Criminology (CRIM)
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Introduction to the administration of justice in American society, with emphasis on the principles of policing, corrections, juvenile delinquency, criminal law, courts, and criminal procedure, as well as policy formulation.
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
An analysis of correctional processes and facilities available at the community level. Topics include: probation, parole, diversion, halfway houses, community reintegration procedures, community treatment centers, and volunteer programs. Emphasis is placed on social structure, functions, and problems of community-based programs. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
An introduction to the fundamentals of criminal investigation, including theory, history, crime scenes, and evidentiary issues. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Writing, and Math
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Study of criminal behavior and methodology; causation; typologies of criminal acts and offenders; punishment, corrections, and incapacitation; prevention of crime. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Survey of the sociological and psychological aspects of deviant behavior. Nature of deviance, types of deviant behavior, causal theories and social policy implications. (Credit may not be obtained in both CRIM 3302 and SOCI 3302.) TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
This course provides students with a basic understanding of the nature of physical evidence and its part in our criminal justice system, an introduction to basic scientific and legal principles involved with the utilization of physical evidence, methods of analysis, and value in case work. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Writing, and Math
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
This course is designated to introduce students to the world of illegal drugs and the criminal justice response to them. Throughout the course we will discuss the use of certain psychoactive drugs before they were banned, the process of making drugs illegal and the current laws we have in place for psychoactive drugs, how drugs work in the body to produce their effects, the drug/crime connection, and the specific psychoactive drug categories. The major goal of this course is to teach students how to think critically about drug use and drug related issues. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Incidences, types, causation, patterns, processes, treatment agencies and research as related to juvenile delinquency. (Credit may not be obtained in both CRIM 3322 and SOCI 3322.) TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Examines community measures of crime control and the social, political, economic issues affecting them. Specific emphasis will be given to situational crime prevention, community corrections, community policing and the geographic distribution of crime within urban areas. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
The purpose of this course will be to analyze images of crime and the criminal justice system that are presented through the major mass media within America, including a detailed analysis of media institutions, America pop culture, and the construction of crime and justice. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Writing, and Math
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Critique of the differing policies, practices, and operations of crime and justice internationally. Specific attention will be directed to U.S./Mexico, U.S./Canada, and U.S./European relations. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Examines the central issues of enforcing law and promoting public safety in society with emphasis placed on both internal organizational issues of police administration and external enforcement operations. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
This course covers major policy issues dealing with crime control and the criminal justice system. Law enforcement, corrections, civil liberties, and court processes are main areas in which public opinion and policy are in current controversy and debate. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
An overview of the various economic, social, and political factors that influence criminal justice organizations as well as the policies these agencies create. The course also examines major theories and structures of criminal justice organizations. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Examines cultural, historical, biographical, political, economic, crime and violence related border security and protection issues that influence criminal justice organizations, the criminal justice system, and national security. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Overview of intelligence and security issues defines critical terms and methodologies. Examines intelligence issues that influence criminal justice organizations, the criminal justice system, and national security and reviews the history of the intelligence community and intelligence practices in the United States. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Examines methods of crime and justice research. Topics include the nature of scientific inquiry, framing a research problem, choosing a research design, developing hypotheses, sampling designs, and measuring variables. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Overview of the law, definition of crime, general principles of criminal responsibility, elements of major crimes, punishments, and conditions or circumstances that may excuse from criminal responsibility or mitigate punishment. Particular emphasis is on the penal laws of the State of Texas. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Examines the structure of the court system in the United States, the constitutional basis for criminal procedure, the criminal justice process, including the pretrial process, the role of prosecutors, grand juries and defense attorneys in trial, plea bargaining and guilty pleas, and the appeal process. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credit: 1 (0-0-1)
Supervised research experience in criminology. Student will assist with a research project under the individual guidance of a faculty member. Requirements may include library research, data collection, data entry, statistical analysis, manuscript drafting, and/or assistance in planning and conducting parts of a research project. A paper on the research experience is required. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 semester hours of credit. Total cumulative hours in CRIM 4384, CRIM 4284, and CRIM 4184 may not exceed 6 hours. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated 1 time(s).
