CRM - Criminology and Criminal Justice

A study of deviant behavior as it relates to the definition of crime, crime statistics, theories of crime causation, crime typologies and victims of crime. May be used to satisfy general distribution requirements if not used in the criminology major.

A study of the components of the criminal justice system from its early history through its evolution in the United States. Identifies various subsystems and their roles, expectations and interrelationships.

A study of the elements of law enforcement agencies as subsystems of the criminal justice system, the history and philosophy of law enforcement, and the relationship between law enforcement and the community.

A study of the fundamentals of investigation including crime scene search, collection and preservation of physical evidence, interview and interrogation techniques, use of scientific aids and modus operandi.

An examination of the field of justice with emphases on decision-making, ethical thinking, codes of ethics and use of discretion throughout the justice system.

An examination of definitions of delinquent behavior, theories of delinquency and the adjudication process for juveniles. May be used to satisfy general distribution requirements if not used in the criminology major.

An introduction to the quantitative and qualitative methodologies of the social sciences, including overviews of philosophy of science and research ethics, research design issues such as sampling and measurement, and methods of data collection (i.e., survey, experimental and evaluation research). Additionally, students will gain experience in reviewing scholarly literature, designing a research project in criminal justice/criminology, and writing for an academic audience utilizing the APA format. Through those goals, students will become both consumers and producers of research.

This course serves as an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics and the computer analysis of criminology and criminal justice data. Course content includes basic procedures of hypothesis testing, correlation and regression analysis and the analysis of continuous and binary dependent variables. Emphasis is placed on the examination of research problems and issues in the field of criminology and criminal justice. This is primarily a lecture course, with some in-class and out of class lab work.

A comparative study of the United States criminal justice system with those of other countries through personal observation of agencies in the countries visited and personal interaction with agency personnel. This course requires travel outside the United States. Countries visited will vary. This course may be repeated for credit when countries change.

Special course offered each year during the summer session. Course descriptions are published annually in a separate bulletin.

An examination of the extent and nature of victimization, theories of victimization, the victims' rights movement and consideration of several major kinds of victimization.

An examination of scientific techniques used to develop forensic evidence discovered at a crime scene offered in a practical laboratory setting.

An overview of abnormal behavior as it relates to the criminal justice system. Emphasis placed on personality disorders, psychoses, sexual predators and posttraumatic stress disorder.

This course provides an in-depth examination of criminal law and procedure, including issues related to the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments as well as substantive criminal law, liability and defenses.

An introduction to the American correctional system emphasizing the history of corrections, the prison experience and correctional clientele. May be used to satisfy general distribution requirements if not used in the criminology major.

A comparison of diverse types of criminal justice systems utilized by other countries and cultures with the United States criminal justice system.

A study of substantive and procedural law pertaining to the convicted criminal offender, including an examination of federal court decisions affecting correctional personnel and the penal process.

This course will introduce the student to theoretical approaches to the explanations of crime.  This introduction will allow the student to appreciate and secure a basic understanding of the complex factors that are related to crime as well as the historical development of such approaches.

An in-depth examination of current controversial issues of crime and punishment in the United States.

A meaningful field experience through placement in agencies of the criminal justice system. Graded on a pass/fail basis. Students may take a maximum of 16 credit hours while at UT. Internship credit may not be used to satisfy requirements for the major or the minor.

An in-depth analysis of the nature and extent of drug use within American society, and its relationship to crime and deviance.

A study of the broad range of violence in society, examining historical and contemporary forms of violence. Topics explored include gun crime, serial murders and terrorism.

This course will explore the full range of white collar and elite crimes that are described in the criminological literature. The seriousness of these crimes will be examined in addition to the motivation, techniques, public impact, investigation and the prosecution of offenders and their punishment.

A forum for focusing on special issues in criminal justice, taught by visiting instructors or regular faculty. Topics covered may change each semester.

This course will examine the origins and development of modern terrorism, from its origins during the Cold War to the present.  Through lectures, case studies, and class discussions this course will investigate general and specific elements relevant to understanding the phenomenon, including definition, national and international terrorism, global and regional factors, and terrorism’s relationship with rebellion and insurgency.  This course will examine terrorist organizations to understand the ideologies, cultures, structures, and causative factors behind major movements.

An examination of historical, contemporary and international perspectives on the death penalty, and ramifications for victims' families, offenders, the criminal justice system and society as a whole.

