Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice: Curriculum

Explore criminological research methods and APA, and learn basic research and writing principles as they apply to Justice Studies as a field of study.

Explore the history, theory, and structure of the criminal justice system. This course emphasizes substantive and procedural criminal law with additional examination of police, prosecution, defense, courts, and institutional and community corrections, as well as the juvenile justice subsystem.

Explore the role of ethics in the operation of the criminal justice system, and take a close look at how to use critical thinking to identify and resolve ethical dilemmas associated with crime control.

Review the ethics, professionalism, and critical thinking involved in the criminal justice communication process. Gain an understanding of how research, writing, and oral and visual communication skills are related to criminal justice.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103

Examine the role of police in American society. You’ll explore the nature of police subculture, professionalism, personnel selection, unionism, and operational trends.

Learn about probation, jails, prisons, and parole. You’ll also examine methods of dealing with offenders, organizational theory, incarceration rationales, inmate social systems and correction program effectiveness.

Discover the legal origins of the American criminal courts, court procedures and the trial process, as well as sentencing and appeals. You’ll also study the roles of prosecution, defense, judges, juries, the media, and the public.

Learn how evidence is used and understood differently in the practice of criminal justice versus the study of it. You’ll examine the purpose, role, uses, sources, and credibility of evidence in practice and theory. Consider what evidence is and is not, the types of questions for which evidence is needed, and the complementary roles of evidence and logic in answering criminal justice questions. Learn how to be a critical consumer of criminal justice claims and how evidence is used in criminological research.

Discover the foundational aspects of intelligence studies. You’ll learn about the collection and analysis of intelligence information from the perspective of national security, law enforcement, and business.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103

This examination of white-collar crime in the United States emphasizes investigatory techniques related to these types of crime.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103 or equivalent.

Study of the technology, laws, regulations, ethics and procedures for conducting computer network investigations.

Prerequisite: CYB 333

Get to know the types of proactive technology programs and tools that are used to prevent and detect the occurence of fraudulent face-to-face, e-commerce, and e-business transactions. You’ll also examine the development and implementation of business models for creating prevention and detection products and techniques.

Learn to apply statistical methods in psychological research. You’ll gain an understanding of descriptive statistics, tests of significance, correlation, simple analysis of variance, chi-square, and some nonparametric methods. Students cannot also take ECN 241, MAT 112 for credit towards Core Goal 4: Quantitative Reasoning. Prerequisite: Core Component I Mathematics

Gain an understanding of how to apply statistical methods to management and economics. Learn about descriptive statistics, probability, normal curve, sampling, confidence, and regression.

Prerequisites: Completion of mathematics and computer requirements in component one of core.

Students may not also take Psychology/Sociology 211 or Mathematics 112 for credit toward Core Goal 4: Quantitative Reasoning.

Explore statistical competencies as a non-mathematics major. You’ll explore probability theory topics, binomial distribution, normal distribution, descriptive statistics, frequency distribution, measures of central tendency, and hypothesis testing. Additionally, you’ll learn about confidence intervals, correlation, and prediction.

Prerequisites: MAT 100, or satisfactory performance in Mathematics Placement Test administered by the mathematics department, or permission of instructor. Students may not also take PSY 211, ECN 241, or SOC 211 for credit toward Core Goal 4: Quantitative Reasoning

Explore the various fields of psychology including human development, learning and memory, and sensation and perception. You’ll also examine psychopathology and psychotherapy, physiology and behavior, social psychology, psychological testing, motivation, and emotion.

Examine crime as a form of deviant behavior and its relationship to social values and social structure. You’ll also explore types of criminal behavior, theories of treatment and control, correctional methods, and the administration of criminal justice.

Gain an understanding of quantitative methods and their application in crime study. Through the analysis of scientific journals, you’ll test hypotheses and evaluate policy, in addition to exploring computer applications in processing data and data analysis.

Prerequisites: SOC 274 and SOC 211 /PSY 211 or MAT 112.

Gain an understanding of criminal law and the framework for substantive criminal law in the United States. You’ll explore how the Constitution affects the criminal studies system and the people in it.

Learn about criminal law as a process for dispute settlement and maintenance of order by the state. You’ll focus on legal reasoning, legal process, and necessity to maintain historical continuity and doctrinal consistency.

