Criminal Justice Program
Requirements for Major Requirements for Minor Course Descriptions Course Syllabi
Course Scheduling
Worksheet for CJ Majors and Minors
About the Program
What can a
person do with a B.S. or B.A. degree in criminal justice from
Majoring in criminal justice also provides excellent preparation
for students interested in pursuing graduate work in the fields of law, public
and criminal justice system administration, political science and social work.
Criminal Justice majors may elect to pursue either a Bachelor of
Arts degree, which is recommended for students considering postgraduate,
professional or academic study, or a Bachelor of Science degree, which is
generally career-oriented. The four-year program combines the technical,
theoretical, and social science aspects of the criminal justice system with a
broad liberal arts education.
The criminal justice major is designed to provide students with
substantial knowledge of how the criminal justice system works on the local,
state, and federal level; an understanding of the changing nature of
interactions between criminal justice institutions and the people in these
environments; and an awareness of the impact of different social forces on the
types and rates of criminal conduct.
The curriculum consists of courses
from the areas of criminal justice, sociology, psychology, law and judicial
system, and government and public policy.
Requirements for Criminal Justice Majors
Requirements for a Criminal Justice Minor
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Requirements for Criminal Justice
Major
Criminal Justice majors may elect to
pursue either a Bachelor of Arts degree, which is recommended for students
considering postgraduate, professional or academic study, or a Bachelor of
Science degree, which is generally career-oriented. The four-year program
combines the technical, theoretical, and social science aspects of the criminal
justice system with a broad liberal arts education.
The curriculum consists of courses
from the areas of criminal justice, sociology, psychology, law and judicial
system, and government and public policy
For course descriptions, click here.
To
see suggested course sequence for criminal justice majors, click here.
Departmental Requirements
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal
Justice
SOC 315 Court and Corrections
SOC 314 Criminological Theories
SOC 207 Criminal Law I
SOC 320 Introduction to Law
Enforcement
SOC 305 Research Methods
SOC 306 Social Statistics
SOC 410 Senior Seminar
Departmental Electives
Students are required to take three from
the following list of courses:
SOC 323 Criminal Justice
Administration
SOC 345 Criminal Investigation
SOC 301 Law and Society
SOC 346 Community Based Corrections
SOC 347 Human Rights Issues in
Criminal Justice
SOC 352 Criminal Law II
SOC 351 Comparative Criminal Justice
SOC 348 Juvenile Delinquency
SOC 349 Introduction to Victimology
SOC 353 Criminal Evidence
SOC 3FS Forensic Science
Total Departmental
requirements: 36 credit hours
Nondepartmental Requirements
POL 101 American Government -
POL 201 State and Local Government
-AND
PSY 101 General Psychology, and
One of the following courses:
PSY 301 Social Psychology
PSY 314 Abnormal Psychology
Total
non-departmental requirements: 9 credit hours
Total Departmental and
non-departmental credit requirements: 45
Language Requirements
For a B.A in Criminal Justice,
students are required to take two years of foreign language.
The B.S. candidates are required to
take one year of a foreign language.
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Criminal Justice Program
Course Descriptions
SOC 346 Community Based Corrections
Examines and evaluates the
philosophies, criminological theories, and correctional procedures that are
utilized in the administration of community-based agencies responsible for the
treatment and supervision of offenders.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 351 Comparative Criminal Justice
Examines and compares the legal
and criminal justice systems of different nations. It focuses on historical,
political and social factors, and explains their influence on legal
institutions and systems of justice. Discusses points of divergence between
other societies and the
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 315 Court and Corrections
Introduces students to the
American court system at both the state and federal levels. Judicial
organization, history and development of courts are discussed. The course
examines roles of professional and nonprofessional courtroom actors, pretrial
activities, stages of criminal trial, and sentencing, and discusses current
issues and trends in court reform. Consideration also includes a number of
issues concerning corrections, with emphasis on correctional history and
institutions, organization of prisons, prison life, parole, probation and
intermediate sanctions.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 323 Criminal Justice Administration
Examines the principles of
scientific management as they apply to criminal justice organizations. Emphasis
is placed 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 matter will be presented.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 314 Criminological Theories
Examines the extent and nature
of crime in today's societies, the nature of criminal behavior and other forms
of deviance. Major areas of investigation include general characteristics of
crime and criminals, social and individual factors producing criminality, the
most significant theoretical contributions to the study of crime and
delinquency, and specific forms of crime.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 353 Criminal Evidence
Provides students the
opportunity to develop their understanding of the manner in which legal issues
and disputes are resolved by trial. The course involves a discussion of the
origin, nature, and admissibility of evidence against the accused. The
exclusionary rule and the distinction between real and testimonial evidence as
admitted or excluded from court proceedings are emphasized. Topics include the
hearsay rule and its exceptions, the opinion evidence rule, character and
reputation evidence, direct and cross examination of witnesses, burden of proof
and presumptions, identification evidence, and other pertinent rules of
evidence.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 345 Criminal Investigation
Examines the basic aspects of
criminal investigation; presents an overview of crimes and their elements;
identifies the major goals of investigation; discuss various investigative
techniques and the criminal investigators relationship with individuals and
