This course will provide students with an overview of the criminal justice system. The structure and function of the police, courts, and corrections, as well as the policies these agencies use to control crime, will be examined. Students will also debate controversial issues related to criminal justice processing and compare the ideal of justice with the reality under this system. This course also introduces basic concepts of capacity building, resiliency, and how the criminal justice system and the community interacts. (Equivalent to SOCL 150.)

This course explores contemporary policing in the United States, emphasizing the evolving role of law enforcement and its interactions with diverse communities. Topics include police patrol strategies, community engagement, accountability, use of force, racial disparities, and the impact of technology on policing. Students will analyze policing models, leadership strategies, and community collaboration to evaluate their effectiveness in enhancing public safety and trust. Case studies and current research provide insights into the challenges and future of law enforcement in America.

This course introduces students to the fundamental legal principles and investigative techniques essential to criminal investigations, focusing on evidence collection and preservation, and the constitutional requirements for lawful arrest, search, and seizure. Students will learn the legal standards necessary for the successful admission and use of investigative information in court. In addition to traditional investigative methods, the course includes forensic analysis labs, where students will gain hands-on experience with forensic evidence collection and analysis techniques.

Courses on topics of interest to criminal justice students offered on the basis of need, interest, or timeliness. Prerequisite: 150. Restricted to students with freshman or sophomore standing. May be repeated for credit. For specific section description, click to the Section Details in VitNet.

Independent reading and/or research under the supervision of a criminal justice faculty member. Refer to the academic policy section for independent study policy. Independent study contract is required. Prerequisite: 150. May be repeated for credit.

This course will introduce the major theoretical approaches to the study of criminology and the sociology of deviance. These perspectives are explored through a discussion of contemporary issues such as trends in offending and victimization, research on violent crime, property crime, public order crime, organized crime, and white-collar and corporate crime. Issues of unequal power, social division, and exclusion are also examined (e.g., age, gender, and social class etc.). (Equivalent to SOCL 351.)

This course is designed to give students an introduction to the field of juvenile justice. It will focus of the relationship between youth as victims and as offenders, the role of the juvenile justice system, delinquents' rights, and traditional and alternative ways of dealing with juvenile crime. It will briefly examine the social and etiological features of delinquency. (Equivalent to SOCL 364.) SJE

This course provides a basic overview of the American judicial system including types of law used in our judicial system, the actors in the courts and court procedures. Federal and state courts and the appellate process will be examined. The nature, variety and sources of criminal laws will be considered in relationship to theories of punishment and control including the creation, organization, and content of criminal law. Prerequisite: 150 or SOCL 150 or junior standing.