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Criminal Justice 104: Introduction to Criminology
Varies; self-paced.
August 2013 - Present.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: identify and explain the fundamental concepts that make up the criminology field; summarize the historical context behind various major theories of crime and criminal behavior, and the elements of the criminal enterprise; distinguish criminology theories and how they relate to modern research and societal experiences; compare different methods of measuring crime in the United States; evaluate different ways agencies collects and present crime data; define and categorize distinct types of crime, punishments, and societal responses to criminal activity; understand victimology, its history, and how it relates to criminology.
The course is self-paced, and instruction is delivered through online video and text lessons. Students are assessed through quizzes and a proctored final exam. Topics include: Introduction to criminology; crime categories, characteristics and elements; measuring crime through criminal justice research; crime patterns and trends; victimization in criminal justice; rational choice and trait theories in criminology; social structure and social process theories in criminology; social conflict theories and restorative justice; developmental theories of crime; overview of violent crime; types of murder; types of sex crimes; basics of property crime; economic and public order crimes; crimes of moral turpitude; political crime and terrorism; understanding cyber crime; American criminal justice systems; law enforcement in America; and punishment and corrections.
In the lower division baccalaureate/associate degree category, 3 semester hours in Criminal Justice, Administration of Justice, or Public Justice (8/17) (10/22 revalidation).