Schedule of Classes

An introduction to the criminal justice systems in America, including policy making, law enforcement, prosecution, adjudication, and corrections. In addition to the institutions of the various systems, the major theoretical perspectives for explaining deviance and the societal response to deviance will be explored.

This course is designed to provide an introductory survey of theories of crime, law, and justice. Students will be introduced to the importance of theory in criminology and criminal justice, the philosophical foundations of criminological theory, historical developments in the field, as well as contemporary trends and issues.

This course challenges students to critically explore the empirical, theoretical, and/or applied elements of special topics and key issues within the study of crime, law, and justice. This course may be repeated under different topic for a maximum of 6 semester hours.

Student-initiated, individualized readings and/or research to facilitate exploration or understanding of a criminological or criminal justice topic not sufficiently covered by or beyond the scope of formally developed coursework within the department. May be repeated for up to 6 hours of credit.