CJ Course Descriptions

This course provides students with an introduction to the field of criminal justice. It offers information about the undergraduate curricula in criminal justice at Marymount as well as career opportunities available in the field with the B.A. or B.S. degree. Students will have an opportunity to explore personal career interests, including graduate training options. The course is designed for students who are majoring, or planning to major, in criminal justice. (1)

An examination of investigative and laboratory techniques used in the investigation of criminal offenses. Also examined are methods for searching crime scenes, analysis of firearm evidence, fingerprints, serology (including DNA), toxicology, questioned documents, and drugs. Major crimes, death investigation, and pathology are also explored. (3)

A continuation of the introduction to investigative and laboratory techniques used in the forensic analysis of criminal offenses. Forensic pathology, anthropology, and toxicology are examined, as well as firearm, toolmark, trace material, questioned document, drug, arson, and bombing evidence. Major emphasis is placed on the legal aspects of evidence, including investigator and examiner documentation and reporting, and courtroom process and testimony. Prerequisite: CJ 201. (3)

This course provides an overview of the relationships between mass media, crime, criminal justice, and culture. In particular, the course will address the social construction of crime, crime and justice in the mass media, the media’s effects on attitudes toward crime and criminal justice, the media as a cause of crime, the media’s influence on the judicial system, and more. Such topics will be addressed using a sociological perspective, thus necessitating the analysis of the media’s relationship to sociological and criminological theories. (3)

A systematic study of the history and purpose of the juvenile justice system that includes examination of the role of the U.S. Supreme Court. The course also evaluates the extent and nature of juvenile delinquency and addresses the physical, emotional, and societal problems faced by juveniles today. Other topics covered are the treatment and punishment of juvenile offenders, modern juvenile subcultures, and controversial issues in juvenile justice. (3)

An overview of the formal mechanisms of social control as manifested by the components of the criminal justice system (legislatures, law enforcement, courts, and corrections). Also examined are alternatives to formal processing, including diversion, pretrial screening, and dispute settlement programs. Liberal Arts Core/University Requirements Designation: DSINQ. (3)

This course covers current theories of the genesis and distribution of deviant behavior and implications for a general theory of deviance. Definitions of deviance, social control, labeling theory, and secondary deviance are explored. Prerequisite: SOC 131, SOC 200, or SOC 203. (3)

The purpose of this course is to teach undergraduate students to communicate facts, information, arguments, analysis, and ideas effectively in a simple, clear, and logical manner using various types of criminal justice reports and research papers. Students will practice interviewing and writing up interview field notes, résumé writing, report writing, written legal analysis, and research writing. Prerequisites: EN 101 and EN 102 with a minimum grade of C- and CJ 209. Liberal Arts Core/University Requirements Designation: WI. (3)

This course provides an introduction to counterintelligence, with a focus on the evolution of contemporary counterintelligence in military, government, and pseudo-government organizations, both domestic and international. The course will also address terrorism as a criminally violent tactic used to achieve political or social goals and will examine individuals and groups, their motives and tactics, and how government and law enforcement have responded through investigation, prosecution, and punishment. Prerequisite: CJ 209. (3)

An examination of the techniques and resources of applied social research. Emphasis is placed on quantitative research techniques, survey research, program evaluation, and the ways in which research informs social and public policy. Prerequisites: SOC 131 (required), EN 102 (required), MA 132 (recommended). Liberal Arts Core/University Requirements Designation: DSINQ, WI. (4)

This course examines crime in the United States through the lens of sociology, based on the assumption that one cannot understand crime without viewing it in its social and cultural contexts. Prerequisite: SOC 131, SOC 200, or SOC 203. Liberal Arts Core/University Requirements Designation: SS-2. (3)

A survey of the history, development, environment, organization, and sociology of American law enforcement with an emphasis on state and local police agencies. Topics examined include police as service agency, police as government entity, and police as component of the national criminal justice system. Prerequisite: CJ 209. (3)

An overview of the theories, history, and functions of punishment and corrections in America. Topics examined include the origin and development of prisons and jails, prison administration, community-based corrections, legal rights of offenders, sentencing, parole, and capital punishment. Prerequisite: CJ 209. (3)

A behavioral-systems approach to traditional and contemporary management models as they relate to criminal justice agencies. Emphasis is placed on administrative problem solving, organization and management theory, planning and research, social science, and psychology and sociology as they relate to communication and supervision. Case studies are used to facilitate learning. Prerequisite: CJ 209. (3)

Students will experience this in-depth, hands-on clandestine excavation class, which will include locating, organizing, documenting, and recovering human remains. This course is an applied field course that allows students to combine classroom and textbook knowledge with the practical application of that knowledge in a controlled environment conducive to learning. Students will include both traditional Marymount students and practitioners in the field, allowing for a unique learning environment, networking opportunities, and the opportunity to promote Marymount and its programs in the professional community. Prerequisite for Marymount students: CJ 201. (3)

This course provides students an opportunity to not only understand the complex nature of police investigations by introducing them to the process, but also to delve more into the various academic fields that underlie key investigative steps and processes, including psychology, sociology, and the hard sciences. Prerequisites: CJ 201 with a minimum grade of C (required) and CJ 202 with a minimum grade of C (recommended). (3)

This course provides students an opportunity to be exposed to and discuss some of the most prominent issues within this area of study, including recent legal decisions that impact procedural law and investigative methods, technological advances, ethical standards and their role in investigations, and the movement of the forensic sciences toward accreditation and standardization. Students also will discuss how current issues in policing, such as mental health concerns or officer-involved shootings, impact investigations. Prerequisites: CJ 201 with a minimum grade of C (required) and CJ 202 with a minimum grade of C (recommended). (3)

This course provides an overview of the actors, motives, and methods used in the commission of computer-related crimes and describes the methods used by organizations to prevent, detect, and respond to these crimes. The course will also focus on different types of crimes and the nature of crimes that are committed using computers. Prerequisite: CJ 209 or CJ 305. (3)

The internship provides practical experience in an applied criminal justice or social service setting. Students’ field experience is supervised, and the course is open only to senior criminal justice majors. Prerequisites: a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA, senior standing, and permission of internship coordinator. Liberal Arts Core/University Requirements Designation: EXP. (3-6)

The project is designed to allow students to apply the knowledge, skills, and strategies acquired and developed through their academic program. It is intended to tie the student’s professional goals and coursework with practical application and current research-based data of the discipline. Students will be asked to delve deeply into a specific topic; develop an innovative solution to a discipline-specific problem; design and construct an expressive art/literature/technological creation; or explore an area of study, a process, a topic, or a medium that is not otherwise available through the current curriculum. (1-3)

Students in this course will conduct collaborative research (scholarly work leading to new knowledge) under the direction of a faculty member. Prerequisite: application and approval of department chair. Liberal Arts Core/University Requirements Designation: EXP. (1-6)

This capstone course provides an in-depth examination of current issues and social challenges that impact both the criminal justice system and society as a whole. For students nearing the completion of their coursework in criminal justice and sociology, this course builds on the knowledge and skills they acquired earlier in their academic careers. Prerequisites: CJ 304, EN 102, and CJ 305; senior standing; and permission of the instructor. Liberal Arts Core/University Requirements Designation: DSINQ, WI. (3)