Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology

CRIJ 2361. Introduction To The Criminal Justice System. 3 Hours. [TCCN: CRIJ 1301]

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 261); An introductory course designed to familiarize students with the facets of the criminal justice system, including the processing of offenders, punishment and its alternatives, and the future of the criminal justice system.

CRIJ 2362. Criminology. 3 Hours. [TCCN: CRIJ 1307]

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 262); An introductory course designed to familiarize students with the scientific field of criminology. Students cover the nature and extent of criminal behavior; past and present theories for crime and delinquency; and the evaluation of prevention, control, and treatment programs.

CRIJ 2364. Fundamentals Of Criminal Law. 3 Hours. [TCCN: CRIJ 1310]

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 264); A course in substantive criminal law which includes the definition of law, definition of crime, general principles of criminal responsibility, elements of major crimes, punishments, conditions or circumstances which may excuse criminal responsibility, the court system, and the basic concepts of criminal law with an emphasis on the penal law of the State of Texas.

CRIJ 2365. Correctional Systems and Practice. 3 Hours. [TCCN: CRIJ 2313]

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 265); Students are provided with an overview and evaluation of contemporary correctional systems and a discussion of recent research concerning correctional institutions and various field services.

CRIJ 2367. Police Systems & Practices. 3 Hours. [TCCN: CRIJ 2328]

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 267); Students cover the philosophy and history of law enforcement in the United States; limitations imposed on law enforcement in a democratic society in accordance with the United States Constitution; agencies of law enforcement; and the role and place of law enforcement in the justice process.

CRIJ 2368. Criminal Investigation. 3 Hours.

Students are provided with a brief overview of the science behind crime detection and a detailed discussion of techniques used for case management and documentation, the concept of proof, the impact of emergent technology on the investigative process, interacting with victims and witnesses, and interviewing suspects. A particular emphasis is placed on the investigation of particular types of crimes including homicides, sex offenses, child abuse, and hate crimes. .
Prerequisite: CRIJ 2367 or consent of instructor.

CRIJ 2394. Courts And Criminal Procedure. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 294); Students examine procedural requirements for judicial processing of criminal offenders, including concepts of evidence sufficiency, standards of proof, due process, and constitutional safeguards.

CRIJ 3339. History of the Criminal Justice System. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 339); Students explore the major social, economic, legal and political events that have contributed to the formation of the criminal justice system in the United States. Emphasis is on the common roots of the different components of the present system.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 2361 .

CRIJ 3340. Gender and Crime. 3 Hours.

Students investigate definitions of gender, gender roles, and how gender impacts offending, victimization, and criminal justice processing. The influence of gender on working in the criminal justice system as professionals is evaluated. In addition, criminological theories are evaluated in light of gender and the relationship between gender and the criminal justice system.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 2361 and CRIJ 2362.

CRIJ 3361. Comparative Criminal Justice Systems. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 361); Students study criminal justice in societies other than the United States, including, but not limited to, the European, Asian, and African regions. Emphasis is on the uncommon roots of criminal justice in these regions and the effectiveness of such systems in responding to criminal behavior.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 2361 and CRIJ 2362.

CRIJ 3362. White Collar Crime. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 362); Students analyze the ideas and perspectives that are dominant in the fields of criminal justice and criminology on white-collar crime. Topics such as organizational crime, occupational crime, legislation aimed at white collar crime, law enforcement, causes of white-collar crime, and possible forms of intervention are discussed.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 2361 and CRIJ 2362.

CRIJ 3363. Violent Offenders. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 363); Students examine the psychological and behavioral characteristics of the most violent criminal types. The course will cover many topics of criminality, violence, and their causes and will introduce students to the behavioral and psychological issues relevant for understanding, assessing, and managing abnormal criminal behavior. Topics may include sanity, psychopathy, criminal profiling, mental disorders, gangs, serial killers, stalking, women who kill, threat assessment, and/or collective violence.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 2361 or CRIJ 2362 .

CRIJ 3364. Special Offenders and Special Needs. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 364); Students engage in the identification and study of special or unusual offenders with special or unusual needs. Special offenders include those who are rarely covered in standard criminology classes, such as wildlife poachers, serial killers, computer hackers, substance abusers, and business and professional scam artists.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 2361 and CRIJ 2362 .

CRIJ 3368. Understanding Sexual Offending. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 368); Students are provided with an overview of the sexual offender. The origins and various motivations for sexual offending are explored as well as the treatment strategies and their relative effectiveness with different offender groups. Various approaches to community supervision are examined as are controversial issues such as castration of sex offenders.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 2361 or CRIJ 2362 .

CRIJ 3378. Introduction To Methods Of Research. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 378); Students are introduced to the scientific approach to understanding the social world, the relation between theory and research, research design, and data collection. This course is designed to help students gain an understanding of the research process involved in examining criminal justice issues.

CRIJ 3394. Global Terrorism and Homeland Security. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 394); Students are provided with an overview of the field of terrorism. Using a multi-dimensional approach that draws from international relations, law, and police strategies, an emphasis is placed on research and analysis. Students also gain the ability to examine and scrutinize international strategies aimed at reducing terrorist incidents.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 2361 or CRIJ 2362 .

CRIJ 3396. Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 396); Students cover the nature and extent of delinquency, explanatory models and theories for delinquent behavior, the juvenile justice system, juvenile court practices and procedures, and the role of the police officer and correctional officer when dealing with juvenile youths.

CRIJ 4330. Law And Society. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 430); Students explore the nature, functions, limitations and objectives of law; civil procedure; civil law and selected social problems; for example, abortion and euthanasia; the civil courts; the grand jury and petit jury; torts; civil liability for police and correctional officers; and family law.