Credits: 2 (0-0-2)
Supervised research experience in criminology. Student will assist with a research project under the individual guidance of a faculty member. Requirements may include library research, data collection, data entry, statistical analysis, manuscript drafting, and/or assistance in planning and conducting parts of a research project. A paper on the research experience is required. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 semester hours of credit. Total cumulative hours in CRIM 4384, CRIM 4284, and CRIM 4184 may not exceed 6 hours. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated 1 time(s).
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
An in-depth examination of law and society through the philosophy and evolution of legal systems and legal institutions. The major functions of law as agents of social control, dispute resolution and societal engineering are addressed. (Credit may not be obtained in both CRIM 4320 and SOCI 4320.) TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
This course introduces students to the history and background of American corrections and the central theories of punishment and treatment. Special attention will be devoted to contemporary practices and problems facing the correctional system, such as prisoner management, offender rehabilitation, and programs designed to maintain security within the prison. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Literature and research in the area of criminology not otherwise treated in depth in available courses. Topics will vary according to needs, interests, and capability of the instructor. May be repeated once for credit when topic differs. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated 1 time(s).
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
An in-depth view of the social structural and organization factors leading to the development of organized and white collar criminal activity from a sociological perspective. The nature, extent, types, costs, structure and control of these crimes will be treated.
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
An in-depth view of the social, structural, organizational, and criminological factors leading to the development of white collar crime and criminal activity; the nature, extent, types, costs, structure, and control of white collar crime will be addressed. Along with their explanations, theories, accounts, investigation, adjudications, and regulations, this course will provide an in-depth view and an examination of the social, structural, occupational, political and organizational/corporate factors leading to the development of white collar criminal activity. Through critical analysis, discussions, presentations, and research, students will trace, present, and report on the evolution of white collar crime and related criminal activity. Readings will include factual accounts of the United States and international Criminal Justice system partners, white collar crime initiatives and current intelligence reports as they relate to criminology, criminal justice, and public media sources. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, and Writing.
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
From mainstream media to movies to books, the topic of organized crime, i.e., who they are, what they do, and how do they do it, has fascinated, frustrated and inspired imaginations all around the world. What looks glamorous, or exciting, or profitable is deadly, destructive, costly, and increasingly difficult to control by conventional elements of the criminal justice system. Along with their explanations, theories, accounts, investigations, adjudications, and regulations, this course will provide an in-depth view of the social, structural, and organizational factors leading to the development of organized crime activity. Through critical analysis, discussions, presentations, and research, students will trace, present, and report on the evolution of organized crime and related criminal activity such as human, drug, and weapons trafficking, cartel activity, public corruption, crimes against people, crimes against property, bulk money transfers and money laundering. Readings will include factual accounts of the United States and international criminal justice system, partner's organized crime initiatives and current intelligence reports as they relate to criminology, criminal justice, national security, and public media sources. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing.
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
An examination of the historical role of crime victims, nature of victimization in modern society, the victimization process, solutions to victimization and victim's rights. Emphasis given to the social, legal, psychological and societal aspects of victimization. Victim/offender interaction and societal response to victimization will also be examined. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Gangs and gang behavior from a cross-cultural perspective. The historical evolution of gangs in America and Europe. Emphasis on the causes, consequences and social control of gangs in society. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Types of violence from a historical and cross-cultural perspective, identifying and delineating patterns of violent behavior. Social structure and culture are linked to violence and examined in the context of individuals, groups, and societies. Emphasis is placed on the social control of violence. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
This course examines the relationship of mental illness to crime by reviewing current empirical research. Programs and policies concerning the treatment of mentally disordered persons are also covered. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
The capstone course for the Criminology degree major. The course integrates theory with practical aspects of the criminal justice system. Specific interest is given to contemporary research in criminology, including policing, corrections and judicial systems. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (0-0-3)
Credits: 3 (3-0-0)
Statistics for students in criminology. Emphasis on descriptive and inferential techniques with a focus on criminology and criminal justice issues. Basic concepts include organizing and analyzing data, interpreting results, and choosing appropriate statistical techniques for specific research questions. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Credits: 3 (0-0-3)
Supervised research experience in criminology. Students will assist with a research project under the individual guidance of a faculty member. Requirements may include library research, data collection, data entry, statistical analysis, manuscript drafting, and/or assistance in planning and conducting parts of a research project. A paper on the research experienced is required. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 semester hours of credit. TSI Restriction(s): Reading, Math, and Writing
Restrictions: Graduate level students may not enroll.
Repeat Status: Course may be repeated 1 time(s).