examination of youth crime and juvenile offenders. Topics include definitions of juvenile crime, and theories of juvenile crime causation in the U.S.

CRIMIN 6442 Communities and Crime: 3 semester hours

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Examination of the trends and sources of crime and social disorder across communities. The course emphasizes relationships among crime, neighborhood change, neighborhood responses to crime, and public policies.

CRIMIN 6443 Violent Crime: 3 semester hours

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Examination of the sources and patterns of violent offending across time and space. Topics include conceptions and typologies of violent crimes and offenders, victim-offender relationships, and efforts to predict and control violent offending.

CRIMIN 6448 Victimization: 3 semester hours

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Examination of the risks and consequences of crime for its victims. Issues considered include victim-offender relationships, characteristics of victims, the nature of the injuries they experience and criminal justice procedures that involve them.

CRIMIN 6450 Criminal Justice Theory and Policy: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Graduate standing. This course is an analysis of criminal justice as a network of decisions and complex organizations. Topics may include criminal justice theory, policy analysis, implementation, and evaluation.

CRIMIN 6452 The Police: 3 semester hours

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Historical, social and political analysis of policing in America. Examination of federal, state, county and municipal agencies.

CRIMIN 6465 Qualitative Research Design: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: CRIMIN 6405. Examination of participant observation and informant and respondent interviewing. Topics include gaining access, sampling, data collection and analysis, and legal and ethical concerns.

CRIMIN 6470 Quantitative Research Design: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: CRIMIN 6405, CRIMIN 6410, and CRIMIN 6480. Examination of experimental, longitudinal, and cross-sectional designs. Sources of data, sampling procedures, operational definitions, and issues of reliability are also discussed.

CRIMIN 6471 Evaluating Criminal Justice Interventions: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: CRIMIN 6405 and CRIMIN 6410. This course examines a broad range of interventions designed to prevent crime or improve some aspect of the criminal justice system. The validity reliability, and feasibility of differing intervention designs are addressed. Several major criminal justice evaluations are discussed.

CRIMIN 6480 Multivariate Statistics in Criminology: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: CRIMIN 6405 and CRIMIN 6410. Introduction to the general linear model with applications to multivariate problems in criminal justice and criminology. Topics include advanced ordinary least squares, causal modeling, time series analysis, simultaneous equations, and analysis of limited dependent variables.

CRIMIN 6485 Directed Readings/Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice: 1-6 semester hours

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Directed reading and research, under faculty supervision, designed to meet particular educational needs of selected students.

CRIMIN 6495 Internship in Criminology and Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor. Supervised placements with criminal justice agencies. Designed primarily for students with limited field experience.

CRIMIN 6498 M A Thesis Research: 1-6 semester hours

Prerequisite: Graduate standing and consent of instructor.

CRIMIN 6550 Seminar in Criminology and Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours

Prerequisites: Graduate standing and CRIMIN 5415, CRIMIN 6400, and CRIMIN 6405 or consent of the instructor. Research and policy approaches to the study of criminology and criminal justice. Class may be repeated for credit when the subject matter is different.

CRIMIN 7499 Ph.D. Dissertation Research: 1-6 semester hours

This course is for dissertation research in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Content and meeting patterns are to be arranged.