Criminology

This course is an introduction to the study of crime from a sociological perspective. The course will be an examination of sources of crime, society's reaction to crime, and the criminal justice system. The course is organized around the three main agents that comprise the criminal justice system: policing, courts/law, and corrections, and the three main structural of concern to sociologists: race, class, and gender. The course concludes with an analysis of the basic sources of crime and how well the objectives of the system are being achieved through current processes and policies. The course goals focus on critical thinking and evaluation of the common practices utilized within the current system. C21:CL,DI,SS.

Curriculum: CL,DI,SS

This course studies behavior that violates norms and mechanisms of social control (e.g., law enforcement, courts., prison, and probation) and the implications of these for social policy. Offered alternate years. C21:DI,HC,SS.

Curriculum: DI,HC,SS

This course will be a survey of the historical, social, and political discourse on the relationship between drugs, people, and policy in the U.S. focusing on the criminalization of certain substances. We will explore historical patterns of drug abuse in the U.S., drug laws, contemporary drug use, the connection of drug use to crime and violence, and the "War on Drugs." Our focus in the course will be on the social reality of drug use and drug users within contemporary society. We will be investigating the complex relationships between individual and group behavior, and social structure. Special attention will be given to the complex legal history surrounding drug use, the link between drugs and crime, the impact of the medicalization of human behavior, and varying perspectives on "doing something about drugs." C21:CL,SS.

Curriculum: CL,SS

These courses focus on areas of criminology not specifically covered in the general curriculum and are designed to meet the needs of advanced students.

These courses focus on areas of criminology not specifically covered in the general curriculum and are designed to meet the needs of advanced students.

These courses focus on areas of criminology not specifically covered in the general curriculum and are designed to meet the needs of advanced students.

This travel course will visit a destination central to the study of human rights violations from a criminological perspective. Students will analyze how human rights violations are defined and handled nationally and internationally, including international sanctions for violators and local support services for survivors. Crimes examined include genocide, human trafficking, and war crimes. Students will apply criminological theories to investigate how human rights violations are legally defined as crimes. They will also apply concepts from the study of victimology to analyze how human rights violations affect both the survivors of these violations and the people who have jobs working with survivors. The course includes site visits and hands-on experiences in the host country in locations such as international courts, museums, historical sites, and local organizations working with survivors of human rights violations. Site visits will provide students with ample opportunities to apply a criminological lens to analyze how these crimes are defined and handled while interacting with people living in the host country. This exposure to the host culture will help students build an understanding of the host culture and develop skills in intercultural communication, which is one of the primary objectives of the course. Other main objectives are to foster critical thinking about core concepts in the study of human rights from the perspective of criminological theory and research, and to investigate patterns in the management of human rights cases along the lines of race, gender, and social class. C21:EL,HC,SS.

Curriculum: EL,HC,SS

This course provides an introduction to the field of criminology and the types of research criminologists conduct. Students explore the nature of crime, the variety of theoretical explanations for criminal behavior, the measurement of crime, patterns, and correlates of crime, and the mechanisms for control of criminal behavior. This course is an upper-level reading intensive and theoretical analysis of crime as a sociological construct. The primary objectives are to foster critical thinking in relation to the causes and control of crime and to explore the social construction of crime. C21:DI,HC,SS.

Curriculum: DI,HC,SS

This course provides an introduction to the study of “criminal careers”. People have different offending trajectories over their life span. Some people offend for long periods of time, while others have relatively short-term criminal involvement. In this course, we will use a life course perspective to study what predicts people’s offending trajectories. We will explore how criminological theories can fit into a life course framework, along with how race/ethnicity, social class, and gender can affect offending patterns. We will practice reading, writing, and speaking in the context of the discipline. The course will conclude with a project in which you will apply what you have learned in the course to become an expert on a “turning point” of your choice. C21:CC.

Curriculum: CC

This course provides an introduction to the study of serial homicide in the United States. We will explore the nature of multiple murders, the social construction of serial killing, types of multiple murders, and the variety of theoretical explanations for multiple homicides. We will sociologically analyze problems of media construction, profiling, and correcting the behavior of multiple murderers. Primary objectives are to foster critical thinking in relation to the causes and control of multiple homicides and to explore these problems from a criminological perspective. In addition, we will analyze patterns of multiple murders in terms of race, gender, class, age, and culture. Recommendations: SOCI 200. Offered alternate years. C21:HC,SS.

