CRJU Courses

CRJU 1100. Intro to Criminal Justice. 3-0-3 Units.

Introduces the structure, functions, and operations of criminal justice agencies, including the police, the courts, and corrections. A minimum grade of C is required for students majoring in the AS or BS degree in Criminal Justice.(F,S)
Prerequisites: ENGL 0999 unless exempt.

CRJU 2100. Intro to Law Enforcement. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides an overview of law enforcement in a free society and the relationship of police to the criminal justice system as a whole. History, organization, operations, and selected issues are examined. A minimum grade of C is required for students majoring in the AS or BS degree in Criminal Justice. (F) Completion of or exemption from co-requisite Learning Support English 0999.

CRJU 2200. The Judicial Process. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides an overview of the judicial component of the criminal justice system which focuses on the structure, role, jurisdiction, and operation of the courts and the courtroom workgroup in the adjudicatory and appellate process at the local, state, and federal levels. A minimum grade of C is required for students majoring in the AS or BS degree in Criminal Justice. Completion of or exemption from Learning Support English.

CRJU 2300. Crime and Justice Studies. 3-0-3 Units.

This course explores the roles of oral and written communication in criminal justice. Emphasis will be placed on examining the body of literature in criminal justice and criminology, identifying sources of discipline-specific literature and information, understanding writing styles, writing and properly formatting papers in APA style. Emphasis will also be placed on developing other skills including, critical thinking, oral presentation and research skills.
Prerequisites: Criminal Justice major and ENGL 0999 unless exempt.

CRJU 3100. Criminal Law. 3-0-3 Units.

Offers an overview of both substantive and procedural law related to the definitions, investigations, processing, and punishment of crimes. The course will introduce students to the legal idea of criminal responsibility, the concept and elements of criminal responsibility, required state of mind (mens rea), and prohibited conduct (actus reus). The course discusses the substantive content, structure, and sources of major crimes against persons and property and provides a comprehensive evaluation of various legal defenses to criminal liability under both common law (case law) and statutory law (legislative law) approaches.
Prerequisites: CRJU 2200.

CRJU 3110. Criminal Procedure. 3-0-3 Units.

A study the nature and function of the law regulating the criminal processes, policies, and procedures in the administration of criminal justice. Special attention will be given to United States Supreme decisions.(F)
Prerequisites: CRJU 2200.

CRJU 3200. Criminology. 3-0-3 Units.

A study of the nature and scope of crime in society with an emphasis on criminological theories.(S)
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100 and CRJU 2300.

CRJU 3250. Crime and the Media. 3-0-3 Units.

Analyzes the role the mass media has on human behavior, subsequently affecting human judgment, attitudes, perceptions of crime, and societal reactions to crime in general. This course analyzes how the general public processes the "criminal event" and other pertinent information regarding crime and how this process is fundamentally derived from the media and is an instrumental element in the creation of fear of crime.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3300. Corrections. 3-0-3 Units.

A study of the history, structure, and functions of corrections as well as the legal and philosophical basis for the punishment of criminal offenders.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3350. Drugs in America. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores and analyzes the complex experience of illicit drug use in America from multiple angles with specific attention to the ways that our culture understands drugs, drug use, and drug policy as a social/criminal justice problem. Topics include punishment, interdiction, prevention, and or rehabilitation.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3400. Juvenile Delinquency & Justice. 3-0-3 Units.

Reviews the juvenile justice system, including the impact of Supreme Court decisions, and examines the theories of juvenile delinquency and the implication of those theories for preventing and controlling juvenile deviance.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3450. White Collar Crime. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides an introduction to white-collar crime in the United States. Topics include definition of and various types of white-collar crimes, who commits this type of crime and why they engage in white-collar crime, as well as how perpetrators are dealt with by the criminal justic system.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3500. Criminal Investigation I. 3-0-3 Units.

An overview of principles, techniques, law and procedure involved in the criminal investigative process from its inception to culmination.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3501. Criminal Investigation II. 3-0-3 Units.

Continues information introduced in CRJU 3500, with special focus on the investigation of the crimes of burglary, robbery, forgery, homicide, assault, and bombings. Providing testimony in court, assessing modus operandi, and developing personality profiles will also be examined, as well as obtaining fingerprints and other types of latent evidence.
Prerequisites: CRJU 3500.

CRJU 3550. Comparative Criminology. 3-0-3 Units.

Provides an overview and analysis of criminal justice systems-police, courts, and corrections-in selected eastern and western nations, as well as an analysis of the causes of crime in selected nations.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3600. Criminal Justice Admin. 3-0-3 Units.

Introduction to criminal justice management theory, practice, and policy. This course includes a review of traditional schools or organizational theory, including bureaucracy, scientific management, human relations, and the behavioral approach, with particular emphasis on how each applies to criminal justice agencies.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3700. Crim Just Research Methodology. 3-0-3 Units.

An introduction to criminal justice research methodologies, with a focus on research design, ethical concerns, conceptualization, sampling, data analysis, interpretation of research results, report writing, and application of research findings.
Prerequisites: CRJU 3200.