CRIJ 4332. Legal Aspects Of Corrections. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 432); Students explore legal problems from conviction to release; pre-sentence investigations, sentencing, probation and parole; incarceration; loss and restoration of civil rights with an emphasis on practical legal problems confronting the probation and parole office and the correctional administrator.

CRIJ 4336. Understanding Human Behavior. 3 Hours.

Students examine the underpinnings of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination in human behavior in an active learning environment. In addition to studying well-recognized forms of prejudice and discrimination, such as racism, antisemitism, heterosexism, and sexism, students examine how prejudice plays out in human interaction, with specific focus on interactions within criminal justice.

CRIJ 4360. Crime And The Media. 3 Hours.

(Prior SH course id: CJ 460); Students survey the connections between the mass media, crime, and criminal justice; explore how the criminal justice system, criminals, and crime are portrayed in film, TV drama, and news media; and examine how the media reflect our collective perceptions of crime, violence, and victimization as well as shape attitudes toward crime.

CRIJ 4362. Substance Use And Abuse. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 462); Students engage in the description, classification, and analysis of the causes and correlates of substance use problems.

CRIJ 4363. Cybercrime. 3 Hours.

A seminar in which students focus on topics related to cybercrime, including legal, enforcement, behavioral, and social factors that influence its perpetration, prevention, and prosecution.
Prerequisite: Junior/Senior standing .

CRIJ 4365. Professionalism and Ethics In Criminal Justice. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 465); Students study the theories and practices in areas of legality, morality, values, and ethics as they pertain to criminal justice. Topics may include police corruption, brutality, and methods of dealing with such practices as well as the concept of profession and professional conduct.

CRIJ 4367. Correctional Strategies. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 467); This course examines treatment options in both institutional and field corrections settings. There is a focus on special populations, including mental health populations and their treatment, aging in prison, women, HIV populations, and issues surrounding race and ethnicity.
Prerequisite: Junior Standing and CRIJ 2365 .

CRIJ 4368. Global Organized Crime. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 468); Students examine the evolution and development of global and transnational organized crime. Various theories that explain the existence of organized crime around the world are examined in addition to a survey of how global organized crime groups have adapted to the 21st century, barriers to international police cooperation, the impact of failed states, civil war and corruption, and the modern relationship between organized crime and terrorists groups.

CRIJ 4373. Undergraduate Internship in Criminal Justice. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 473); Students complete a minimum of three months in an approved criminal justice or social agency setting taken preferably between junior and senior years. The course is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to apply academic learning in practical situations. See the College's Internship Coordinator for details about this program.

CRIJ 4374. Philosophy of Crime & Justice. 3 Hours.

Students examine foundations of the American criminal justice system, considering questions such as: is there a moral justification of punishment; what basic principles guide law enforcement in practice; how did these principles come to be in place; and how do they connect to the moral and political ideals on which the country was founded? Students critically engage with philosophical, legal, sociological, and historical resources.

CRIJ 4376. Independent Studies in Criminal Justice. 1-3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 476); This course is designed for advanced criminal justice and criminology students who are capable of rigorous independent study. Registration upon approval of the appropriate Assistant Dean of the College of Criminal Justice and the instructor directing the course. Credit to be arranged.

CRIJ 4377. Special Topics In Criminal Justice. 3 Hours.

This course is designed to give advanced undergraduate students academic flexibility. May be repeated for credit.

CRIJ 4382. Social Deviance. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 482); Students study the psychological and sociological aspects of socially deviant behavior and theoretical overviews and implications for social control and social policy.

CRIJ 4384. Police Strategies. 3 Hours.

Students analyze police policies with particular attention to the current major problem areas from the point of view of both the administrator and the line operations officer with an integration of established scientific knowledge with practical police experience in the various areas of police functioning.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 2367 .

CRIJ 4385. Criminal Justice and Social Diversity. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 485); Students examine how social diversity and inequality shape the way criminal behavior is defined and controlled through the application of the criminal law and criminal justice system. Attention is given to the disparity of criminal offending, victimization, and criminal justice processing across demographic groups as well as explanations for observed disparities. In addition, students explore subordinate group members as criminal justice professionals.
Prerequisite: Senior standing .

CRIJ 4386. Problem Analysis In Criminal Justice. 3 Hours.

(SH Prior Course ID: CJ 486); This course serves as a capstone for the Criminal Justice undergraduate students. Students use skills and knowledge from prior courses to address challenges facing the criminal justice system with a focus placed on application of research skills and analytic techniques to address these issues. Students conduct basic research to recommend criminal justice policy.
Prerequisite: Senior Standing, CRIJ 3378 and STAT 3379 or equivalent .

CRIJ 4387. Multiculturalism in Criminal Justice. 3 Hours.

Students explore the goals, benefits, and challenges of multiculturalism in the criminal justice system. Topics may include the experiences of marginalized groups including African Americans, Latinx Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, women, the LGBT community, the elderly, and youth within the criminal justice system. Emphasis is also placed on multiculturalism within the workforce. Training tools and policy recommendations are offered and discussed.

CRIJ 4394. Constitutional Issues In Law Enforcement. 3 Hours.

Students focus on the intersection of the U.S. Constitution and the criminal justice system. Laws that govern policing are primarily based upon the United States Constitution, United States Supreme Court decisions, and statutes passed by the United States Congress and state legislatures. Major decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court serve as the core resource, including those addressing Fourth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment governmental authority issues. Although a focus is placed on these resources, the material is presented in a format and in a language designed to meet the needs and interests of non-lawyers, while preserving the meaning and content of the law as interpreted by the courts. Emphasis is placed on development of analytical reasoning skills through the case study method.
Prerequisite: CRIJ 2364 .