Curriculum: Master of Science in Criminal Justice

This class is a graduate level introduction to the criminal justice system. Focusing on three themes; due process vs. crime control, discretion, and the system nature of criminal justice, students investigate the structure and operations of the criminal justice system in the United States. The class specifically explores the flow of cases across various decision points from the police, through criminal courts, to corrections.

This course provides an introduction to and critical analysis of major criminological theories, including theories from the bio-social, life course, strain, control, learning, labelling, rational choice, routine activities, feminist, and critical theory perspectives. The emphasis is on understanding the logical structure of these theories as well as their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Using the theoretical and methodological skills developed in the program, students undertake an individual research paper. The paper will focus on a contemporary issue in criminology or criminal justice that will be selected by the supervising professor in his or her area of expertise. Students will be expected to assess the theoretical background and empirical research relevant to the issue chosen by the professor. The purpose of the project is to enable students to demonstrate their independent ability to apply their knowledge to a contemporary criminal justice or criminological issue or problem.

This course is designed to provide master’s level students with a broad introduction to different methods that researchers, evaluators, and practitioners use to create new knowledge, understand and criticize research, evaluate programs and policies, develop policy, and participate in social, political, criminological, and economic debates and discussions. These “tools” will be a bonus to whatever the student’s career goals are because the ability to THINK (what) and SOLVE PROBLEMS (how and why) in a systematic, yet creative, fashion are valuable job market skills, especially given our international economy and global competition. In addition, these tools will also help you to design, execute, and review research or evaluation studies that are required in your respective current or next job (or promotion).

This course will introduce the statistical techniques used in the social sciences, including criminology and criminal justice, with emphasis placed on interpretation of results and computer applications. The course will include learning the logic of, and how to calculate, different statistical techniques.

 

This course examines the evolution of correctional theory, its impact on policy, and its empirical status. An emphasis is placed on the use of evidence-based knowledge to shape correctional policy and practice.

This course examines the theories, techniques, and policies of correctional treatment, with a focus on behavioral and cognitive behavioral approaches and various models of family therapy. Interventions for special populations (women offenders, substance abusers, sex offenders and the mentally ill) are also discussed. The course also examines varied models of correctional assessment, including classification, and risk and needs assessments.

This course is designed to provide an in depth review of various criminal justice programs found under the term “community corrections.” Emphasis will be placed on developing theoretical models to distinguish what constitutes community corrections, and how various program types have been evaluated for effectiveness. Included will be a review of the critical elements of effective community based programs; design, offender assessment, supervision strategies, programming and interventions, and program fidelity.

This course section offers faculty the opportunityto present material not available in our regular curriculum. Faculty will present information on issues related to correctional policy and practice.

This course teaches students about the practice of crime analysis in law enforcement. Students will learn the terminology, principles, and techniques crime analysts use in everyday practice. A major component of this class is learning how to perform advanced analytical techniques employed by crime analysts using software programs such as ArcGIS 10.3, Excel 2013, and CrimeStat IV, or other versions as appropriate. (Prerequisites: CJ7040 or equivalent, and CJ7050)

This course is designed to provide an exploration of the various approaches to reducing crime as well as the theories that inform those approaches. We will focus most fully on situational approaches to crime prevention, though we will also explore crime prevention through social development, community-based crime prevention. We will also examine how policing intersects with these various approaches to crime prevention.

This is an introductory course on policing for graduate students. The course explores the origins of policing, especially the British antecedents of American police, and explanations for the development and structure of contemporary police. The current state of policing in America is examined, as are continuing and emerging issues in policing and law enforcement. The future of American policing is considered and assessed.

This course covers the fundamental theories of environmental criminology (AKA Crime Science) – rational choice perspectives, advanced routine activity theory, crime pattern theory, situational crime prevention, and problem-oriented policing – and shows how these theories can be used to diagnose the causes of specific crime problems, develop and implement solutions to these problems, and evaluate the effectiveness of solutions. It also examines criminal adaptation to prevention and how this can be measured and countered.

This course is designed to teach the elementary skills and techniques of Geographic Information Science (GIS), with a focus on crime analysis, using ESRI ArcGIS 10.1, or similar software package. ArcGIS is a software platform that is used to apply geography to solving problems and making decisions. In addition to GIS techniques, we will be covering basic data preparation procedures, as well as a brief survey of various types of crime data and how to acquire such data.
Topics to be covered will include querying, editing, designing, analyzing, and building map systems utilizing crime data. Analysis techniques will cover both attribute table and spatial data operations such as table relates and joins, spatial aggregation, and buffer analysis.

This course is designed to provide master's level students with a broad introduction to the various types of criminal conduct associated with computers and the Internet. As a student in this class you will be exposed to techniques associatedwith digital forensics and will assess criminological theories of crime as they relate todigital crime and terrorism. Additionally, you will examine a number of the national and international laws and policies related to cybercrime including the diverse steps that have been taken to increase digital security around theglobe. Familiarity with computers and the Internetwill help you progress through the course, but expertise is not required nor expected.

This course provides an overview of the various components related to an empirical understanding of terrorism. The course will also review the development of homeland security in America as it relates to terrorism and situate this development within various perspectives. Emphasis in this course will be placed on critical assessment of ideologically-based viewpoints of terrorism and homeland security. Scientific empiricism will guide the student’s journey of the variety of topics that will be covered in this course. (Offered in “even” years, only.)

This course provides a detailed examination of white collar crime. The primary goals are to provide an introduction to the field of white collar crime and identify the main research issues and directions that currently dominate this area of study. The course reviews the history of the field and its relevance to mainstream criminology. It identifies the distinguishing characteristics of white collar crime. Selected forms of white collar crime are investigated. Methods of controlling white collar crime, including civil, administrative, criminal justice and situational crime prevention techniques, are explored

This course provides an introduction to the biosocial perspective on criminal offending. The primary goal is to introduce students to the current state of knowledge on biosocial factors that affect human behavior, especially serious, repeated criminal behavior. The course will explain the structures of the brain and their functioning. The literature on behavioral and molecular genetics as it relates to criminal offending and antisocial behavior will be reviewed. The characteristics of psychopathology and the biological and social factors that lead to this condition will be explored in depth.

This seminar course covers the juvenile justice system from arrest to corrections. Related issues on diversion and programmatic treatment will be covered. Contemporary issues in juvenile justice are considered.