Curriculum
Required Criminal Justice Core (30 credits)
(Some courses cross listed with Sociology-SO/CJ)
CJ 111 Introduction to the Criminal Justice System
Students will review the origins and foundations of our American system of policing, the relationship between the individual citizen and the state/federal governments’ police powers. Included in this section of the course will be an overview of the Fourth Amendment, the Fifth Amendment, and the Sixth Amendment. Students will also review the judicial system, and become familiar with the procedures followed in a criminal trial. Finally, the students will examine sentencing issues and the sanctions available against a criminal convict, including incarceration in jail or prison, probation, and parole. Generally offered every fall semester. 3 credits
CJ/SO 121 Contemporary Social Problems
Focuses on how institutional and organizational features of societies generate problems for people. Particular attention is directed at a set of problems related to political and economic inequalities, health and illness, education, the environment, and the criminal justice system. P: SO 111 or permission of Department Chair. General Education Choice for Part C and Designated W course. Generally offered every Fall semester. 3 credits
SO 218 Statistics
Addresses basic concepts and methods of statistical data analysis as applied in psychology and other social/behavioral sciences, including organizing, analyzing, and interpreting data. The course will provide students with a foundation in descriptive and inferential statistics, touching on frequency distributions, probability sampling, and hypothesis testing. Analyses conducted by hand and using SPSS. P: Fulfillment of a Level A math requirement. 3 credits
SO 219 Research Methods
This course is a “hands on” approach to research in which the student will learn to design and carry out field observations, experiments, content analyses, or surveys. P: SO 111 or permission of Department Chair. Generally offered every Fall semester. 3 credits
CJ/SO 231 Deviance and Criminology
Consideration of deviant behavior and crime as behavioral and social phenomena, with analysis of data and theories of the causation of crime. The effects of labeling deviants are also considered. P: CJ/SO 111 or permission of Program Coordinator. Generally offered every other fall semester. 3 credits
CJ/SO 232 Juvenile Delinquency
Investigation of delinquency as a separate phenomenon, including its theories of causation and particular patterns of delinquency, as well as consideration of the variables which affect the rates of delinquency. P: SO 111, CJ 111 or permission of Department Chair. Generally offered every other fall semester. 3 credits
CJ/SO 233 Corrections
Examination of philosophy, theory, and practice of criminal punishment and of the processes which characterize arrest, prosecution, trial, and sentencing. Formal and informal operation of law enforcement agencies are studied, with special attention to patterns of differential treatment accorded different social and economic groups. P: CJ 111 or permission of Department Chair. Generally offered every spring semester. 3 credits
CJ 234 Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice
This course is designed to challenge students’ ability to discern the complexities of some of the fundamental issues faced by criminal justice professionals today, including the consequences of our nation’s “war” on drugs; the possible consequences of the legalization of drugs; gun control; the insanity defense; the development of the victim’s rights movement; predicting juvenile delinquency; and probation and parole. P: CJ 111 or permission of Program Coordinator. Generally offered every other spring semester. 3 credits
CJ/SO 242 Minorities and Multicultural Diversity
This course is a "hands on" approach to research in which the student will learn to design and carry out field observations, experiments, content analyses, or surveys. P: SO 111 or permission of Department Chair. Generally offered every Fall semester. 3 credits
Upper-Level Courses (9 credits)
CJ 345 Criminal Law and Procedure
This course is designed to introduce students to the development of substantive and procedural due process, focusing on the ancient roots of criminal law from Medieval England up to the present day. Various topics such as criminal responsibility, causation, attempts, crimes and criminal procedure will be analyzed. P: CJ 111. 3 credits
CJ 380 Criminal Justice Internship (Senior Year)
Fieldwork experience. Admission only with approval of Program Coordinator. P: CJ 280 and senior status. Generally offered every semester. 3 credits
CJ/SO 3l0 Sociology of Law and Social Control
A consideration of all forms of social control. A study of both the content and quantity of law employed under varying social conditions. Law will be considered as both a cause and effect of social change. P: SO 111 or permission of Department Chair. Generally offered every other fall semester. 3 credits
CJ 391 Senior Seminar: Ethics
In this seminar-based course, students in Criminal Justice will study the difficult ethical issues faced by criminal justice practitioners on a daily basis and how the ethical challenges faced by police, prosecutors, judges and corrections officers can be effectively addressed. Generally offered every spring semester. 3 credits
Criminal Justice Electives (6 credits)
SO 111 Introduction to Sociology
This course invites you to see the world sociologically. We will examine culture, social structure, inequality, gender, race, deviance, and socialization from the sociological perspective. General Education Choice for Part B. Generally offered every semester. 3 credits
CJ 236 The Death Penalty in America
This course introduces students to the complex problems surrounding the application of our nation’s ultimate penalty. Students will review the history of various death penalty laws and the methods by which the penalty has been carried out. In addition, students will study the issues surrounding capital punishment today, including its use against the mentally handicapped, juveniles, and focusing on equal protection and race-based claims. P: CJ 111 or permission of the Program Coordinator. Generally offered every summer. 3 credits
CJ/SO 241 Urban Sociology
We shall study the effects of the urban environment on social institutions and populations and examine the modern crises of urban living with an eye towards answering the question: Can cities survive? P: SO 111 or permission of Department Chair. This is a Distance Learning course. Generally offered in the Accelerated Degree Program every spring. 3 credits
CJ 238 Criminal Evidence
This course is designed to introduce students to the rules of evidence which govern the conduct of criminal trials. Starting out with an explanation of direct and circumstantial evidence, students will then examine the hearsay rule and its many exception, privileges, and the standards which govern expert and lay testimony. Finally, students will finish the course with an examination of how the courtroom rules affect police officers in the field as they investigate criminal behavior. Offered each semester. 3 credits
CJ 239 National Security & Civil Liberty
In this course, students will explore the complex problems faced by our nation as we attempt to balance the conflicting need to maintain our national security with the need to ensure individual civil liberty. Topics covered include: subjecting civilians to military justice, martial law declaration, suspending habeas corpus, designating persons as unlawful combatants, and law enforcement scrutiny of lawful political protest. In addition, students will review how the events taking place during various time periods in our history, such as the Civil War, the Cold War era, and the 1960s shaped our government’s policies toward balancing security needs with the guarantee of civil liberties we enjoy. Offered annually. 3 credits
CJ 240 Police Administration
In this course, students will explore the myriad problems faced by all supervisors as they attempt to create a positive working environment for their subordinates. While this course is primarily geared to law enforcement personnel, the topics covered are familiar to many different types or workplaces. Among the issues covered in class are: leadership style, interpersonal communication, motivation, discipline, and working with difficult employees. Offered annually. 3 credits
CJ 255 Special Topics
Selected topics or issues with respect to the criminal justice system are studied in-depth. P: CJ 111 or permission of Program Coordinator. 3 credits
CJ 280 Criminal Justice Internship (Junior Year)
Fieldwork experience. Admission only with approval of Program Coordinator. P: CJ 111 plus 15 hours in Criminal Justice and junior status. Generally offered every semester. 3 credits