Skip to main content

National College Credit Recommendation Service

Board of Regents  |  University of the State of New York

LawShelf Educational Media | Evaluated Learning Experience

Basics of Criminal Law (CRM-101)

Length: 

Various (self-study, self-paced).

Location: 
Various, distance learning format.
Dates: 

December 2021 - Present. 

Instructional delivery format: 
Online/distance learning
Learner Outcomes: 

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: describe the purposes and policy reasons behind the criminal justice system; determine whether sufficient actus reus and mens rea exist in a given case for a person to be criminally prosecuted; apply the common law elements for various crimes; apply the elements of various crimes as they differ from the common law elements in many jurisdictions; and determine whether defenses to criminal charges apply to given fact patterns.

Instruction: 

The Basics of Criminal Law course surveys crimes and their punishments under the state and federal justice systems in the United States. The course focuses on the natures and elements of the most common crimes and criminal law defenses. Other topics focus on the sources of criminal law, including state statutes, case law, and the Model Penal Code.

Credit recommendation: 

In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Criminal Law, Criminal Justice, or Administration of Justice (6/21).

Top