Computer hardware and peripherals and other digital media used in commission of cyber-crimes. Hands-on examination of devices, including building, configuring, upgrading, troubleshooting, diagnosis, and repair.

Explore concepts related to the influence of cyber technologies on the modern criminal justice organization. Examine topics ranging from information technology, social networking, and cloud computing to cybersecurity and cryptography. You’ll also review data hiding, anonymity, and surveillance.

This capstone experience will integrate what you’ve learned in previous classes with a critical analysis of current research literature. You’ll develop action projects with fellow seminar members focused on selected topics of current interest.

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

Gain field experience by joining the staff of a criminal justice agency under co-supervision of school faculty and agency personnel. Your hands-on field experience will be combined with weekly readings, online discussions, and writing assignments designed to pair theory with professional practice.

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.

Consult with a faculty supervisor to select a policy issue and conduct senior-level research.

Prerequisite: Permission of advisor.

Explore concepts related to the influence of cyber technologies on the modern criminal justice organization. Examine topics ranging from information technology, social networking, and cloud computing to cybersecurity and cryptography. You’ll also review data hiding, anonymity, and surveillance.

Explore the typology of economic crime and the related theories, causation, and victimization.

Examine crime as a form of deviant behavior and its relationship to social values and social structure. You’ll also explore types of criminal behavior, theories of treatment and control, correctional methods, and the administration of criminal justice.

During this overview of terrorism and counterterrorism in global and domestic contexts, you’ll be introduced to evolving definitions and models of terrorism, its causes, key events, and countermeasures. You’ll examine the origins, structure, and activities of terrorism, as well as the sociocultural environments that lead to terrorism.

Examine America’s critical infrastructures and how to safeguard and manage them when under threat. You’ll explore key asset identification, threat and vulnerability analysis, risk assessment and management, and crisis and consequence management. Study defense, government-wide and non-government information systems, and the importance of strategic contingency planning, systems integration, and information sharing.

Study of the technology, laws, regulations, ethics and procedures for conducting computer network investigations.

Prerequisite: CYB 333

Get to know the types of proactive technology programs and tools that are used to prevent and detect the occurence of fraudulent face-to-face, e-commerce, and e-business transactions. You’ll also examine the development and implementation of business models for creating prevention and detection products and techniques.

Explore major theories of public policy making, mechanics of the process, methods of examining policy impacts, and how criminal studies policy can affect and be affected by research.

Prerequisites: CRJ 103 and CRJ 384

Discover the foundational aspects of intelligence studies. You’ll learn about the collection and analysis of intelligence information from the perspective of national security, law enforcement, and business.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103

Gain an understanding of international cooperation and conflict. You’ll explore the evolution of global political systems, problems of war and peace, diplomacy, nuclear weapons, and foreign economics, organizations, and law.

Examine the role of police in American society. You’ll explore the nature of police subculture, professionalism, personnel selection, unionism, and operational trends.

During this overview of terrorism and counterterrorism in global and domestic contexts, you’ll be introduced to evolving definitions and models of terrorism, its causes, key events, and countermeasures. You’ll examine the origins, structure, and activities of terrorism, as well as the sociocultural environments that lead to terrorism.

Examine America’s critical infrastructures and how to safeguard and manage them when under threat. You’ll explore key asset identification, threat and vulnerability analysis, risk assessment and management, and crisis and consequence management. Study defense, government-wide and non-government information systems, and the importance of strategic contingency planning, systems integration, and information sharing.

In this overview of the emergency management response cycle, you’ll explore planning, response, recovery, and mitigation. You’ll be introduced to FEMA operations, the Incident Command System and the National Incident Management System.

Examine the protection of proprietary information in both the corporate and government sectors. You’ll explore topics including information as a resource, legal issues, policy formulation, administrative and technical remedies, and case studies.

Learn the principles of privacy relating to non-public personal information and proprietary business or government information. You’ll examine policy issues and best practices, as well as legal, regulatory, and business controls.

Prerequisites: CRJ 103 or permission of instructor.

