Criminology and Justice Studies

This course provides an overview of the field of criminology and justice studies. Both traditional and contemporary approaches to justice will be explored, including alternatives and system reform. Furthermore, students will critically examine the purpose, components, and processes of the criminal justice system and the impact of crime on individuals, communities, and societies. Students will …

In this course, students will hone the academic skills necessary for success in criminology and justice studies coursework and engage in career planning for the profession. Students will further develop and implement academic writing and presentation skills that can apply to coursework and translate to the criminology field. This course exposes students to the responsibilities …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course provides a foundational understanding of the development, organization, and process of the police, law and the courts, and corrections from a systemic perspective and their interactions with other social institutions. Course content addresses the historical origins, development, purpose, and goals …

Prerequisite: Criminology and Justice Studies major. This course is designed to introduce students to descriptive and inferential statistics used in criminology and justice studies. Specifically, students will learn the essentials of probability, estimation, and confidence intervals using data, examples, and situations relevant to the fields of criminology and criminal justice. Students will also learn methods …

This course provides an introduction to key perspectives, principles, institutions, actors, and issues in the field of criminology and criminal justice. This course takes a critical perspective on current issues and controversies surrounding the attempts to understand the causes of crime as well as the criminal justice response to it. The impact of crime and …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course provides an analysis of the historical and philosophical foundations of the juvenile justice process and system. Special attention is given to legal and administrative issues, reforms, and controversies. Additionally, the course will include the study of the emergence of youth …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course creates a foundation in criminal law and legal procedure as applied to the criminal justice field. Rationales for punishing criminals, elements of crimes and defense of the accused are covered. In addition, this course examines tensions between various state statutes, …

Preparatory: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302. This course introduces the field of victimology including the extent, types, theories, and effects of crime victimization and trauma at multiple levels of the social ecology. This course explores the influence of identities such as race, ethnicity, indigeneity, class, religious affiliation, disability, sexuality/sexual orientation, immigration status, …

Preparatory: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302. This course explores human diversity, including but not limited to race, indigeneity, class, gender/gender identity, dis/ability, mental illness, sexuality/sexual orientation, immigration status, and their intersections in connection to crime perpetration, victimization, and the criminal justice system. Students enrolled in this course will explore disproportionate contacts with …

This course provides a foundation for the understanding of U.S. law enforcement and security including its historical origins as a colonial institution of social control. Students will explore police culture, the organization and operations of law enforcement, contemporary issues in law enforcement, and major and emerging theoretical traditions in the field of law enforcement and …

Prerequisite: Completion of lower division writing requirement. Recommended Preparatory: CJS 328. This course examines issues regarding the relationship between race and ethnicity, and components of the criminal legal system in the United States. Students will explore the historic and current issues of ethnic and racial inequality and inequity in the legal system through theoretical frameworks …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course provides a foundation for the study and application of ethics in criminal justice decision making and policy analysis.  Students will demonstrate the ability to apply ethical practice in research and applied situations through writing. Meets the Lifelong Learning requirement. (W.I.)

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. Offers social-scientific examination of the field of corrections, both substantively and critically. Includes patterns and trends in incarceration rates; police and judicial processes resulting in incarceration; climate and culture of correctional facilities; and gender/diversity issues in corrections. Discussion of correctional facilities and …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course provides a foundational understanding of criminological theory, including its historical development and application to contemporary issues in crime and justice. Students will explore the diverse theoretical traditions underpinning the field, including established and emerging biosocial, control, learning, strain, conflict, life …

Prerequisites: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302; CJS 280. Note: CJS 380 and CJS 380L are corequisite classes. CJS 380/L is designed to give students a working knowledge of basic research methods and data used in the study of criminology and criminal justice. The seminar portion of the course is designed to highlight …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course provides a core foundation for the study of gangs and gang control in a historical and contemporary perspective. Gang definitions, types, social organization, and control are included in this class as well as an examination of the social, political, and economic …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. Recommended Preparatory: CJS 310. An application process and review is required for permission to enter this class This course includes the criminological and social scientific examination of the issues facing at-promise youth in their personal relationships and in their school and community …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. The course examines the historical and contemporary views of gender/gender identity and criminality, victimization, crime perpetration, and societal responses to crime and public policy. In addition, this course examines the scientific study of gender/gender identity and crime by examining intersectional social factors …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course will explore various types of white collar crime committed in the United States and abroad, including fraud, perjury, obstruction, computer crime, identity theft, bribery and corruption, embezzlement, tax evasion, conspiracy, RICO, and organizational (entity) crime. It will examine criminal procedure, including …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course will provide a foundation for understanding the interactions between alcohol, drugs, and crime. Included in this foundation are the nature, effects, theories, interventions, and prevention of substance abuse both for individuals and society. Students will engage in a critical examination of …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course will explore the values, ethics, and ideologies underlying the current justice system and social justice responses, with special application given to the role of sex, gender, gender expression, and gender identity. The course will explore gender and justice beyond the …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course studies the role of community corrections within the U.S. correctional system. Specifically, this course includes topics including pretrial diversion, community-based sentences and treatment, and parole supervision. Critical issues in the field including offender reentry, managing offenders in a community setting, and instituting …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course explores the various forms of domestic violence including the prevalence across different social dimensions, including but not limited to gender/gender identity, race, indigeneity, ethnicity, class, immigration status, sexuality/sexual orientation, and their intersections. Domestic violence will be discussed from various theoretical …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. The purpose of this course is to give students an introduction to criminology and criminal justice from a global perspective. Students in this course adopt comparative and cross-national approaches to crime in order to examine a number of subject matters in international criminal …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. Special seminars in selected topics in criminology offered based on student interest and faculty expertise. Examples of topics include in-depth study of such specialty areas as terrorism, sexual victimization, cybercrime, or profiling. Available for graduate credit.

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. Special seminars in selected topics in criminal justice offered based on students’ interest and faculty expertise. Topics involve in-depth study of such specialty areas of criminal justice as restorative justice, terrorism and criminal justice, deadly force, or police discretion. Available for graduate …

Prerequisite: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission from instructor. Preparatory: CJS 326. This course explores the incidence and prevalence of sexual violence as it occurs in various contexts across social dimensions including gender, race/ethnicity/indigeneity, sexuality, disability, age, class, and their intersections. Sexual violence will be discussed within a broader sociocultural framework of …

Prerequisites: CJS 260; Senior standing. This course builds on previous career exploration to prepare students for post-baccalaureate professional life. In this course, students will dive into potential careers, advanced education, and training in the criminology and criminal justice field. Students will learn to identify open positions, prepare application materials, and practice skills for navigating the hiring …

Prerequisites: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302; CJS 380/L or CJS 430/L or GEOG 306/L; or permission of instructor. This course will provide students applied research experience either in a criminal justice-related agency or with crime data. The course will focus on the practice of research in the field of criminology and justice …

Prerequisites: CJS 101 or CJS 102 or CJS 302; CJS 380/L or CJS 430/L; senior standing; permission of instructor. CJS 494A-E and CJS 494AA-EE are corequisite classes for an internship experience relating to one of these five areas: law enforcement (494A and 494AA), law and courts (494B and 494BB), corrections (494C and 494CC), victim services …