This course will address how racism, classism and sexism operate and intersect in both criminological theories and in the criminal legal system. This course explores theories used to explain crime and covers victimization, offending and work in terms of race, class and gender. The section on offending will address theories, types of offending, systemic responses to offending and prisons.

A series of directed readings and short research projects on topics of interest to the student, determined through student-faculty consultation.

Requires a substantive research and writing project.

An integrative educational experience through which students comprehensively analyze and synthesize theories, policies and practices related to criminology and produce a paper illustrating competence in this analysis. Should be taken in senior year. This is a graded course.

Survey of current research, critical issues in the administration of justice, and criminological theory. Designed to acquaint students with recent developments in the disciplines of criminology and criminal justice.

Examines criminological theories with emphasis on the origins and applications of relevant theoretical approaches to crime and criminally deviant behavior. Overview of the major paradigms focusing on the causes of crime and deviant behavior with special attention given to the social, political and intellectual milieu within which each perspective arose. The course will include a discussion of criminological theories from a philosophy of science perspective focusing upon such issues as theory construction, theoretical integration and the formal evaluation of theory.

This course explores the principles, techniques, and practices of program evaluation providing basic and advanced methods of evaluation research in a real-world environment. The course will devote particular attention to the criteria for assessing policy outcomes and the idiosyncrasies of working with and within the criminal justice system. The relationship between sound scientific evaluation techniques and effectiveness of criminal justice policy is also emphasized.

Analytical strategies and methods for conducting quantitative and qualitative research and their applications to problems of crime and criminal justice. Includes definition of research problems, research design, sampling, measurement, data collection, interviewing, and participant observation and ethical concerns.

This course develops proficiency in quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques using computerized statistical programs such as SPSS. Statistical theory and research design issues with interpretation of descriptive and graphical techniques; probability and sampling theory; the normal curve and statistical inference; Central Limit Theorem; Chi-Square, T and F distributions; ANOVA; MANOVA; linear regression; multivariate regression; and factor analysis will be discussed.

This course will examine the ethics and moral philosophy in criminal justice including the role of natural law, constitutional law, code of ethics and philosophical principles. The origins of ethical standards the effect of these standards on the administration of justice, and issues of ethical leadership will be addressed. Strong emphasis will be put on examining the roles of justice in a free society and the practical implications of justice to practitioners of police, courts and corrections.

Analysis of the development of public policy and criminal justice planning used to solve problems encountered in policing. Problem identification that lead to public policy making, strategic management of law enforcement policy, and the role of police executives as agents of change. Historical and contemporary issues in policing that require policy changes will be explored.

Analysis of the history, culture, and structure of correctional systems and current issues facing correctional administrators. Problem identification that leads to public policy making, strategic management of corrections policy, and the role of corrections executives as agent of change will be explored.

This course involves the analysis of the development of law and public policy in the criminal justice system, the different contexts within which these laws and policies are developed and implemented, and their overall effectiveness over time. Policy development and legislative processes are explored, along with the process of strategic planning.

The study of interrelationships between crime, criminals, victims, and the criminal justice system. Examines patterns and trends in victimization. Identifies the categories of people facing the greatest risks and assesses victim-blaming arguments that invoke facilitation, precipitation and provocation. Analyzes the handling of crime victims by the criminal justice system and explores issues related to victim’s rights, restorative justice, as well as the psychological, financial, and medical needs and problems of the victim.

Defines white collar crime and the implications associated with enforcement of laws related to white collar criminality and prosecution of such offenses and sentencing of offenders. Examines theoretical explanations for white collar crime and questions of corporate liability. Economic, social, and political costs of corporate and white collar crime will be compared to street crime. Various forms of white collar crime will be examined and illustrated through case studies and research including estimates of cost, victim and offender profiles, and legal issues. Global frauds committed by transnational corporations will be explored.

Examines the diverse types of criminal justice systems throughout the world; analyzes the relationship between crime rates and differential criminal justice systems, as well as socioeconomic development indicators. In-depth analysis of major legal traditions across the world including common law, civil law, socialist law, and Islamic law with the impact of each on approaches to law enforcement, criminal law & procedure, and corrections.

Use of research strategies; principles of research writing and procedures for initiating, executing, and completing a master's thesis. Preparation and approval of a prospectus followed by completion and defense of the thesis will be accomplished.