Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice
Course Descriptions
CJ 1100 - Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 hrs.) - Agencies and processes in the criminal justice system; legislature, the police, the prosecutor, the public defender, the courts, and corrections. Roles and problems of law enforcement in a democratic society; inter-component relations and checks and balances.
CJ 2300 - Police Process (3 hrs.) - Social and historical settings of the police; police role and career; police discretion; police values and culture; organization and control. Prerequisite: CJ 1100.
CJ 2400 - Adjudication Process (3 hrs.) - Role and structure of prosecution, public defense, and courts; basic elements of the substantive criminal law; procedural law and relation to constitutional guarantees. Prerequisite: CJ 1100.
CJ 2500 - Corrections Process (3 hrs.) - Post-conviction correction process; development of a correctional philosophy, theory and practices; description of institutional operation, programming, and management; community base correction; probation and parole. Prerequisite: CJ 1100.
CJ 2600 - Introduction to Criminalistics and Forensic Science (3 hrs.) - The application of science to law in a criminal justice setting. Students will explore the role that physics, chemistry, biology, pathology, anatomy, psychology, and other major branches of science play in courtroom settings. Emphasis will be placed on the historical evolution of forensic science, terminology, and how scientific methods are used to solve crimes. This course involves active participation in both lecture and in laboratory/field exercises. Prerequisite: Sophomore status and a declared major in criminal justice; or permission of the instructor.
CJ 3040 - Criminology, Foundations, and Punishment (3 hrs.) - A scientific approach to the study of criminal behavior: the etiology (origin), extent, and nature of crime in society, foundations and punishment. Prerequisite: CJ 2500 or consent of instructor.
CJ 3090 - Juvenile Delinquency and Justice (3 hrs.) - The study of diverse views and perspectives that characterize the study of juvenile delinquency and justice and reflect its interdisciplinary nature: research, theory, law, policy, and practice. Prerequisite: SOC 1010 or consent of instructor.
CJ 3350 - Analysis of Police Operations (3 hrs.) - Police organizations and management; allocation of police resources; information systems; community-relations concerns; determinants of police policy. Prerequisite: CJ 2300.
CJ 3360 - Criminal Investigation (3 hrs.) - Fundamentals of investigation; crime-scene search and recording; collection and preservation of physical evidence; scientific aids; modus operandi; sources of information; interview and interrogation; follow-up and case preparation. Prerequisite: CJ 2300.
CJ 3380 - Criminal Justice Ethics (3 hrs.) - A comprehensive examination of theoretical and applied ethics and moral philosophy in criminal justice. It begins with a classical introduction from antiquity and continues to present day. The practical focus of ethical decision making topics will center on law enforcement ethics, correctional ethics, and probation/parole ethics and will include scenarios. Prerequisite: CJ 2300, or permission of instructor.
CJ 4200 - Introduction to Criminal Justice Research (3 hrs.) - Basic introduction to the various types of research questions that arise in criminology and criminal justice: covers a broad range of research strategies including a variety of data collection techniques and other analytical tools that exist to serve the needs of most researchers. (UPSA 4200 may be taken in lieu of CJ 4200) Prerequisite: 6 hours of math or consent of instructor.
CJ 4250 - Community Based Corrections (3 hrs.) - History, philosophy, and theory of pre-institutional, and after-care programs for probationers and parolees; the reintegration of the offender back into the community through community based corrections including diversion, pretrial release, deferred sentencing, half-way houses, and work release. Prerequisite: CJ 2500 or consent of instructor.
CJ 4450 - Criminal Law (3 hrs.) - The legal definition of crime and defenses; purposes and functions of the substantive criminal law; historical foundations; limits of criminal law; case study approach. Prerequisite: CJ 2400.
CJ 4460 - Criminal Evidence and Procedure (3 hrs.) - Constitutional and procedural considerations affecting arrest, search and seizure, post-conviction treatment; origin, development, philosophy, constitutional basis of evidence; kinds and degrees of evidence and rules governing admissibility; judicial decisions interpreting individuals rights and case studies; case study approach. Prerequisite: CJ 2400.
CJ 4470 - Advanced Criminalistic and Forensics (3 hrs.) - The practical application of science to law in a criminal justice setting. Students will fully examine the role that physics, chemistry, biology, pathology, anatomy, psychology, and other branches of science play in courtroom settings. Emphasis will be placed on the practical application of scientific methods in relation to crime solving. This course involves active participation in both lecture and in laboratory/field exercises. Prerequisite: Junior status, a declared major in criminal justice, and successful completion of CJ 2600 and CJ 3360.
CJ 4475 - Homeland Security (3 hrs.) - A study of the inter-relatedness of Homeland Security and the Public Safety Sector. Prerequisite: CJ 2300.
CJ 4480 - Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice (1 hr.) - This course is an integration of all academic criminal justice learning, knowledge and skills which provides students a total understanding of the criminal justice system. Furthermore, this course provides a venue for students to meet with criminal justice faculty for culmination purposes, such as preparation for senior testing, preparation for graduation, or preparation for entering criminal justice agencies. Prerequisite: Declared major in Criminal Justice, final semester of senior year, and approval of the Department of Criminal Justice.
CJ 4500 - Drug Use in Modern Society (3 hrs.) - This course explores the extent of drug use, both licit and illicit; contributing factors and consequences of drug abuse; and steroids and other drugs in sports. Prerequisite: Junior standing or consent of instructor.