Criminology (CRIM) - Courses

CRIM 115 Cr.3

Criminology and Criminal Justice through the Ages

This introductory course provides an overview of the evolution of criminology and the criminal justice system tracing their roots to justice systems around the world. Students explore the historical, social, and political factors that have shaped the criminal justice system and our understanding of crime. Topics include the development of policing, courts, and correctional systems; the evolution of the discipline of criminology and our understanding of crime; and the impact of major historical events on criminal justice practices. CGER HA-PDU Humanities & Arts: Pasts that Define Us. Offered Fall, Spring.

CRIM 312 Cr.3

Courts, Crime, and Justice

This course provides an overview of the American judicial system and its relationship with crime, justice, and society. Students learn about courts at the local, state, and federal level. Different types of courts such as criminal and civil courts as well as specialized courts including family court and juvenile court are covered. Students additionally learn about the basic history of the court system to understand its larger position in society. Prerequisite: one of the following: CRIM 115, SOC 110, SOC 120, SOC 225, RGS/SOC 150, ANT 101, ANT 102, PSY 100, POL 101, POL 102, or POL 110. Offered Spring.

CRIM 313 Cr.3

Law and Society

This course examines the law as a social construction. This involves exploring the notion that the civil and criminal law, deviance and criminal behavior, and various actors in the legal and criminal justice arenas are not to be taken for granted as natural, inevitable, and objective but rather, as rooted in social and political forces. Thus, this course explores the historical development of the law, social change, inequalities in the application of the law, why we obey or fail to obey the law, and heavily debated contemporary US laws. Prerequisite: CRIM 115 or SOC 110 or SOC 120 or ANT 101. Offered Annually.

CRIM 318 Cr.3

Surveillance and Society

Surveillance is now a prominent feature in the contemporary, post-9/11 world. This course explores the concept of surveillance, its development, and the various ways that surveillance exists within the social world. This includes an examination of how surveillance intersects with, and is used by, the government and law enforcement, corporations, institutions such as the economy and schools, and you. A major organizing question of the course is this: How is the practice of surveillance changing our social life and our notions of public and private spheres? Prerequisite: CRIM 115 or SOC 110 or SOC 120. Offered Spring.

CRIM 321 Cr.3

Delinquency

This course is an overview of the sociological study of delinquency, with special emphasis on competing theoretical perspectives. In the process of learning about theoretical perspectives aimed at explaining delinquency, this course pays special attention to gender delinquency, gangs, current events regarding delinquency, and the U.S. juvenile justice system. Prerequisite: CRIM 115 or SOC 110 or SOC 120 or ANT 101. Offered Annually.

CRIM 322 Cr.3

Criminology

This course examines the sociological study of crime in the United States focusing on patterns of criminality, competing theoretical explanations, and societal responses to crime. Students explore the definitions, measurement, and patterns of criminal behavior, including homicide, hate crimes, assault, and white-collar crime. The course analyzes the roles of the victim and offender and the implications of public policy on crime and social control. Prerequisite: CRIM 115 or SOC 110 or SOC 120 or ANT 101. Offered Fall, Spring.

CRIM 323 Cr.3

Corrections and Penology

This course provides an interdisciplinary review of criminal punishment and correctional systems in the U.S. Students examine dominant punishment philosophies such as deterrence, incapacitation, retribution, and rehabilitation. Both institutional and community-based approaches to corrections are covered and particular attention is devoted to understanding the social context of current practices, the nature of correctional populations, and the management of correctional systems. Prerequisite: CRIM 115 or SOC 110 or SOC 120 or ANT 101. Offered Fall - Odd Numbered Years.

CRIM 324 Cr.3

Criminal Justice

This course provides an overview of the United States criminal justice system. Issues relating to various segments of the criminal justice system, such as the administration of justice, the police, courts, and correctional systems are explored. Prerequisite: CRIM 115 or SOC 110 or SOC 120 or ANT 101. Offered Fall, Spring.

CRIM 325 Cr.3

Juvenile Justice

This course provides an overview of the United States juvenile justice system. Issues relating to various segments of the juvenile justice system, such as the administration of juvenile justice, policing juveniles, juvenile courts, and juvenile correctional systems are explored. Prerequisite: CRIM 115, SOC 110, SOC 120, or PSY 100. Offered Annually.

CRIM 326 Cr.3

Sociopharmacology

This course examines the social structural factors related to drug use with emphasis on change at the societal level in dealing with the drug problem. Students examine the current and historical patterns of drug use in society. An emphasis is placed on understanding the sequence of initiation, use, and misuse of psychoactive drugs. This course focuses on the social problems and social policy aspects of drugs. Questions addressed include: How does society choose which drugs to treat as social problems? What are the potential versus real-life effects of current laws and policies intended to curb drug use? What are the treatment and prevention strategies used today? What kinds of programs are successful and why? Prerequisite: CRIM 115 or SOC 110 or SOC 120 or ANT 101. Offered Spring.

CRIM 327 Cr.3

Victimology

This course provides an overview of the field of victimology. Students learn the historical development of the study of crime victims, the causes and consequences of being victimized, as well as responses by the criminal justice system and social service agencies to crime victims. Specific types of victims and victimization are discussed within this context including victims of sexual assault, domestic/intimate partner violence, child abuse, and property crime. Prerequisite: one of the following: CRIM 115, SOC 110, SOC 120, RGS/SOC 150, SOC 225, PSY 100, or RGS 100. Offered Spring.

