Criminal Justice

The curriculum for Criminal Justice is designed to provide students with an understanding of the criminal justice system, its agencies, personnel, and historical foundation. The program offers a broad blend of courses intended to prepare students for both academic and professional success with the framework of a strong liberal arts education. A fundamental element of the criminal justice program is experiential learning; students must complete an internship with a social science related agency. The liberal arts focus of the program prepares students for graduate school in criminal justice and for careers at the local, state, and federal levels in law enforcement, corrections, and court-related agencies.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE BROCHURE

Criminal Justice Degree Plan

Criminal Justice Course Descriptions

CRJU 1301 – Introduction to the Criminal Justice System (3 credit hours). Familiarizes students with the facets of the criminal justice system, the sub-systems, processing offenders, punishment alternatives, and the future of criminal justice systems.

CRJU 1313 – Juvenile Delinquency and Treatment Approaches (3 credit hours). This is a historical overview and theories and methodologies of juvenile crime. It examines and analyzes organizations and models of delinquency prevention, treatment, and control programs, including evaluation of legal, family, and public policies.

CRJU 2393 – Fundamentals of Criminal Law (3 credit hours). A course in the definition of law, definition of crime, general principles of criminal responsibility, elements of punishment, conditions and circumstances which may excuse from criminal responsibility, the legal and court system of Texas and the United States, basic concepts of law.

CRJU 2394 – Criminal Evidence and Court Procedure (3 credit hours). This is continued study of procedural rules affecting the collection of physical evidence, rules of search and seizure, chain of custody, admissibility of evidence. Use of notes, nature of proof as it applies to analysis of interpretation of physical evidence. Students will analyze a sample and present direct testimony with cross-examination.

CRJU 3392 Ethics in Criminal Justice (3 credit hours). Examination and analysis of conduct, professionalism, and ethics in the criminal justice system. The course exposes students to moral dilemmas and ethical dimensions, constitutional ethics, codes and standards of conduct, corruption, brutality and methods of dealing with practices in criminal justice system. Examined alternative and consequences of types of professional conduct.

CRJU 3393 – Minorities, Crime, Police, and Social Policies (3 credit hours). Identifies American minorities and their rejection or acceptance in mainstream American society, suburbanization and reservation, and types of crime and policing in various communities.

CRJU 3394 – American Correctional Systems (3 credit hours). An examination of traditional and contemporary issues, changes, theories, and practices of American juvenile and adult correction systems. Social, political, economic, and organizational factors affecting American correctional policies and practices.

CRJU 3395 – Criminalistics (3 credit hours). Techniques and methods of the application of science to law includes: processing and investigating crime scenes, evidence preservation, typing and examining physical evidence. Analysis of evidence glass and soil, organic and inorganic compounds, hair, fibers and paint, drugs, toxicology, arson and explosives, serology, DNA, fingerprints, firearms, voice and handwriting.

CRJU 3397 – Treatment, Testing, and Evaluation in Corrections (3 credit hours). Treatment and the tests and measures used in the implementation are reviewed. Details of the different approach used in the correctional process, including testing instruments utilized in the treatment process. Emphasis is placed on the theoretical basis for treatment programs in correction, the importance of test and measurements in program design and evaluations.

CRJU 4341 – Internship in Criminal Justice (3 credit hours). Field placement to integrate students in practical work experience and on- the- job training in a one of a variety of local, national, or international agencies in law enforcement, corrections, court/legal services, social/support services. Junior or seniors CAN gain practical experiences by working in criminal justice agencies. Successful completion of this course requires (1) a final report that demonstrates students’ ability to research and write a properly formatted report that adheres to technical and agency requirements; and (2) supervisory evaluation of the student by the agency. Students must find their own agencies.

CRJU 4391 – The Abnormal and Crime (3 credit hours). Examines cross cultural perceptions, treatment, control and standards of abnormal people, behavior and deviancy and how these contributed to contemporary criminal behavior, including insanity, psychotics, killers, stalkers, threat, sex offenders, violence, terrorists, and criminal profiles.

CRJU 4393 – Law Enforcement and the Legal Process (3 credit hours). Basic principles and their applications to law enforcement. Relationship of theoretical administrative problems and legal issues concerning the processing of evidence, police authority, constitutional restraints and responsibilities, law of arrest, search and seizure, police liability, and ethnic profiling.

CRJU 4394 – Organization and Administration in Criminal Justice (3 credit hours). Organization and theory of correction systems, institutional operations, management, alternatives to institutionalization, treatment and rehabilitation, statues and administrative guidelines of probation and parole, legal issues affecting corrections, rights of the convicted, and civil liability of correctional agencies and staff.

CRJU 4395 – Criminal Justice Research (3 credit hours). This is a survey course on the methods/procedures of conducting social science research. Empirical methods utilized in sociology, psychology, and economics are reviewed. Sampling techniques and various approaches to hypothesis testing are emphasized.

CRJU 4396 – Law Enforcement, Intelligence Operations, and Criminal Investigation (3 credit hours). This course focuses on Law enforcement intelligence as an analytic tool for case development, criminal investigation, resource allocation, interviewing, interrogation, use of forensic science and trial preparation. Historical, ethical, legal and operational issues affecting current practice. It studies investigative theory, the collection and preservation of evidence, and sources of information.

CRJU 4397 – American Crime (3 credit hours). Characteristics of crime: conceptual distinction, historical basis, characteristics, causes, theories, consequences, and types of crime, including organized, white collar, international crimes of aggression, collective violence, and terrorism. Societal response to crime: Federal statues, publicity, exile, occupational debarment, capital punishment, and incarceration.