Online Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice

Online Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice

Core Requirements:

CJ 130 INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE (3)

Prerequisite: None

An overview of the philosophical, historical, and operational aspects of the justice system in the United States.

CJ 227 INTRODUCTION TO CORRECTIONS (3)

Prerequisite: None

This course is an overview of the process and institutions involved in the supervision, treatment, control, and incarceration of those individuals who have been adjudicated and sentenced by the court. Corrections in the United States encompass a variety of public and private institutions including: probation and parole systems, jails, prisons, half-way houses and post-release supervision.

CJ 242 CRIMINOLOGY (3)

Prerequisite: None

An introduction to the history of crime, the sociology of criminal law, the operation of the criminal justice system, including roles of police, prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges. Also considered are offender types; conventional, white collar and organized crime; theories of causation, victimology, prison, probation, and parole, and trends and issues in criminology. CJ/SOC credit.

CJ 270 ROLE OF POLICE IN MODERN SOCIETY (3)

Prerequisite: CJ 130

Study of the role behavior and life of the line officer within the police subculture and within society. Topics examined are the influence of coercive power, role behavior, subcultural influences, and personal issues relating to loyalty, stress, health, critical incidents, family, and faith.

CJ 362 CRIMINAL LAW (3)

Prerequisite: CJ 130

Analysis and evaluation of the growth of legal relationships between the individual and government with special attention to problems of law enforcement-law adjudication and the impact of their decisions on the citizen and the criminal justice system

CJ 450 ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE (3)

Prerequisite: CJ 130, CJ 362, and Jr. or Sr. Status

This course will analyze ethical behavior and provide criminal justice practitioners with decision-making skills to enhance the practitioner duty performance and the public interest. The focus will be on making moral, rational, and responsible decisions which will lead to ethical professional behavior.  Must be taken at AU.

Electives (Need 18 credit hours)

CJ 200 CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION (3)

Prerequisite: CJ 130

Provides the student with an opportunity to study the technical, theoretical and legal aspects of criminal investigation.

CJ 235 COURTS AND JUSTICE (3)

Prerequisite: CJ 130

Affords the student a concentrated study of the functions, operations and decision-making process of the American court system.

 CJ 240 CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION II (3)

Prerequisite: CJ 130, CJ 200

A continuation of CJ 200. The course will focus on investigative theory and technique for major felonies including murder offenses, sexual assault, and theft related to crimes, recognizing that each crime category involves different processes to properly investigate that incident. The legal concept of forensic science and the differing roles of the coroner, forensic scientists, technicians, crime scene investigator, and the crime lab in investigations will also be discussed.

 CJ 244 JUVENILE DELINQUENCY (3)

Prerequisite: None

A course planned to aid the student in the examination of juvenile delinquency as a social problem from the perspectives of control prevention and rehabilitation. Delinquency will be viewed as to definition, genesis and extent. The social institutions of families and schools will be discussed in detail. The juvenile courts, probation, parole, correction institutions and child placement programs are to be examined with respect to their effectiveness, philosophy and goals. CJ/SOC credit.
CJ 275/SOC 275 GANGS AND CULTS (3)

Prerequisite: None

Examines the historical and contemporary issue of gangs and cults in United States and focuses on gang and cult recruitment, subculture, beliefs, activities, signs, and symbols.  CJ/SOC credit.

 CJ 307 VICTIMOLOGY (3)

Prerequisite: None

Victimology is the study of the role of the victim in criminology and the criminal justice system. Areas to be investigated include the relationship between victims and their criminal offenders, societies' responses to the victims, the victim's role in the criminal justice process and programs directed at assisting victims of crime. CJ/SOC credit.

CJ 331 TOPICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE (3)

Prerequisite: None

A seminar open to criminal justice majors/minors which will provide an opportunity to explore, in-depth, topics pertinent to or impacting on the field of criminal justice. This may include critical observations or historical, contemporary or future issues. Repeatable to a maximum of 9 hours.

 CJ 332 TERRORISM & HOMELAND SECURITY (3)

Prerequisite: None

This course will look at what terrorism is and what a terrorist group is. This course will also examine theories explaining terrorist behavior and how economics, race, religion and other factors influence terrorism and motivate terrorist groups. The course will also look at the responses to terrorism, and particularly how it is being fought through the concept of Homeland Security.

CJ 360 READINGS IN CRIME AND JUSTICE (3)

Prerequisite: None

This course surveys major literary works that deal with crime and punishment and examines these works in terms of motivation, social milieu, culture and legal systems that affect our understanding of justice and the laws that attempt to achieve that justice.

CJ 365 CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATION (3)

Prerequisite: CJ 130, 227

This course provides the student with the context of corrections history and with the goals and philosophies of the correctional system.  The student will examine correctional administration and management using contemporary theory, research, and best practices.  The student will also examine issues such as offender classifications, rehabilitative and restorative initiatives, treatment programs, life-course and educational services, various institutional environments and levels, and the functions and management of correctional staff.

CJ 366 CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (3)

Prerequisite: CJ 130, CJ 362

Examination of the area of law balances governmental power and individual rights. Issues that address balancing controlling crime with due process rights include search and seizure, detention and arrest, interrogation, trial rights and sentences.

CJ 403 FIELD EXPERIENCE/INSTRUCTION-CJ (1-12)

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor

Provides an opportunity for CJ majors to observe and experience the criminal justice system in action. The student selects from a variety of agencies or organizations willing to offer this opportunity and, with the help and guidance of the field coordinator, participates in an experience designed to bring academic preparation together with the reality of being professional criminal justice practitioners. Experience may be taken for up to a total of 12 hours.

 CJ 415 ADVANCED CRIMINOLOGY AND PROFILING (3)

Prerequisite: CJ/SOC 242

 Advanced Criminology and Profiling is a case study approach to applying theory to the practice of criminology. The case histories of some infamous and not-so-infamous criminals will be examined for the purpose of applying criminological theory. Students will determine the probable cause(s) of those individuals' criminality.  CJ/SOC credit.

CJ 465 RESTORATIVE JUSTICE (3)

Prerequisite: CJ 130, 227

In this course, the student will explore restorative justice as a new model within the criminal justice system.  The student will develop a critical mindfulness to the healing wants and needs of victims and communities impacted by criminal conduct as well as the role of the offender in meeting these wants and needs.  The course will examine various applications of the restorative justice model in criminal justice systems around the world.