other agencies. Particular investigative procedures employed in investigation
of such crimes as homicide, rape, arson, and organized crime will be detailed.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 207 Criminal Law I (Substantive Criminal Law)
Examines the basic concepts,
legal and sociological issues in substantive criminal law, the theories
underlying criminal law; and the problems of the imposition and execution of
punishments. Focuses on specific problem areas such as criminal liability and
legal requirements for criminal defenses. Special emphasis is placed on such
crimes as murder, manslaughter, burglary, rape, robbery, larceny, theft,
assault and battery, and victimless crimes.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 352 Criminal Law II (Procedural Criminal Law)
Introduces students to the
rules and procedures that govern the pretrial processing of criminal suspects
and the conduct of criminal trials. While being primarily focused on principles
of American criminal procedure, the course also examines character of criminal
proceedings in different criminal justice systems worldwide. Discussion
includes a number of issues relevant to the constitutional safeguards, as well
as the cases reflecting current trends in criminal procedure.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 3FS Forensic Science
Examines scientific aspects of
the criminal investigation. The major emphasis is placed upon the collection,
analysis, preservation and processing of physical evidence. Some of the topics
to be covered include the crime scene search, fingerprints, blood analysis and
DNA identification, firearms, hair, fibers, paint and questioned documents.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 347 Human Rights Issues in Criminal Justice
Examines the idea of human
rights, its political and legal universality, and historical evolution. Major
emphasis is on the concept of human rights and legal mechanisms developed to
protect them within the criminal justice system. The course addresses critical
human rights issues through different stages of the criminal justice process
(criminal investigation, trial, sentencing, punishment), seeking to determine
if constitution, statutes and judicial decisions establish foundation for the
policy which balances conflicting interests of the law - of the citizens to
protect their human rights and that of state to control criminal conduct.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
Examines and ties together all
components of criminal justice, including relationships to both the juvenile
and adult offender. Provides an overview of agencies and processes involved in
the administration of criminal justice, and examines the sociological and
social psychological processes affecting the criminal justice system. Topics
include: the police function, crime prevention programs, the prosecutorial and
defense functions, judicial administration and decision-making, institutional
and community-based corrections, probation and parole.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
SOC 320 Introduction to Law Enforcement
Gives an understanding of the
role and function of policing in a modern democratic society. Examines
contemporary American policing in light of its roots, and compares it to
policing in other countries. Discussion is focused on wide spectrum of law
enforcement agencies, identifying most important characteristics of city,
state, and federal police work. Particular attention is paid to current issues
and trends in law enforcement, including race, index crime, drugs, disorder,
conflict, and riot.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 348 Juvenile Delinquency
An intensive analysis of
delinquent behavior by juveniles, with special emphasis upon the unique facets
of delinquency (types and origins) which differentiate it from other forms of
criminal behavior. Examines the legal rights, treatment, and rehabilitation of
juveniles who have been adjudicated "delinquent". Special attention
is given to the problems inherent in the police handling of juveniles and the
functions of juvenile courts.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 301 Law and Society
Examines the social, political
and economic processes that affect the creation and implementation of law.
Focuses on history and fundamental principles of American legal system and
compares it to other legal systems existing in a today's world. Inquiry is
centered on: the ways in which social problems become defined as legal issues,
the forces which shape the initiation and ultimate formulation of legislative
acts designed to affect public policy, the role which cultural values and
assumptions play in framing legal arguments and influencing judicial opinions
and remedial programs, and the strengths and limitations of the law as a means
of achieving special social policy objectives.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 349 Introduction to Victimology
This course focuses on the criminal justice system's treatment of
crime victims, victim programs and services, and the impact of victimization on
individuals and communities. The course will begin with surveys of historical
definitions and perspectives in the study of victims an overview of the history
of victimology, the theories used to explain victimology, and the research
methods and findings in the field of
victimology. An attempt will be made to compare the roles of the victim in
different cultural, legal and criminal justice systems. Then, focusing on
particular subject areas such as sexual assault, violence, homicide, woman
abuse, child abuse, the course will explore how Americans conceptualize and
deal with victims of such crimes.
Prerequisite: SOC 203 Introduction to Criminal Justice
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Requirements for Criminal Justice
Minor
Students earning degree in a Major
from any other Department may qualify for a Minor in Criminal Justice. The
Minor requires the completion of 15 credit hours.
Departmental Requirements
SOC 101
Introduction to Sociology
SOC 203
Introduction to Criminal Justice
SOC 315 Court
and Corrections
SOC 207
Criminal Law I
Departmental Electives
Students are required to take one from the following list of
courses:
SOC 314 Crime
and Delinquency
SOC 320
Introduction to Law Enforcement
SOC 323
Criminal Justice Administration
SOC 345 Criminal
Investigation
SOC 301 Law
and Society
SOC 346
Community Based Corrections
SOC 347 Human
Rights Issues in Criminal Justice
SOC 352
Criminal Law II
SOC 351
Comparative Criminal Justice
SOC 348
Juvenile Delinquency
SOC 349 Introduction
to Victimology
SOC 353
Criminal Evidence
SOC 3FS
Forensic Science
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