Course Descriptions
Criminal Justice
CRJ 101
Survey of Criminal Justice
3 credits
This course is a survey of agencies and processes involved in the administration of criminal justice. The survey reviews the functions of the legislature, police, prosecutor, courts, and the correctional system. Problems of law enforcement in a democratic society are discussed. This course ties together all components of criminal justice and includes issues of both the juvenile and adult offender.
CRJ 205
Principles of Criminology
3 credits
This course is an introductory course in the study of crime and criminal behavior that examines various theories of crime causation, profiles of criminal behavior systems, societal reaction to crime, and structures of criminological methods of inquiry.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 101
CRJ 206
Corrections and Rehabilitation
3 credits
This course is an introduction to the various phases of the corrections system. Areas that are covered include a brief history of the corrections system, jails and prisons, prisoner profiles, activities and rehabilitation, and parole and probation.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 207
Introduction to Law Enforcement
3 credits
This course reviews the fundamental principles of the structure and function of law enforcement agencies in the United States. The course emphasizes the institutional and occupational aspects of law enforcement across municipal, state, and federal levels, including methods, issues, and problems.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 301
Juvenile Justice
3 credits
This course is a general orientation to the field of juvenile delinquency, including causation, development of delinquent and criminal behavior, initial apprehension, referral, and preventive techniques. Specific issues examined include chemical dependency, mental illness, and compulsive and habitual offenders. Special attention is given to the problems inherent in the police handling of juveniles and the functions of juvenile courts.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 303
Administration of Criminal Justice Organizations
3 credits
This course examines the principles of scientific management as they apply to criminal justice organizations. Emphasis is on changing social responsibilities and major activities of criminal justice organizations. Information related to U.S. Court decisions on affirmative action, EEOC, liability and age, as well as functional and organizational matters, is presented.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 304
Constitutional Law
3 credits
This course is a general review of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, including the constitutional basis for criminal law in the United States. Governmental structure in the United States is analyzed, including the three branches of government and how they interrelate, as well as the division of state and federal power.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 305
Women and Crime
3 credits
This course focuses on theoretical and contemporary issues involving female offenders. Students will have the opportunity to become acquainted with and evaluate social issues of crime relating to women. The course also examines women as victims and professionals in the field of criminal justice.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 306
Contemporary Correctional Systems
3 credits
This course is designed to provide a general overview of correctional programs as they presently exist. The course includes an examination of the procedure by which offenders move through the system. The core of the course focuses on prison administration and strategies designed to ''rehabilitate'' the incarcerated. The course also examines the problems facing correctional systems and alternatives to such problems.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 309
Correctional Rehabilitation: Problems/Alternatives
3 credits
This course is designed to address the extensive issues and problems found in the field of corrections. Students will review specific topics such as prison disturbances and inmate violence, excessive costs, effective correctional programs, corruption and corrections officer professionalism. We will also focus on the various methods that are utilized to manage the ever changing inmate population in the 21st century.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 206
CRJ 310
History of the Criminal Justice System
3 credits
This course is designed to offer the student an overall historical perspective of the criminal justice system from ancient times through the 20th and early 21st centuries. Students will review the history of the three main components of the criminal justice system: police, courts, and corrections.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 316
Criminal Law
3 credits
This course focuses on both the general principles that apply to all criminal law, and the specific elements of particular crimes that prosecutors have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 304
CRJ 318
Criminal Investigation
3 credits
This course addresses the basic aspects of criminal investigation. It presents an overview of crimes and their elements and identifies the major goals of investigation. Various investigative techniques are discussed, and the criminal investigator’s relationship with individuals and other agencies is examined.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 322
Criminal Profiling
3 credits
Criminal profiling has become one of the most interesting aspects of modern criminal investigation and is the focus of public attention in its applications to violent crimes. Students will gain an understanding of the benefits of criminal profiling as it applies to law enforcement, and will learn many of the behaviors of serial criminals by applying classification methods to criminal case studies.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 318
CRJ 330
Financial Fraud Examination
3 credits
This course is an introduction to the skills and knowledge necessary to prevent, detect, and investigate financial frauds. The focus is on the causes of fraud, methods for investigating fraud within organizations, and what organizations can do to prevent and detect fraud. The course is open to accounting, criminal justice and all other students interested in this subject matter.