Policing, court, and correctional systems can vary drastically from one country to the next, with potentially serious consequences to a visitor unfamiliar with how a nation’s justice system works and interacts internationally. By conducting both macro- and micro-level research, you’ll expose differences and commonalities existing between countries around the world. You’ll also examine topical issues, like terrorism, and world events, such as the Olympics, to learn how criminal justice systems are impacted.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103

Gain an understanding of international cooperation and conflict. You’ll explore the evolution of global political systems, problems of war and peace, diplomacy, nuclear weapons, and foreign economics, organizations, and law.

Explore the role of ethics in the operation of the criminal justice system, and take a close look at how to use critical thinking to identify and resolve ethical dilemmas associated with crime control.

Examine the role of police in American society. You’ll explore the nature of police subculture, professionalism, personnel selection, unionism, and operational trends.

Discover the legal origins of the American criminal courts, court procedures and the trial process, as well as sentencing and appeals. You’ll also study the roles of prosecution, defense, judges, juries, the media, and the public.

Explore topics ranging from computer crimes and e-commerce to internet fraud and threats to the national infrastructure. You’ll analyze policies, legal issues, and investigative techniques and strategies, as well as implications for investigation and enforcement on a global scale.

Gain an understanding of criminal law and the framework for substantive criminal law in the United States. You’ll explore how the Constitution affects the criminal studies system and the people in it.

Understand the government and judicial regulations designed to address economic crime, and how they impact financial institutions, commercial entities, their agents, and employees. You’ll also look at constitutional issues in investigations by governmental and corporate entities in both a substantive and procedural context.

Become familiar with the rules of evidence and trial procedures applicable to criminal cases at the state and federal levels. You’ll also gain experience as a witness and an attorney during an in-class mock trial.

Learn about criminal law as a process for dispute settlement and maintenance of order by the state. You’ll focus on legal reasoning, legal process, and necessity to maintain historical continuity and doctrinal consistency.

Examine the principles underlying American constitutional government with special attention to interpretation of the Federal Constitution.

Prerequisite: GOV 101

Understand the laws governing the behavior of individuals and their accountability to the states and international community. You’ll learn what it takes to develop a body of law and enforcement mechanisms for piracy, war crimes, and terrorism and explore the role of international criminal tribunals.

You’ll examine the structure of politics, policy process, and problems of American state and local governments as they function within the federal system.

Examine people, events, and issues of the civil rights struggle in the United States. You’ll explore the impact on democratization and social change in American society and the formation of public policy.

Explore the principles of management and organizational theory. You’ll gain an understanding of all functional areas of management, with an emphasis on the key management responsibilities of planning, organizing, controlling, leading, and staffing. You’ll also examine ethical and social responsibilities, change, and global challenges.

Prerequisites: MGT 101 or CMG 103

Explore the interrelationships among religious, national, and racial minority groups and their dominant majorities in America through a sociological lens. You’ll then compare these relationships to similar groups in other countries.

Explore major theories of public policy making, mechanics of the process, methods of examining policy impacts, and how criminal studies policy can affect and be affected by research.

Prerequisites: CRJ 103 and CRJ 384

You’ll gain an overview of the principles and problems of administering government agencies, including the nature of bureaucracy, bureaucratic politics, inter-governmental relations, and organization theory. You’ll also examine decision-making, leadership, personnel management, budgeting, regulation, program implementation, ethics, and accountability.

You’ll examine the relationship of government units to their environment and explore the way policy is formulated, adopted, and implemented in the political system.

Explore the ethical issues at the intersection of contemporary politics, science, and culture. Examine how technological changes have affected our perception of human beings.

From Classical Greek thinking to contemporary ethical issues, take a critical look at the problems and theories in social philosophy.

Explore the typology of economic crime and the related theories, causation, and victimization.

Examine crime as a form of deviant behavior and its relationship to social values and social structure. You’ll also explore types of criminal behavior, theories of treatment and control, correctional methods, and the administration of criminal justice.

Learn about the development of organized crime in the United States and its impact on social, economic, and political institutions. You’ll examine the role of corruption as a facilitator of crime.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103 or equivalent.

A comprehensive look at the history of white-collar crime, including definitions and categories, trends, theories, and policies. You’ll also study offenders, victims, and societal reactions to corporate crime and other forms of white-collar crime.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103.

This examination of white-collar crime in the United States emphasizes investigatory techniques related to these types of crime.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103 or equivalent.

