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 Safety (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.

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 Emergency Management (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 National and Homeland Security in America (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 580 Readings in Criminal Justice and Public Safety (1-3 cr.) Readings and research on selected topics in criminal justice and public safety.

SPEA-J 581 Public Safety Law (3 cr.) Survey of historical development of Anglo-Amercian law of public safety, including criminal law, civil remedies, administrative regulation of risk, and recent developments in employee and consumer safety. Emphasis on understanding legal theory and practice as basis for management decisions. Comparison of jurisprundential viewpoints and other disciplinary approaches to public safety programs.

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 586 Public Safety in the U.S. (3 cr.) Overview of criminal justice and public safety. Definitions of public safety and identification of major components. Functional description of major public safety agencies. Discussion of basic issues in public safety. Management in public safety system.

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 590 Research in Criminal Justice and Public Safety (1-6 cr.) Research on selected topics in criminal justice.

SPEA-J 600 Capstone in Criminal Justice and Public Safety (3 cr.) Course is designed to expose students to the realities of the policy process in criminal justice and public safety through detailed analyses of case studies and projects.

SPEA-J 666 Criminal Justice & Public Safety Policy 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.