CRJ 333
Organizational and Corporate Crime
3 credits
This course provides an in-depth examination of organizational and/or corporate crime. Various topics are explored and contemporary cases representative of each topic are comprehensively studied. The class discusses the theoretical development of these concepts, as well as the laws and investigative techniques that have been developed to specifically address this type of criminal activity.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 334
Advanced Perspectives in Criminology
3 credits
This course will present and evaluate the basic concepts and principles of all the major criminological theories as explanations of crime causation and criminal behavior. The coverage of the theories will be comprehensive and will utilize the case study approach as a methodology to focus the application of criminological theory to world experiences in order to facilitate the learning process.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 101
CRJ 341
Community Corrections
3 credits
This course provides a survey of non-institutional programs focusing on alternatives to incarceration in community settings. Programs reviewed will include those that address pre-release, probation, parole, halfway houses, and restitution-based programs.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 206
CRJ 343
Restorative Justice
3 credits
This course is designed to provide an introduction and overview of restorative justice, focusing primarily on restoring harms caused by crimes to victims, communities, and offenders. It will compare and contrast the restorative justice model with the traditional justice model, as well as the Balanced and Restorative Justice Model that is prominent in juvenile justice. It will examine restorative justice and its application for criminal and juvenile justice policy, practice, and program development.CRJ 345
The FBI-A Look Behind the Curtain
3 credits
This will course will provide an overview of the FBI in its 110 plus year history, take you undercover through some of the notable FBI undercover cases to date, provide insight into its varied programs and resources the FBI offers to its law enforcement, community and business partners, and how effective is the FBI in combating terrorism. Students will also learn the different career paths within the FBI and how the FBI has shaped American Culture through its depictions in Films and Books.
CRJ 350
Technology Applications in Criminal Justice
3 credits
This course provides an introduction to the basic principles of computers with respect to police information systems, Interagency Criminal Justice Information, the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications Systems, National Criminal Justice Computer System, (FBI) National Incident Based Reporting System, and a variety of databases used in the criminal justice system. The legal and ethical considerations will be discussed. Criminal justice information system databases will be reviewed for application to a variety of issues.
Prerequisite(s): CTA 206 and CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 360
Crime Scene Photography
3 credits
Initially, Crime Scene Photography begins with instruction in basic photographic principles and introduction to useful photographic accessories. Participants are introduced to the approach and basic techniques used in documenting crime scene investigations. The students complete a series of photographic exercises and they are individually evaluated so that each student will be able to correct any deficiencies.
