CJ 101: INTRODUCTION TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM
(5 Credits)
This course provides an overview of the
criminal justice system in the United States. Students gain an
understanding of the philosophy and development of the criminal
justice system, the current state of the criminal justice
agencies and institutions, and the issues and challenges facing
them.
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.
CJ 102: CRIMINOLOGY I
(5 Credits)
This course presents a framework for studying the nature and causes of crime and antisocial behavior. It focuses on explanations provided through criminal topologies and criminological theories, using a variety of multidisciplinary perspectives. Topics range from crime causation to the extent of crime, victimization, social and psychological theories, and various types of criminality including violent, property, and public order offenses.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.
CJ 210: CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
(5 Credits)
This course explains the importance and legal
significance of evidence. It demonstrates how the investigative
process works, from crime scene preservation to case preparation
and courtroom presentation. It also examines various techniques
used during criminal investigations, such as photography,
interviewing, evidence handling, and scene reconstruction, and
how each applies to specific types of crimes.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.
CJ 216: COMPUTERS, TECHNOLOGY, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
(5 Credits)
This course is an introduction to information
systems used within the criminal justice system at the local,
state, and federal levels. Included is an overview of existing
systems, the impact of technology upon criminal justice agencies,
and a summary of future needs.
Prerequisites Required:
Any College Composition I
course
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.
CJ 227: CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
(5 Credits)
This course examines the constitutional
protection and due process afforded every person arrested in the
United States. It provides students with a thorough understanding
of the U.S. justice system from the time of arrest through the
sentencing of the criminal off ender. In addition, this course
examines such matters as victims' rights and the effects of gangs
on the crime problem.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.
CJ 230: CRIMINAL LAW FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE
(5 Credits)
In this course, students learn how to identify
the elements of a crime and to categorize crimes by type,
including homicide, crimes against the person, and crimes against
property or habitation. Students learn about criminal capacity,
different defenses, and who may be considered parties to a
crime.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.
CJ 340: APPLIED CRIMINAL JUSTICE ETHICS
(6 Credits)
This course teaches students the fundamentals
of morality and ethics in the context of applied criminal
justice. Topics covered include the role of ethics as it pertains
to the recruitment, hiring, and promotion of personnel; the
mission of the criminal justice system; the importance of
maintaining public trust; the responsible use of discretionary
authority; the devastating consequences of official misconduct
and recommendations for its control; the importance of
organizational leadership; the role of training; and the future
of the criminal justice system.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.
CJ 490: RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
(6 Credits)
This course is designed to provide students
with a fundamental understanding of applied research in the
context of criminal justice. Topics covered include quantitative,
qualitative, evaluative, and predictive research; principles of
the scientific perspective; research ethics; methodology and
design; sampling procedures; survey research; nonreactive data
collection techniques; measurement of data; relationships between
variables; descriptive statistics; and preparing and reading
research reports.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101; may not be taken concurrently with CJ
499
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.
300/400-LEVEL MAJOR ELECTIVES
(24 Credits)
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.
CJ 499: BACHELOR'S CAPSTONE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
(6 Credits)
This course is designed as the culminating
experience of the baccalaureate program in criminal justice. This
course comprises a series of assignments that integrate concepts
from the criminal justice curriculum. The assignments are
designed to test application and critical thinking skills as
students work through fact-based scenarios and analyze issues
affecting contemporary practice.
Prerequisites Required:
Last term or permission of the
Dean
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.
CJ 343: COMPARATIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS
(6 Credits)
This course compares and contrasts justice
systems around the world. Topics covered include crime on the
world scene, legal traditions, substantive law and procedural
law, and an international perspective on policing, the courts,
corrections, and juvenile justice. The study of other cultures
and countries is an important feature of a comprehensive
educational experience. In this course, students discuss the
positive and negative attributes of the various justice systems
of England, France, Sweden, Japan, and
Russia.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
CJ 444: MANAGING CRIMINAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS
(6 Credits)
This course deals with concepts and theory in
the field of organizational behavior. The course focuses on the
historical perspectives of organizational theorists, theories of
motivations and leadership, and future trends and developments in
modern organizations.
