B.S. in Criminal Justice – Homeland Security

Examines the American criminal justice system.  Investigates the agencies and processes involved in the administration of criminal justice.  Considers various approaches in defining, measuring, and controlling crime.

Investigates the nature and causation of crime.  Gives attention to major theoretical explanations for crime as well as to the treatment and prevention of crime.

Discusses principles and practices of criminal investigation including crime scene conduct and procedures, collection and preservation of evidence, interview and interrogation techniques, development of leads, and the use of surveillance techniques. Addresses ethical issues related to the criminal case investigation.

Investigation and analysis of the history, current practices, and various aspects of the corrections system.  Gives attention to the future direction of corrections.

Discusses criminal evidence rules in the United States. Emphasis to the exclusionary rule and the distinction between real and testimonial evidence. Trial procedures, examination of witnesses, real/physical evidence, circumstantial evidence, the hearsay rule, the opinion evidence rule, and judicial notice. Discusses ethical considerations related to seized and submitted evidence.

Analyzes the character of judicial power and review.  Examines key U.S. Supreme Court decisions as related to the Bill of Rights, and its relationship to the states through focusing on civil rights and civil liberties decisions.  Cross-listed with GOVT 382.

Analysis of the diverse ethical dilemmas encountered in the criminal justice profession.  Considers the importance of an ethic of virtue that focuses on an individual’s character as the source of virtuous action- both personal and professional.  Evaluates leading ethical theories as they are applied to diverse ethical dilemmas in the criminal justice profession and examines various standards and codes of professional conduct within the criminal justice profession.

Investigates comprehensive and sub-system theories of criminal justice.  Gives attention to utilitarian, preventionist, retributive, and restorative approaches to criminal justice.

This course equips students with methodological skills commensurate with their disciplines, such as clarifying concepts, developing theses, formulating hypotheses, measuring variables, and making controlled comparisons. Prerequisites: MATH 201 and senior standing. Cross-listed with GOVT 457.

Capstone course for the integration and synthesis of knowledge and principles concerning the criminal justice system, law and adjudication, criminology, law enforcement, ethics, diversity, research methods and other areas of study.  Students plan, design, and conduct a research project.  Final papers report the results of the study and are presented in a formal research seminar.  As part of course, an electronic portfolio may be required.   Prerequisite: Senior standing.