This course of study then moves beyond the basic techniques and progresses into topics that include macro and close-up photography; oblique lighting techniques; multiple flash photography and photographic filter usage. Specialized shooting situations such as time exposure, multiple flash photos, bloodstain pattern documentation and panoramic photography are also covered. During the second part of the course, the photographic work of each student is also evaluated on an individual basis.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 318
CRJ 385
Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
3 credits
Money laundering and terrorist financing are on the rise and are becoming a main focus for regulation and enforcement among government agencies around the world. The financial sectors are growing their expertise to combat these white collar crimes. There is an increasing need for qualified investigators in the financial industry to understand and implement a risk-based approach to these issues. This course will provide students with foundational skills in this approach. This course is crosslisted with POL 385.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 390
Independent Study in Criminal Justice
3 credits
Through independent study, the student is offered the opportunity to pursue individual special interests under faculty supervision. This course is graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334, and junior or senior status and GPA of 2.5 or higher
CRJ 391
Independent Study in Criminal Justice
3 credits
Through independent study, the student is offered the opportunity to pursue individual special interests under faculty supervision. This course is graded pass/fail.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334, and junior or senior status and GPA of 2.5 or higher
CRJ 392
Independent Study in Criminal Justice
3 credits
Through independent study, the student is offered the opportunity to pursue individual special interests under faculty supervision. This course is graded pass/fail.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334, and junior or senior status and GPA of 2.5 or higher
CRJ 393
Independent Study in Criminal Justice
3 credits
Through independent study, the student is offered the opportunity to pursue individual special interests under faculty supervision. This course is graded pass/fail.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334, and junior or senior status and GPA of 2.5 or higher
CRJ 394
Independent Study in Criminal Justice
3 credits
Through independent study, the student is offered the opportunity to pursue individual special interests under faculty supervision. This course is graded pass/fail.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334, and junior or senior status and GPA of 2.5 or higher
CRJ 409
Criminalistics
3 credits
The scientific aspect of criminal investigation is examined, with emphasis placed upon the preservation, collection, and examination of physical evidence. The role of the forensic laboratory is presented, and the laboratory’s capabilities and limitations are discussed.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 318
CRJ 410
Multicultural Issues in Criminal Justice
3 credits
This course examines the diversity issues that impact the criminal justice system both internally and externally. The laws of civil rights in the workplace are reviewed, and the subjects of prejudice, stereotyping, discrimination, scapegoating, and racism are discussed within the context of the criminal justice system. Ethnicity and the treatment of minority groups in the system are reviewed.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 411
Criminal Evidence and Procedures
3 credits
This course will examine the legal procedures for the collection and introduction of evidence at a criminal trial. A review of pertinent cases will help the student to sort through the complexities that govern the trial process. The anatomy of a trial will be presented. Search warrants, probable cause, the exclusionary rule, and hearsay will be topics of discussion.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 316 or major in Computer Network Security
CRJ 412
Ethics in Criminal Justice
3 credits
An examination of professional standards of behavior by criminal justice practitioners and the conflict with what is acceptable behavior in the system is provided in this course. Corruption, perjury, false reports, wrongful actions, and the code of silence will be discussed. Ethical behavior and the challenge of honesty and integrity are examined within the context of their origins.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 413
Research Methods in Criminal Justice
3 credits
This course provides an introduction to basic research in criminal justice that is designed to prepare the student to understand research methods. Students will review quantitative, qualitative, and experimental methods as techniques in criminal justice research. Review and discussion of the process of analysis, interpretation and clarification of problems, the issue of confidentiality, and the terminology of research are examined. Students will focus on preparation for the role of research consumer.
Prerequisite(s): ENG 122 and CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 419
Crime Scene Applications and Practices
3 credits
A practical examination of scientific applications and practices of crime scene investigation are explored and examined in great depth. Special emphasis will again be placed upon the preservation, collection, and examination of physical evidence with emphasis on understanding the latest applications and best practices in the field. The forensic laboratory’s capabilities, new areas of concern and initiative, and program concerns are covered to prepare the student to demonstrate total understanding of practices in the field.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 318
CRJ 450
Seminar in Criminal Justice
3 credits
This is the capstone course for the Criminal Justice program. Students demonstrate research abilities, develop an in-depth understanding of the criminal justice system, and become acquainted with the range and scope of professional career options and settings within the system.