CRIM 328 Cr.3

Youth Rebellion

This course applies critical and cultural criminology to the study of youth resistance subcultures, examining how young people engage in deviant, delinquent, and criminalized forms of cultural rebellion. Students investigate how race, class, and gender shape subcultural experience, how criminal justice institutions and media construct and criminalize youth deviance, and how commercial culture absorbs oppositional subcultures. The course situates youth rebellion within criminological frameworks of deviance, social control, moral panic, and labeling theory, encouraging students to understand crime and deviance as cultural and political phenomena responding to broader social inequalities. Prerequisite: one of the following: CRIM 115, SOC 110, SOC 120, or ANT 101. Offered Annually.

CRIM 329 Cr.3

Crimes of the Powerful

This course examines crimes committed by political leaders, corporations, and nation-states, including economic exploitation, environmental destruction, war crimes, and corruption. Students analyze how laws, media, and institutions protect elites while criminalizing marginalized groups. Students critically evaluate the structures that enable powerful actors to break rules with impunity, understanding crime as a social and political phenomenon rather than solely individual wrongdoing. Prerequisite: CRIM 115 or SOC 110 or SOC 120. Offered Fall - Even Numbered Years.

CRIM 331 Cr.3

Restorative Justice

This course explores the fundamental principles and practices of restorative justice along with its theoretical and historical underpinnings. Students examine the needs and roles of key stakeholders in the criminal justice system (victims, offenders, communities, and justice systems), along with the strengths and weaknesses of restorative justice techniques in addressing those needs. Centered on secular, western understandings of justice, crime, and harm, this course teaches a practical, applied approach to conflict resolution, emphasizing strategies such as collaborative resolutions, mediations, and arbitration. Prerequisite: one of the following: CRIM 115, SOC 110, SOC 120, RGS/SOC 150, SOC 225, PSY 100, or RGS 100. Offered Annually.

CRIM 333 Cr.3

Human Rights Policing

This course analyzes the concept of human rights and the application to the field of criminal justice with a particular focus on policing. Students review the historical roles and functions of policing including its sinister beginnings in the United States to challenge mainstream thought and dominant discourses surrounding the criminal justice system. The class scrutinizes structures of power and the age of mass incarceration while exploring alternative and creative solutions to contemporary issues in policing. Ultimately, students learn to apply human rights principles to their understanding of police work and future careers as criminal justice professionals. Prerequisite: CRIM 115 or SOC 110 or SOC 120 or ANT 101. Offered Spring - Even Numbered Years.

CRIM 340 Cr.3

Corrections Administration

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the American correctional system. Both community and institutional corrections are covered, including diversion, probation, parole, jails, and prisons. Particular attention is given to the administrative and operational aspects of corrections, including the roles of community and institutional corrections employees. Prerequisite: CRIM 115, SOC 110, or SOC 120. Offered Annually.

CRIM 345 Cr.3

Race, Gender, and Crime

This course provides an examination of race and gender and the roles they play in victimization, offending, and the profession of criminal justice. This course explores contemporary criminal justice issues, criminological theory, and criminal justice policy, particularly as they relate to racial and ethnic minorities, women, and LGBTQ+ people. Additionally, this course explores the intersections of these social statuses as they relate to key issues in the criminal justice system. Prerequisite: one of the following: CRIM 115, SOC 110, SOC 120, RGS/SOC 150, SOC 225, PSY 100, or RGS 100. Offered Fall.

CRIM 399 Cr.3

Special Topics in Criminology

In this course students investigate areas and topics of current criminology interest not covered in the regular curriculum ranging from local to transnational issues. Repeatable for credit under different topics - maximum 12 credits. Offered Occasionally.

CRIM 409 Cr.1-3

Readings and Research in Criminology

In this course students engage in directed readings or research under the supervision of an instructor. Repeatable for credit - maximum six credits. Prerequisite: junior standing. Offered Fall, Spring.

CRIM 422 Cr.3

Seminar in Criminology

This course is designed to bridge academic learning with professional practice through community-engaged research and service learning. Students collaborate with local organizations to conduct research that addresses pressing issues in criminal justice, applying criminological theories and data analysis to develop evidence-based solutions. The course integrates guest speakers from various sectors, providing students with insight into the field and opportunities for professional networking. In addition to research and service work, students participate in career development activities including resume building and job market preparation workshops. Repeatable for credit - maximum six credits. Prerequisites: CRIM 115, SOC 200, SOC 250, CRIM 322, SOC 350. Consent of instructor. Offered Fall, Spring.

CRIM 423 Cr.3

Queer Criminology

In this course students learn about LGBTQ+ people across the fields of criminology and criminal justice by centering on their experiences. Instead of treating LGBTQ+ people as an afterthought or assuming they fit neatly into existing heteronormative understandings of crime and justice, this course will "queer" a variety of traditional topics within criminology and criminal justice including police, law, violence, juvenile justice, public health, and the media. Prerequisite: one of the following: CRIM 115, SOC 110, SOC 120, SOC 225, RGS/SOC 105, RGS/SOC 150, ANT 101, ANT 102, or PSY 100. Offered Fall.

CRIM 450 Cr.1-15

Internship in Criminology or Criminal Justice

This course is an academically relevant field experience for criminology majors and criminal justice minors. The field experience is supervised by the sociology staff. No more than six credits may be applied to the criminology major. Repeatable for credit - maximum 15 credits. Prerequisites: cumulative GPA of at least 2.50. Pass/Fail grading. Offered Annually.