Criminal Justice

Criminal Justics Courses

Coordinator: Dr. Todd Peppers

The B.A. degree with a major in criminal justice may be awarded to those students who satisfactorily complete 12 units from the following program. Criminal Justice/Political Science 211 should be completed as early as possible. Statistics 101 should be used to satisfy one of the mathematics-science requirements and is a prerequisite to Criminal Justice/Political Science 340.

211 Criminal Justice
An introductory analysis of the criminal justice system in the United States, its structure, processes, and problems. (1) Lecture: 3 hrs/wk. Prerequisite: Political Science 101 or permission. (Cross-listed as Political Science 211).

213 Criminal Law
A study of the criminal justice system at work in the courtroom setting, emphasizing the relationship between substantive criminal law, criminal procedure, and the rules of evidence. (1) Lecture: 3 hrs/wk. Prerequisite: One course in criminal justice (Political Science 101 or 211, or Sociology 238 or 334). (Cross-listed as Political Science 213).

214 The Judicial Process
An exploration of the politics of the American Judicial System.This includes such topics as the structure of courts, selection of judges, actors who participate in the judiciary, judicial behavior, and the civil and criminal varieties of courts. (1) Lecture: 3 hrs/wk. Prerequisite: Political Science 101. (Cross-listed as Political Science 214).

227 Law and Society
An introduction to legal culture by studying the interaction between law, legal systems, and society.The class exposes the student to the theoretical perspectives used to explain the interplay between law and society found in the literature of the social sciences. (1) Lecture: 3 hrs/wk. Prerequisite: Political Science 101.

261 Selected Topics in Criminal Justice
An examination of selected topics in criminal justice based on student and faculty interest. (1) Lecture: 3 hrs/wk.

325 Comparative Law Enforcement
This course is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of law enforcement using a comparative perspective.The development, mission, organization, and management of law enforcement agencies will be examined.The U.S. system will be analyzed and compared to those of the United Kingdom, France, and Japan. (1) Lecture: 3 hrs/wk. Prerequisites: Sociology 101 and Political Science 101

326 Comparative Corrections
An exploration of philosophies, rationales, and models of adult corrections. Historical and existing correctional systems in select countries, e.g., the U.S., Canada, England, France, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, and the former U.S.S.R. will be examined. (1) Lecture: 3 hrs/wk. Prerequisite: Criminal Justice 211 or Political Science 211.

340 Research Methods in Public Affairs
An examination of the research methodologies and techniques used in the study of public policy and politics. The course emphasizes both qualitative and quantitative methods. The lab focuses on statistical applications. (1) (Cross-listed at CJUS and I.R. 340). Lecture: 3 hrs/wk; Laboratory 3 hrs/wk. Prerequisite: Political Science 101 and at least two other courses in the major or permission.

401 Seminar in Criminal Justice
Advanced, in-depth study of selected topics in criminal justice with emphasis on developing a synthesis from the multi-disciplinary coursework required in the major. (1) Lecture: 3 hrs/wk. Prerequisite: Senior Criminal Justice major with Political Science 301 and Sociology 334 completed, or permission.

406 Independent Study
Supervised review of a literature and research project in the area of criminal justice. (1) Prerequisite: Departmental permission.

416 Internship
A supervised placement providing practical experience in an agency relating to criminal justice. (1) Prerequisite: Departmental permission.

495, 496, 497 Honors Project
A program of independent study culminating in a paper, artistic creation, or performance. Prerequisite:To qualify for consideration to receive honors in the major, a student in his/her senior year or in the Summer prior to the senior year must work under the guidance of his/her committee.A written proposal and application must be approved by the committee and department. A minimum GPA of 3.4 in the major is required. 495 Honors Project is prerequisite for 497 Honors Project. ( 1 / 2 , 1, 1 / 2 )