CJ 350: ORGANIZED CRIME
(6 Credits)
The course investigates the international
phenomenon of organized crime from historical origins through
future trends in organized criminal enterprise. Special emphasis
is given to domestic organized crime involving different racial
and ethnic groups. Law enforcement's efforts to describe,
understand, and combat organized crime are
discussed.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
CJ 345: SUPERVISORY PRACTICES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
(6 Credits)
This course combines state-of-the-art
behavioral theory with numerous cases that allow students to
identify and resolve personnel and organizational problems. It
prepares students for effective police management and
supervision.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.
CJ 212: CRIME PREVENTION
(5 Credits)
This course provides an overview of the
diverse field of crime prevention with a heavy emphasis on
primary prevention and a minor focus on secondary and tertiary
prevention. Students will explore such elements of crime
prevention as physical environmental design, the role of the
community and the mass media, deterrence, community policing,
school programs, drug abuse issues, and
rehabilitation.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
CJ 266: DEVIANCE AND VIOLENCE
(5 Credits)
This course explores research in the field of
behavioral deviance. Students analyze case studies of various
types of serial killers, focusing on causal explanations, police
investigative strategies, and research-based recommendations for
preventing and responding to these violent acts. Students also
examine the responses of the justice system and victimization
profiles, along with situational factors such as victim-off ender
relationships. This course presents a special concentration on
stalking, domestic violence, abusive behavior, and public policy
efforts to reduce the threat of violence.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
CJ 215: EXPLORATION OF COMPUTER CRIME
(5 Credits)
This course will explore the historical
foundations of computer/high-tech crime and will make concrete
connections to current issues. It is designed so that students
develop an understanding of the multidisciplinary relationships
involved in computer crime. It will begin with a review of
computer crime and an exploration of what is being protected. The
course will explore sociological and theoretical aspects of
computer crime, including the social and economic impact of
cybercrime. Additional topics will examine laws and regulations,
how to prevent cybercrime, and future trends in the management of
high-tech computer crime.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
CJ 233: INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
(5 Credits)
This course introduces the student to the
field of forensic psychology and encourages the student to
examine the legal system through the use of psychological
concepts, methods, and research results. Topics covered include
the theories of crime, the role of psychology in the legal
system, the police and the criminal justice system, and the use
of forensic assessments in both criminal and civil cases. Using
case law and landmark Supreme Court decisions, the student will
explore the foundations of forensic psychology and its impact on
the criminal justice system.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
CJ 293: INVESTIGATING TERRORISM
(5 Credits)
This course covers the contemporary issues
faced by the U.S. government and criminal justice professionals
in containing terrorism. Students discuss and evaluate government
strategies in combating terrorism. They also explore important
issues linked to terrorism, including the effects on federal
laws, the use of the media by terrorists, and the impact on civil
liberties and the economy.
CJ 264: WHITE-COLLAR CRIME
(5 Credits)
This course examines the various types of
white-collar crime, as well as the methods used to investigate
and prosecute economic crime. This course also includes a study
of the economic, social, and political impact of white-collar
crime on society.
Prerequisites Required:
CJ 101
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.
CS 121: PATHWAYS TO ACADEMIC SUCCESS (ONSITE ONLY)
(5 Credits)
Designed to facilitate personal and professional success, this course introduces students to the purposes and processes of university education. An emphasis is placed on study, communication, and thinking skills that support academic achievement. Students also examine the relationship between learning and motivation. (Onsite only)
CJ 100: PREPARING FOR A CAREER IN PUBLIC SAFETY
(5 Credits)
This
course introduces students to careers in criminal justice and describes the
Kaplan University public safety degree programs. The field of study, skill
sets, and the criminal justice agencies and diverse populations encountered in the
field will be discussed. Students will research the public safety degree
program and class offerings in conjunction with their professional and personal
goals in order to map out their specific degree plan and career goals. This
course is designed to ensure criminal justice students have a successful social
and academic transition into academic excellence within the Kaplan University
community, and provide a foundation for success within the profession.
Total
Major
Credits:
88
Total Program Credits: 180
*Online students will take CJ 100: Preparing for a Career in Public Safety.