Criminal Justice Courses
Courses
Master Thesis Continued Enrollment: Used for completion of the thesis, when all other courses have been completed for the degree.
Seminar in Criminal Justice Administration (3-0) Research, writing and discussion.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
This course provides students with the opportunity to develop qualitative and quantitative research skills necessary to undertake intelligence and criminal justice work. The course demonstrates how intelligence and criminal justice data are validated, collected, systematically organized and processed.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
This course examines foundational meanings of crime, criminology, and criminal justice relative to their intellectual environments, academic history, and current state of the discipline. Through a broad overview of the criminal justice system, students will be exposed to discipline journals, professional associations, and writing appropriate to the discipline.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
This course analyzes various criminological theories and causes of crime, the degree to which research has provided empirical support for explanations of crime, and how these findings may impact policy, crime prevention, and justice system responses.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar Criminal Justice Policy: The course will be oriented toward understanding development and application of CJ policy occurring in organizational environments that are influenced by historical, social, political, legal, and economic factors. Students will learn why criminal justice organizations pursue certain policies or practices, and evidence on their achievement of objectives. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the readings will consist of works focused on the application criminal justice policy and practice in police agencies, correctional facilities and the courts.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar Policing Law Enforcement: This course provides an in-depth understanding of law enforcement agencies at different levels (federal, sate, and local), with specific focus on police history, roles, and contemporary issues to include philosophical, organizational, personnel, accountability, technology, and innovations including community-oriented policing, problem-oriented policing, hot spots, and focused deterrence
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
This course will survey a range of investigative interview types, including interviews with witnesses, screening interviews, police interrogations of suspects, intelligence interviews, and elicitation methods. Attention will be given to the empirical effectiveness of various interviewing strategies. Students will also learn about the controversy surrounding the effectiveness and ethics of enhanced interrogation methods. Students will learn through lecture and application of interview methods in interactive exercises.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar Courts and Sentencing: This course examines the dynamics of courtroom decision making, paying particular attention to sentencing disparities, sentencing reforms and their impact on the criminal justice system.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Correctional Policy and Management: This course examines historical and contemporary legislation and policies that impact correctional practices and management issues within jails, prisons and community corrections.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
This course will address the effective practice of decision making in intelligence and criminal justice fields. Students will learn how to overcome biases and errors in perception and decision. The course will incorporate findings from decision science and psychology to address specific decision problems. Learning will take place through a combination of lecture and interactive exercises designed to allow students to fully understand their own thinking errors and how evidence-based tactics can improve decision-making.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
This course will provide students with advanced knowledge regarding the relationship between neighborhood characteristics, criminal activity, and various responses that involve police and the community, and related community -based organizations. Topics may include social disorganization, fear of crime, poverty, collective efficacy , homelessness, community contexts, and quality of life issues.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Immigration, Crime, and Criminal Justice: This course explores the relationship between immigration and crime. More specifically, students will learn the nature and extent of immigrants as victims and offenders, crime policies that impact the lives of undocumented immigrants, and criminal justice-system responses.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Transnational Criminal Organizations: This course introduces transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) as a threat to national and international security. Topics include the history of organized crime, group characteristics, activities (arms, drug, and human trafficking; corporate fraud; cybercrime, and terrorism), and security challenges posed. Combating TCOs through legislative and law enforcement measures, intelligence and covert action, military intervention, and legal prosecution.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Drugs, Crime and Criminal Justice Policy: This course examines the social construction of substances and substances abuse and the history of policies concerning licit and illicit drug use, with a particular focus on criminal justice responses, treatment, and recovery.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
This course will examine the interrelationships among race/ ethnicity, crime, and the criminal justice system. It will focus on theoretical perspectives and empirical research on the role of views about race/ethnicity in the law, in justice system responses, and how professionals can more effectively mitigate prejudice and potential discrimination.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Seminar in Selected Topics (3-0) Research, writing and discussion.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Violence and Victimization: This course covers topics in the study of violence and victimization. Topics may include different types of aggression and violent behavior, historical trends and patterns, theoretical explanations, contexts and settings for violence (home, school, workplace, etc.), the role of gangs and violence, the role of drugs, alcohol, and/or firearms, and control of violent crime.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
This course focuses on the impact of globalization on crime and border security. Topics include human, drug, and arms trafficking along the U.S. Mexico border, and other border regions around the world. The role of drug cartels, criminal gangs, and corruption will be addressed. Other serious crime such as fraud, identity theft, and cybercrime will be explored. This course will also review current and past strategies for maintaining border security and limiting the flow of criminal activity into the United States.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Program Evaluation and EBPs: This course uses the concept of evidence-based practices within criminal justice, so that students learn how to design, implement, and disseminate evaluations using sound research methodology to ultimately determine whether justice programs work as envisioned.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Independent Study Criminology or Criminal Justice: This course allows a student to examine in-depth one or more criminology or criminal justice specialty topics that are typically not covered in courses. A student must obtain the approval of the professor who agrees to work with the student on a mutually agreed upon topic(s), reading list, data collection, and/or assignments. The agreement must be written and signed by both parties in lieu of a syllabus. Cannot be used to develop the thesis.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
0 Lecture Hours
3 Other Hours
This course provides the basic elements of statistical analytic techniques for intelligence and criminal justice research, allowing students to formulate and test hypotheses related to quantitative research in these fields. Students will learn to conduct analyses using statistical software, as Excel and SPSS.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Prerequisite(s): (CRIJ 5302)
Graduate Study Abroad in Criminal Justice: Graduate students will develop a deeper comparative understanding of one or more criminological or criminal justice issues by studying and traveling internationally to one or more countries as a class and with a designated instructor. Travel costs and payments of study abroad program fees are required additional costs. A student will learn how criminal justice issues relate in a global context and will learn an appreciation of other cultures.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Capstone in Criminology/ Criminal Justice: This course is designed for students to demonstrate core knowledge and skills acquired in crime policy analysis, application of criminological theory, and program evaluation and one that considers organizational/management issues. Passing a written comprehensive exam is required. A comprehensive written project/paper or series of shorter assignments will also be required.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
3 Lecture Hours
0 Other Hours
Master's Thesis I: Students choose a research topic for which they want to pursue an in-depth research project. A thesis chair and committee of two full-time faculty in the department must be chosen. The student works independently to write and orally defend a proposal that includes the introduction, a full literature review of the topic, why the project is important, and the research design--what the student intends to do in the research project.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
0 Lecture Hours
3 Other Hours
Master's Thesis II: The approved research proposal from CRIJ 5397 is implemented through original data collection, secondary data analysis, and/or human subjects approval. The student works independently and with committee to collect the data, analyze the results, and write up the findings. The student orally defends the finished product to the thesis committee in a public forum.
Department: Criminal Justice
3 Credit Hours
3 Total Contact Hours
0 Lab Hours
0 Lecture Hours
3 Other Hours
Prerequisite(s): (CRIJ 5397 w/P or better)