Course Description:
CRIMLJUS 1130 Introduction to Criminal Justice
| Course Number: | CRIMLJUS 1130 |
| Course Name: | Introduction to Criminal Justice |
| Course Description: | A survey of the administration of criminal justice, including the structural components of the criminal justice system and the stages of the criminal process from the detection of crime and arrest through prosecution, adjudication, sentencing and correctional intervention; emphasis upon analysis of decisions and practices within the context of the entire criminal justice system. |
| Prerequisites: | None |
| Level: | Undergraduate |
| Credits: | 3 |
| Format: | Online |
| Semesters Offered: |
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| Registration Instructions |
Additional Information
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Understand the various components of the criminal justice system, including its origin, structure, functions, goals, and responsibilities.
- Classify crime, criminal response, and related issues.
- Evaluate the relationships between the various components of the criminal justice system and the process of administering justice.
- Identify local, state, and national offices and components of the criminal justice system.
- Develop critical thinking skills through an examination of justice in the criminal justice system and its impact on society.
- Develop and improve research and writing skills.
Unit Descriptions
Unit 1:
The first unit of this class provides an overview of the major themes of this course: what constitutes a crime and how the United States accomplishes justice. A discussion of how crime is measured is provided, as well as a brief overview of the various explanations of crime.
Unit 2:
This unit provides a review of a variety of topics related to police and policing, and includes history and structure; police organization and management; legal aspects related to police, primarily involving Fourth Amendment issues; liability and police misconduct; and problem-oriented and community-oriented policing.
Unit 3:
This unit provides an overview of the U.S. court system, including a look at the history, mission, key players, and flow of events in the criminal trial. Pleas and sentencing options are also examined.
Unit 4:
This unit reviews corrections in the United States, including the history and development of probation, parole, community corrections, and private prisons. This unit also looks at various correctional philosophies and explores the issues related to being a prisoner in the United States.
Unit 5:
This unit provides a brief overview of the juvenile justice system, primarily in terms of how it is different from the adult system.
Number of Exams
There are 4 exams for this course.
Number of Assignments
There are 5 writing assignments, 14 lesson discussions, and a research paper for this course.
Number of Projects
There are no group projects for this course.
Grading Information
Grades will be determined based on total accumulated points. Grades are not based on percentages, and, therefore, will not be rounded at the end of the semester. Your grade will reflect the points that you earned. The breakdown of points is as follows:
- 4 exams (50 points each): 200 points
- 1 research paper outline (15 points): 15 points
- 1 paper (50 points): 50 points
- 4 assignments (15 points each): 60 points
- Participation: 35 points
- Total points: 360 Points
The following grading scale will be used:
- A = 342- 360
- A- = 324-341
- B+ =307-323
- B = 299- 308
- B- =288-298
- C+ =274-287
- C = 263-273
- C- =252-262
- D+ =238-251
- D = 216- 237
F = 215 or below