Curriculum: HC,SS

This course provides an introduction to the study of neighborhoods and crime in the United States and includes an introduction to GIS mapping skills. Street crime is often concentrated in neighborhoods. Crime maps published in news media illustrate these patterns. We will explore how crime incidents vary geographically and which theoretical explanations apply to this spatial variation. We will create maps that show the distribution of crime in areas in the U.S. and use these maps to explore crime patterns. Primary objectives are to foster critical thinking in relation to the reasons crime rates vary across neighborhoods, including patterns by race and social class, and to analyze these issues from a criminological perspective.

This course explores the social circumstances under which youth below age 18 are killed by police, a topic that has received considerable attention in the aftermath of the 2014 death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and the 2015 death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Maryland. It examines the prevalence of such killings, both before and after public protests; and, is designed to help students gain an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of the victims, the officers and the social contexts in which such deaths occur. Students will complete detailed case studies of individual incidents; and, are expected to utilize existing social science research and principles of criminal law to assess the criminological and criminal justice implications of the occurrences and case outcomes. The course content is designed to build a body of knowledge that is useful to understanding how police youth homicides may be analyzed and prevented in the future.

These courses focus on areas of criminology not specifically covered in the general curriculum and are designed to meet the needs of advanced students.

These courses focus on areas of criminology not specifically covered in the general curriculum and are designed to meet the needs of advanced students.

This course provides an overview of the current theoretical and methodological issues concerning Juvenile Delinquency. This course examines the nature, extent, and causes of juvenile delinquency, the development of the juvenile justice system, theoretical explanations of juvenile delinquency, and the current research on juvenile delinquency in the United States. This course is an upper-level reading-intensive and research-intensive analysis of delinquency and the development of research in this field. The primary objectives of this course are to foster critical thinking about how we define and punish delinquency and to understand how sociologists research the problem of delinquency. C21:CS,EL.

Curriculum: CS,EL

This course provides an opportunity for interested students to gain practical experience with the application of criminological theories, methodologies, principles, and techniques to actual research situations in the field. Does not count as the capstone. Junior and senior criminology majors /minors. A strong knowledge of criminological theory is required. C21:EL.

Curriculum: EL

Students in this course are placed in a social agency or business and follow an arranged set of readings relevant to their internship experience with their instructor and site supervisor. Application required: see Internship Program. Does not count as the capstone. A strong knowledge of criminological theory is required. C21:EL.

Curriculum: EL

With prior approval, students may earn Experiential Cross Area Requirement (CAR) credit and transcript notation for one credit hour for a paid internship. To qualify for experiential credit a student must have completed 48 semester hours of work prior to the beginning of the internship and be in good academic standing (not on academic probation) at the time of application and at the start of the internship. Registration and application procedures are similar to those for academic internship courses. Satisfactory completion of a paid internship requires at a minimum 130 hours (160 recommended) working at the host site, a reflective daily journal, a final written report, and a satisfactory evaluation from the site supervisor. A strong knowledge of criminological theory is required. C21:EL.

Curriculum: EL

This course asks students to build upon previous work in criminology and sociology/anthropology, including central themes, theoretical perspectives, research methods, and substantive research findings by conducting a research project. The course is designed to provide majors/minors with an opportunity to synthesize, integrate, and assess what they have learned in criminology while critically reflecting on the discipline. The overall objective of this course is to facilitate student's integration of their academic knowledge of criminology by applying it. In the semester prior to the course, interested students must meet with an instructor to discuss possible topics and then submit a proposal for their anticipated research project. Does not count as capstone. C21:EL.

Curriculum: EL

This two-semester course allows qualified senior majors in criminology to research a topic intensively and independently. A formal paper and an oral examination are required. Majors who intend to attempt a senior project are urged to notify the department of their intention during the spring term of their junior year at the latest. Senior criminology majors. Student earns a total of six hours for the full senior project experience (496, 497, and 498).

This two-semester course allows qualified senior majors in criminology to research a topic intensively and independently. A formal paper and an oral examination are required. Majors who intend to attempt a senior project are urged to notify the department of their intention during the spring term of their junior year at the latest. Senior criminology majors. Student earns a total of six hours for the full senior project experience (496, 497, and 498).

This two-semester course allows qualified senior majors in criminology to research a topic intensively and independently. A formal paper and an oral examination are required. Majors who intend to attempt a senior project are urged to notify the department of their intention during the spring term of their junior year at the latest. Senior criminology majors. Student earns a total of six hours for the full senior project experience (496, 497, and 498).