CRJU 3710. Special Topics in Crim Just. 1-0-1-3 Unit.

An intensive study of a specific topic relevant to criminal justice, including sex crimes, terrorism, drug law, or capital punishment. This course may be taken for a total of nine credit hours when topics vary.(F)
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3800. Race, Ethnicity & Crim Justice. 3-0-3 Units.

Addresses the racial impact of criminal laws enacted by the people's elected representatives, the actions and policies of law enforcement agencies, the courts, correctional institutions, the juvenile justice system, and the death penalty. Raises awareness and promotes critical thinking about the problems that exist in our system, how those problems originated and evolved, and possible solutions for these problems.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3810. Victimology. 3-0-3 Units.

Addresses the physical, emotional, and financial impact of crime victimization; the relationship between victims and offenders; how the criminal justice system interacts with crime victims; and the policies designed by the government to offer assistance to individuals who are victimized by crime. Raises awareness and promotes critical thinking and problem solving about the most effective strategies for interaction with crime victims, the measurement of crime victimization, and victim trends.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 3850. Deviance, Soc Cntrl&Collec Vio. 3-0-3 Units.

Reviews the nature of deviance and social control, including terrorism, riots, lynching, vigilantism and genocide, in three segments: collective deviance, collective violence and the theoretical models, including Pure Sociology, associated with collective deviance and collective violence.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4000. Internship in Criminal Justice. 0-12-3 Units.

Supervised, practical experience in an appropriate criminal justice agency. This course allows students the opportunity to discover the integration between theory and practice. This course may be taken three times for a total of nine hours of credit.
Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor and 12 credit hours of upper-level Criminal Justice courses.

CRJU 4110. The Law of Criminal Evidence. 3-0-3 Units.

An examination of the rules of evidence used in criminal prosecutions, including burden of proof, presumptions, inferences and stipulations, relevancy of evidence and competency of witnesses, expert testimony, hearsay, and constitutional limitations.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4200. Profiling the Serial Offender. 3-0-3 Units.

An examination of the type and patterns of crimes committed by serial offenders and the process by which profiles are developed to solve these crimes.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4210. Terrorism & Crim Just System. 3-0-3 Units.

An examination of the motives and actions of terrorists, the governmental response to terrorism, especially in the wake of 9/11, and the legal and constitutional restraints on the government. Included will be issues such as surveillance of American citizens, detention of suspected terrorists, enemy combatants, limits on the methods of interrogation, and use of military tribunals.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4300. Community Corrections. 3-0-3 Units.

An examination of alternatives to incarceration. Special emphasis will be given to the issues of probation and parole, as well as diversion, community service, electronic monitoring, and various treatment programs.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100 and CRJU 3300.

CRJU 4350. Family Violence. 3-0-3 Units.

Explores a range of crimes that occur in the family setting, including violence between intimate partners, child abuse, and neglect. Theoretical factors, as well as how the criminal justice system responds to both victims and perpetrators of family violence, will be examined.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4500. Management of Forensics. 3-0-3 Units.

The scientific investigation of crime with emphasis on the collection, analysis, comparison, and identification of physical evidence.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4600. Police Practices and Issues. 3-0-3 Units.

An advanced examination of policing, exploring topics including the police subculture, the police use of discretion, the broken-windows approach, community policing, and problem-solving approaches.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4700. Ethical Issues in Crim Justice. 3-0-3 Units.

An examination of the philosophical theories underlying ethics and how they relate to issues involving the police, courts, corrections, law, and principles of justice.
Prerequisites: CRJU 1100.

CRJU 4710. Readings in Criminal Justice. 3-0-3 Units.

Permits selected students to pursue approved topics through independent study under the direction of a faculty member. This course may be taken twice for a total of six credit hours with change of topics.
Prerequisites: Permission of Instructor.

CRJU 4750. Advanced Criminological Theory. 3-0-3 Units.

Expands on the study of criminology as examined in CRJU 3200. This course provides further and more in-depth understanding of why people engage in criminal behavior, the policies that are derived from criminological theory, and how those policies are implemented. This is an advanced class and will be taught in a fashion similar to a graduate-level class to help students prepare for graduate and/or law school. Prerequistes: CRJU 3200 and ENGL 3000. Prerequisite or co-requisite: CRJU 3700.

CRJU 4800. Senior Capstone in CRJU. 3-0-3 Units.

Serves as the comprehensive experience in criminal justice utilizing the student's knowledge and academic skills, including pursuing archival research, journal keeping, note taking and report writing to address a topic or issue of contemporary interest in criminal justice or one of its sub-fields. The course will be taught at the senior level and will focus on criminal justice issues at the national and international levels. In addition to the course requirements, students will complete a major research paper that results in an end-of-semester presentation to the class. This course serves as a capstone course for criminal justice majors.
Prerequisites: CRJU 3700, 45 hours of upper-level criminal justice courses, senior standing.