Understand the government and judicial regulations designed to address economic crime, and how they impact financial institutions, commercial entities, their agents, and employees. You’ll also look at constitutional issues in investigations by governmental and corporate entities in both a substantive and procedural context.

Get to know the types of proactive technology programs and tools that are used to prevent and detect the occurence of fraudulent face-to-face, e-commerce, and e-business transactions. You’ll also examine the development and implementation of business models for creating prevention and detection products and techniques.

Examine modern payment systems from a global perspective. You’ll become familiar with opportunities for fraud within payment systems, and learn techniques for preventing, detecting, and investigating fraud.

Prerequisite: CRJ 232 or permission of instructor.

Examine the role of police in American society. You’ll explore the nature of police subculture, professionalism, personnel selection, unionism, and operational trends.

Using a case-study investigation of local high-profile criminal cases, you’ll complete online assignments and discussions, readings, and a technology-based final project. May be repeated for up to 3 credits with different readings.

Examine the history of the juvenile justice system, police handling of juveniles, the juvenile court, detention, and the treatment of offenders. You’ll explore the related philosophies and methods of criminal justice programs for the prevention and control of youth crime.

Learn about probation, jails, prisons, and parole. You’ll also examine methods of dealing with offenders, organizational theory, incarceration rationales, inmate social systems and correction program effectiveness.

Explore the typology of economic crime and the related theories, causation, and victimization.

Discover the legal origins of the American criminal courts, court procedures and the trial process, as well as sentencing and appeals. You’ll also study the roles of prosecution, defense, judges, juries, the media, and the public.

Explore and analyze one or more contemporary topics chosen by your instructor. Each topic variation may be taken for credit.

During this overview of terrorism and counterterrorism in global and domestic contexts, you’ll be introduced to evolving definitions and models of terrorism, its causes, key events, and countermeasures. You’ll examine the origins, structure, and activities of terrorism, as well as the sociocultural environments that lead to terrorism.

Examine America’s critical infrastructures and how to safeguard and manage them when under threat. You’ll explore key asset identification, threat and vulnerability analysis, risk assessment and management, and crisis and consequence management. Study defense, government-wide and non-government information systems, and the importance of strategic contingency planning, systems integration, and information sharing.

In this overview of the emergency management response cycle, you’ll explore planning, response, recovery, and mitigation. You’ll be introduced to FEMA operations, the Incident Command System and the National Incident Management System.

Policing, court, and correctional systems can vary drastically from one country to the next, with potentially serious consequences to a visitor unfamiliar with how a nation’s justice system works and interacts internationally. By conducting both macro- and micro-level research, you’ll expose differences and commonalities existing between countries around the world. You’ll also examine topical issues, like terrorism, and world events, such as the Olympics, to learn how criminal justice systems are impacted.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103

Learn about the development of organized crime in the United States and its impact on social, economic, and political institutions. You’ll examine the role of corruption as a facilitator of crime.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103 or equivalent.

Study the theory and practice of modern investigation methods for public and private sector agencies. Learn about the techniques and procedures for evidence collection, preservation, and presentation. Become acquainted with investigation resources, including crime laboratories and databases.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103 or equivalent.

Look at how crime, criminals, and the criminal justice system are represented in major literary works from countries around the world. May be repeated for up to 3 credits with different readings.

Prerequisites: CRJ 103 or SOC 274

A comprehensive look at the history of white-collar crime, including definitions and categories, trends, theories, and policies. You’ll also study offenders, victims, and societal reactions to corporate crime and other forms of white-collar crime.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103.

This examination of white-collar crime in the United States emphasizes investigatory techniques related to these types of crime.

Prerequisite: CRJ 103 or equivalent.

Explore topics ranging from computer crimes and e-commerce to internet fraud and threats to the national infrastructure. You’ll analyze policies, legal issues, and investigative techniques and strategies, as well as implications for investigation and enforcement on a global scale.

Understand the government and judicial regulations designed to address economic crime, and how they impact financial institutions, commercial entities, their agents, and employees. You’ll also look at constitutional issues in investigations by governmental and corporate entities in both a substantive and procedural context.

Become familiar with the rules of evidence and trial procedures applicable to criminal cases at the state and federal levels. You’ll also gain experience as a witness and an attorney during an in-class mock trial.