Prerequisite(s): All CRJ core courses and senior status
CRJ 461
Organized Crime
3 credits
This specialized type of crime continues to be a serious problem in society and influences control on many aspects of American society. Students will learn the structure and history of organized crime, both domestically and internationally, and will exhibit knowledge of the laws passed to combat it.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 469
Domestic Violence
3 credits
Statistics indicate that family violence is a serious pervasive problem in our society that affects increasingly larger numbers of individuals each year. The course will provide a psychological and criminal justice perspective on family violence. Included in the course will be a review of theories and research on family violence; the types of abuse; responses from the legal and criminal justice systems; assessment and intervention techniques; and community support services for victims and perpetrators.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 472
Terrorism
3 credits
Students will gain an understanding of the concept of terrorism as a specialized form of crime through an in-depth view of the history, theory, definitions, and political philosophies that have fueled the debate on this issue. Students will review the issues that have resulted in the present day terrorists groups through an integrated approach that will include religious and philosophical perspectives. Revolution within the context of change will be presented as an issue. The discussion will include foreign terrorism and domestic terrorists within the context of extremists groups. Examples of each type of group will be presented. Case studies of the various groups, and their activities will be presented within a criteria that will provide understanding of the overall concept of terrorism. Law enforcement strategies and overall operational considerations will be discussed.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 473
Hostage Takers
3 credits
With the increase of hostage taking incidents in the United States criminal justice professionals must have an understanding, and appreciation of the issues involved in the resolution of these incidents. Students will develop an understanding of the hostage taking phenomena and will apply crisis protocols and guidelines for negotiating with hostage takers in a variety of situations in which the principles of hostage negotiations can be used.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 474
Victims of Crime
3 credits
In recent years, there has been an emphasis on the victims of crime by the various criminal justice agencies with a movement toward the return to a ''victim justice'' system. The student will understand the concepts of victimology, the role of the victim in a criminal action, and the methods used by the criminal justice system that attempt to make the victim whole again.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 475
Community Policing
3 credits
This style of policing, which emphasizes police-community partnerships and crime prevention, is being instituted throughout the country and is a major departure from the traditional style of policing that was practiced for several decades. The student will learn the elements and initiatives, history, mission, and culture of community policing, and how community policing effects the relationships that exist between youths, gangs, drugs, and terrorism.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 476
Topics in CRJ: Elder Abuse
3 credits
Americans are growing older and living longer than ever before and all deserve protection and intervention to stop abuse when it occurs. As the aging population continues to grow, so does the potential for elders to become the victim. This course will describe the multidisciplinary approach at the local, state, and national levels towards fighting elder abuse.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334
CRJ 490
Internship in Criminal Justice
3 credits
CRJ 490-494 consists of supervised field placement in an agency related to criminal justice such as family court, a law enforcement agency, or a correctional facility. The course is graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334, junior status, and GPA of 2.5
CRJ 491
Internship in Criminal Justice
3 credits
CRJ 490-494 consists of supervised field placement in an agency related to criminal justice such as family court, a law enforcement agency, or a correctional facility. The course is graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334, junior status, and GPA of 2.5
CRJ 492
Internship in Criminal Justice
3 credits
CRJ 490-494 consists of supervised field placement in an agency related to criminal justice such as family court, a law enforcement agency, or a correctional facility. The course is graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334, junior status, and GPA of 2.5
CRJ 493
Internship in Criminal Justice
3 credits
CRJ 490-494 consists of supervised field placement in an agency related to criminal justice such as family court, a law enforcement agency, or a correctional facility. The course is graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205 or CRJ 334, junior status, and GPA of 2.5
CRJ 494
Internship in Criminal Justice
3 credits
CRJ 490-494 consists of supervised field placement in an agency related to criminal justice such as family court, a law enforcement agency, or a correctional facility. The course is graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 205, junior status, and GPA of 2.5
CRJ 495
Internship in Criminal Justice– Case Management
3 credits
This course consists of supervised field placement in which a student does case management type work in an agency related to human services such as a psychiatric facility, a nursing home, or a community-based agency providing social services. It is graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Note: see Academic Advisor prior to registering for this course.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 101, junior status, and overall GPA of 2.5 or higher
CRJ 496
Guided Practicum in Criminal Justice
1 credit
This course is a supervised and guided 30-clock hour field experience for undergraduate students who have completed more than 15 credits but less than 60 credits in an organization or agency involved in the coordination or delivery of criminal justice services. Such organizations could be Police Departments, Courts, Department of Corrections and community-based agencies providing community policing activities. Prior Learning Assessment credits are not applicable to this course. Course is graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory.
Prerequisite(s): CRJ 101