Criminal Justice Courses : Academic Bulletin

Courses

SPEA-J 501 Evolution of Criminological Thought and Policy (3 cr.) This course provides an intensive introduction to the theoretical literature on crime and delinquency. Its purpose is to develop students’ ability to critically evaluate and compare theories of crime as they apply to public policy and the criminal justice system.

SPEA-J 502 Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Public Affairs (3 cr.) This course examines research techniques necessary for systematic analysis of the criminal justice system, offenders’ behavior, crime trends, and program effectiveness. The course requires that students actively pursue such techniques as conducting interviews, coding data, and designing studies. Criminological research will be critically examined.

SPEA-J 520 Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety (3 cr.) The use of geographic information systems to map locations of events and analyze patterns for decision making and facility location in areas of public safety including criminal justice, fire services, emergency management, and homeland security and the management and application of those systems.

SPEA-J 524 Crisis Management in Public Safety (3 cr.) The identification and management of criminal justice and public safety crisis. Issues of psychological and behavioral responses to crisis, mitigation, contingency and response plans, coordination with governmental and nonprofit agencies and private corporations, crisis decision making, communication, infrastructure and proactive planning. Practical crisis management techniques for use in public safety.

SPEA-J 528 Risk Analysis for Public Safety (3 cr.) An examination of theoretical foundations of risk analysis including the history of risk analysis, risk assessment, perception and communication; models for decision making, techniques for generating alternative courses of action and definitions of risk opportunity within a context of local, state and federal regulatory guidelines, media and social context.

SPEA-J 531 Homeland Security in the United States (3 cr.) This course addresses federal policy and management issues related to preventing, mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from major castastrophic events, both natural and man-made, including acts of terrorism. Topics include emergency management, resource and reponse infrastructures, public health issues, best practices, crisis communications, and business and governmental continuity.

SPEA-J 550 Topics in Criminal Justice and Public Safety (1-3 cr.) Selected topics in criminal justice and public safety including terrorism, violent behavior, crime prevention, domestic and international threats, white-collar and organized crime, cyber crime, prisoner re-entry; issues of gender, race, and ethnicity in criminal justice and public safety; and case studies in disaster and catastrophic incident response.

SPEA-J 582 Criminal Justice Systems (3 cr.) Detailed examination of operations of police, courts, and correctional agencies. Study of management problems in system response to criminal activity. Development of understanding of interrelationships among system components. Examination of major policy issues in criminal justice, with emphasis on decision-making techniques.

SPEA-J 587 Criminal Violation: Problems and Characteristics (3 cr.) Commonalities in criminal behavior. The criminal act: circumstances leading to commission, subsequent perceptions of them. Family, community, and other environments affecting criminal behavior. Behavioral consequences of processes of crime control.

SPEA-J 588 Law and Control in Society (3 cr.) The role of law versus other forms of social control. How social change and social institutions shape the law. Social factors influencing the administration of law.

SPEA-J 666 Criminal Justice Policy and Evaluation (3 cr.) An empirical assessment of the foundations of contemporary and historical attempts to control or prevent crime. Major policies, programs, and strategies are reviewed and critically analyzed. Specific topics and policies will vary in this capstone seminar.

SPEA-J 682 Planning and Management for Criminal Justice and Public Safety (3 cr.) Methods and procedures involved in criminal justice and public safety planning and management. Administration and implementation of public policies in policing, courts, corrections, emergency management, and homeland security. Organization, decision making, evaluation, and human resource issues of public policy.