Master's in Criminal Justice Studies

CJ 501. Foundations in Crime and Criminal Justice. 3 Credits.

This class is a graduate level introduction to the criminal justice system. The class provides an in-depth examination of the present day structure, function, and history of the criminal justice system. Specifically, the flow of cases across various decision points from the police, through courts, to corrections is critically explored. F.

CJ 502. Theories of Crime. 3 Credits.

This course reviews theories of crime, from early historical perspectives through more contemporary perspectives. It engages students in a careful examination of theoretical traditions that have shaped thought regarding definitions of crime, causes of crime, and responses to crime from the Enlightenment onward. Attention is directed toward examining different frameworks for classifying theories, understanding specific theories, critically analyzing theories, and identifying the policy implications of theories. F, odd years.

CJ 503. Research Methods in Criminal Justice. 3 Credits.

This course examines how research is conducted in criminology and criminal justice. The course is designed to highlight the research process, ethical issues, different types of quantitative and qualitative research designs, data analysis, and the reporting of research results. F, even years.

CJ 504. Visualization and Interpretation of Criminal Justice Data. 3 Credits.

This course provides theoretical background and practical experience in statistics and data analysis for criminal justice. Specifically, we focus on how to manage complex datasets that are unique to the discipline. Students will develop critical skills, including data wrangling and data cleaning, while becoming familiar with complex publicly available datasets that are important for criminal justice professionals and scholars. The course examines descriptive, inferential, and multivariate statistics employed in criminal justice research about the nature of crimes, criminals, and the criminal justice system. Basic hand-style calculations are employed in the course to aid students in the proper understanding and interpretation of statistical techniques often used in the field. A heavy focus is placed on using Excel to calculate statistics and visualize information for interpretability. S, odd years.

CJ 505. Administrative Decision Making in Criminal Justice. 3 Credits.

This administrative decision making class will provide you with an overview of inquiry in social sciences generally as well as contemplating administrative issues facing criminal justice practitioners currently. This class encourages critical self-reflection as students raise their own administrative questions pertaining to their area of interest as well as other areas more broadly. Guidelines will be offered to assist students in developing solutions to dilemmas they may encounter in the field, as well as how to consistently consider the consequences of their actions in all walks of life. S, even years.

CJ 565. Victimology. 3 Credits.

This course provides an analysis of the literature and research concerning criminal victimization. Attention will be directed toward current trends concerning the victim in the American criminal justice system with particular emphasis on measuring victimization, the impact of victimization and victim's rights and compensation initiatives. Prerequisite: Graduate standing in Criminal Justice or consent of instructor. On demand.