Criminal Justice

The study of human social groups and the social processes that lead to both structural and cultural integration and differentiation primarily within contemporary American society.

3 CreditsS

Explores the nature of crime, the history of criminal justice, and the process of the modern justice system. 

3 CreditsS 

Examines contemporary psychological and sociological theories of behavior deviation, including crime, delinquency, substance abuse and selected other categories. Typologies for classifying and studying crime are developed and evaluated. Trends in behavior deviation, including the characteristics of offenders and victims, are critically explored. Informal and formal, as well as proactive and reactive, social control systems aimed at managing behavior deviation are described and analyzed. 

3 CreditsSPrerequisites: SO101 or AN151.

A study of elements related to the preparation of a trial through the Mock Trial setting governed by the American Mock Trial Association. Students will learn the preparation of pleadings, applicable case law to the case presented, and obtain knowledge of the Rules of Evidence. Each year, Mock Trial is offered as PS-190A during the fall semester for 3 credits and PS-190B during the spring semester for 1 credit.

3 CreditsCS 

A study of elements related to the preparation of a trial through the Mock Trial setting governed by the American Mock Trial Association. Students will learn the preparation of pleadings, applicable case law to the case presented, and obtain knowledge of the Rules of Evidence. Each year, Mock Trial is offered as PS-190A during the fall semester for 3 credits and PS-190B during the spring semester for 1 credit.

1 CreditCS 

The United States has always been a violent nation, and American writers have used that violence to explore questions of justice, truth, and human nature. This course will examine the portrayal of violence in writers from Poe to Cormac McCarthy.

3 CreditsH 

This course explores the emergence, evolution, varieties, underlying causes, and means of confronting and coming to terms with genocide and other crimes against humanity. During the course of the semester, we will examine a range of historical contexts and we will also confront tough questions about ethics, resistance, and responsibility. 

4 CreditsI, HPrerequisites: Junior or Senior standing. Sophomores require permission.

A survey of the field of conflict, this course explores the causes and consequences of social conflict. Theory and case studies are used to understand interpersonal disputes, the intricacies of groups in conflict and international issues and crisis. Emphasis is given to understanding the basic theoretical concepts of the field and developing basic conflict resolving skills.

3 CreditsS 

This course explores war and deep-rooted conflict as human problems and peace as a human potential. Students collaborate in small groups to explore a range of different approaches to peace around the world. 

3 CreditsI,SWGH2Prerequisite or corequisite: FYC or CWS 

Examines the historically valid ethical approaches to problems, i.e., pragmatic, relativistic and absolute and the application of such methods to contemporary ethical dilemmas, e.g., abortion, terrorism, euthanasia, and capital punishment.

3 CreditsH,SW-ER

An introduction to the study of public policy and its administration. The course explores the ways which power, knowledge and institutions shape adoption and evolution of public policies in western democracies. Focusing on various policy areas, the course also surveys the public bureaucracies that administer these policies, examining what government agencies do and why they do it, and assesses alternatives to public bureaucracies.

3 CreditsSPrerequisite: PS101.

Examines citizen's rights and liberties which the Constitution protects against infringement by the government. Those freedoms enumerated in the Bill of Rights are reviewed as well as the right to privacy, due process, and equal protection.

4 CreditsH, CWPrerequisites: PS101 or permission.

This class focuses on some of the debates concerning human rights: realism versus idealism; individualism versus communitarianism; universalism versus relativism; religious fundamentalism versus secularism; women's rights as human rights; liberalism versus socialism. We review the historical evolution of human rights. We devote part of the semester to the role of literature and the arts in creating and promoting human rights. 

3 CreditsI, SPrerequisite: PS102.

A brief consideration is given to the historical approaches to " mental illness, " followed by a consideration of present day classification, diagnostic measures, and therapy. Emphasis throughout is upon experimental data as applied to the various disorders.

3 CreditsSPrerequisite: PY101.

The study of human interaction and interpersonal relationships, including selected areas of current research and theory such as social perception, interpersonal communication, attitude formation and change, conformity, aggression, and interpersonal attraction. 

3 CreditsS 

This is an upper level seminar course limited to juniors and seniors. The course focus is on primary source readings from social psychology and political psychology that address the breadth of the human condition from compassion and empathy to political extremism and genocide. Topics include prejudice (racism, sexism, etc.), authoritarianism, social dominance, compassion, humanitarianism and human values.

3 CreditsS, CS 

An exploration of the factors that shape the experiences of minority group members in both domestic and global contexts. The social processes that functions to construct minority identity among racial, ethnic, gender, and ability groups are studied.

3 CreditsSPrerequisites: SO101 or AN151.

This course explores the history of substance abuse, models of addiction, physiological effects of commonly abused substances and treatment effectiveness. Some of the programs that will be examined include the 12-step program.

3 CreditsSPrerequisites: SO101.

An investigation of the stratification of American society. The roots and repercussions of social inequalities are studied with special emphasis given to inequalities relating to social class, race, ethnicity and gender. Social structures through which these inequalities are sustained are critically examined. 

3 CreditsS, CWPrerequisites: SO101 and Sophomore, Junior, or Senior standing.

The issues, trends, and challenges facing juvenile justice professionals are explored in this course. The history and philosophy of juvenile justice, processing, detention, and diversion of juvenile offenders are topics of the course.

3 CreditsCW, S, SW-ERPrerequisite: FYC-101