This is an archive of the 2018-2019 University Catalog.
To access the most recent version, Please visit catalog.csun.edu.

Courses

CJS 102. Introduction to Criminology and Justice Studies (3)

Introduction to the fields of criminology and criminal justice including distinctions between criminology and criminal justice, measuring and studying crime, and basic theoretical paradigms for criminal behavior are addressed. Examination of the impact of crime on individuals, communities, and societies as well as criminal justice response. Overview of the purpose, components, and processes of the criminal justice system.

CJS 302. Crime, Criminal Justice and Society (3)

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 criminal justice policy on society is also a focus in this course. Special emphasis is given to the application of key material to current policies, controversies, and practical problems in crime and criminal justice.

CJS 310. Juvenile Justice (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 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 subcultures over the course of the twentieth century and its relationship to issues of juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice. Special attention will be given to the impact of the social and cultural context of youth, including the family, neighborhood, media, drugs, gangs, guns, race, class and gender roles within the juvenile justice context.

CJS 320. Introduction to Criminal Law and Legal Analysis (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 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, the common law and the Model Penal Code. This course also emphasizes the ability to apply criminal law doctrine in order to make strong legal arguments as well as to engage in analysis of policy which embraces or criticizes current laws.

CJS 326. Victimology (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course introduces the student to the field of victimology and will explore the extent, types, theories and effects of crime victimization. The criminal justice context of understanding victimization and effective approaches for working with crime victims will be a primary focus in this course and students will engage in application of material to cases and criminal justice-related practice.

CJS 328. Diversity and Crime (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. Introduction to key concepts, explanations, and criminal justice application in the area of diversity and crime. Begins with an analytic overview of philosophical, ideological, economic, political and sociological principles underlying human diversity. Each dimension of human diversity is then examined as it relates to crime and criminal justice, with emphasis on historical development, social manifestations and practical impacts on specific representative populations. The last part of the course deals with diversity issues in crime and criminal justice with respect to social policy and criminal justice practice.

CJS 334. Law Enforcement and Security (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course provides a solid knowledge foundation for understanding law enforcement and security including the basic organization and operations of law enforcement, contemporary issues in law enforcement, and the major theoretical traditions in the field of law enforcement and security. Critical and global perspectives in this course are emphasized, and application of core material and insights to analyze law enforcement and behavior is required.

CJS 340. Ethics in Criminal Justice (3)

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. (Available for General Education, Lifelong Learning.)

CJS 344. Corrections (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 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 supervision including an introduction to community corrections. Critical examination of current issues in corrections is covered.

CJS 350. Criminological Theory (3)

Prerequisites: SOC 250 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course provides foundational education in criminological theory including its social scientific roots, development and application to contemporary crime problems. Historical theoretical traditions as well as new directions are included.

CJS 360. Career Planning in Criminal Justice (3)

The course provides the groundwork for professional socialization into the roles, norms, expectations and requirements for careers in the criminal justice system. Special attention will be given to the ways in which local agencies interview, hire and train new criminal justice employees and how internships feed into those professional expectations by these agencies. Students are also exposed to issues of ethics and decision-making as well as learning how to write for the criminal justice field.

CJS 370. Criminal Justice Systems (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course provides an in-depth foundation for the understanding of the organization and process of police, law and the courts, and corrections from a systemic perspective. This course will address the purpose and goals of the system and the conflicting values between crime control and due process orientations. Additionally, issues of diversity, ethics, and justice throughout the system are discussed. Practical application of insights from course material is emphasized and required.

CJS 402. Gangs (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 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 conditions that favor the emergence of gangs and gang behavior. The focus of this class is on gangs in both a U.S. and a global context. Critical perspectives are used to analyze issues in the understanding and control of gangs, and application of these perspectives to the criminal justice field is emphasized.

CJS 418. Gender and Crime (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. Focuses on the influence of gender structures and gender interactions on criminal perpetration, victimization, and societal responses to crime. Includes a focus on women as victims and perpetrators of crime as well as discussion of how gender impacts men’s experiences with offending and victimization. Critically examines societal stereotypes about gender and the impact on societal approaches to crime.

CJS 422. White Collar Crime (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 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 search and seizure, due process, self-incrimination, right to counsel, sentencing, fines, restitution, and probation and parole connected to this type of crime. Additionally, we will explore theoretical perspectives and the impact that this form of crime has on individuals, businesses, and society.

CJS 430/L. Criminology and Justice Methods and Lab (2/1)

Prerequisites: SOC 250 or CJS 102 or CJS 302. Preparatory: SBS 320. Note: CJS 430 and 430L are corequisite classes. CJS 430/L is designed to give the student 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 the research process, ethical issues, different types of quantitative and qualitative research designs, data analysis, and the reporting of research results in the context of criminal justice research and practice. The laboratory portion of the course will provide hands-on instruction for students to become proficient with basic data analysis techniques and technologies. The process of conducting research and writing research results will be directly experienced firsthand through a combination of seminar and laboratory activities and assignments.

CJS 432. Alcohol, Drugs, and Crime (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 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 the criminal justice response and impacts of such policies as the War on Drugs on the criminal justice system. Throughout the course, there will be an emphasis on practical applications and policy implications.

CJS 438. Gender and Criminal Justice (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course addresses gender as it impacts the criminal justice system. Areas covered in this class are gender and police, courts, and corrections. Specific focus will be given to application of gender insights into each component of the criminal justice system.

CJS 444. Community Corrections (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 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 alternatives to traditional incarceration will be addressed. Practical application of course material to work in the community corrections field will also be emphasized.

CJS 446. Domestic Violence (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 or CJS 102 or CJS 302 or permission of instructor. This course addresses domestic violence from a sociological, social psychological, and criminal justice perspective. An overview of the problem of domestic violence is provided as well as coverage of theories, processes, effects, and interventions with victims and offenders. Basic domestic violence law and criminal justice practice is also covered.

CJS 448. Global Perspectives in Crime and Justice (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 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 law, international criminal justice, war crimes, and transnational crimes. Critical thinking and practical application of key material is strongly emphasized.

CJS 452AA-ZZ. Selected Topics in Criminology (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 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.

CJS 454AA-ZZ. Selected Topics in Criminal Justice (3)

Prerequisite: SOC 250 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.

CJS 480. Applied Research in Criminology and Justice Studies (3)

Prerequisites: SOC 250 or CJS 102 or CJS 302; 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 studies, the development and writing of empirical research papers, and content related to the specific agency or data project to which students are assigned.

CJS 494A-E/AA-EE. Criminal Justice Internships Seminar and Field Experience (1/2)

Prerequisites: CJS 102 or CJS 302; 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 (494D and 494DD), and community based programs (494E and 494EE). This course is designed to bring academic concepts, theories, and other learning to bear on applied experiences in the criminal justice and related fields. Students will gain hands-on experience and develop skills connected to work in the criminal justice system and related sites during a minimum of 120 hours of work in an internship site. An academic research paper synthesizing literature and applying it to data gathered from the site is required. (Credit/No Credit only)