Learning Outcomes

Criminology program goals provide the basis for program assessment. Specific learning objectives tied to each course will follow from these program goals and guide the evaluation of student learning.

Upon completion of the Criminology major students will demonstrate mastery of knowledge and/or skills in the following areas:

• Administration of Justice: Demonstrate knowledge of the purpose and functioning of the contemporary American criminal justice system, and distinctions between adult and juvenile justice systems.
• Criminological theory: Demonstrate knowledge of theories of crime, offender typologies, and victimology.
• Law Enforcement: Demonstrate knowledge of history, theory, practice and legal environment of law enforcement and police organizations.
• Law adjudication: Demonstrate knowledge of criminal law, criminal procedures, prosecution, defense, court procedures, and decision-making.
• Corrections: Demonstrate knowledge of the history, theory, practice and legal environment of American corrections.
• Research and analytic methods: Demonstrate knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods for conducting and analyzing ethical criminal justice research.
• Demonstrate knowledge of diversity issues in criminal justice.
• Demonstrate professional behavior in an applied setting related to criminal justice or criminology.

Chatham University Criminology

Curriculum

+Major Requirements

12 courses, including:

CRM101	Introduction to Criminal Justice This course is an introduction to U.S. criminal justice system. Topics covered include the nature of crime, law, justice, police, functions of courts, and the effectiveness of punishment and sanctions.  Also explored will be the roles of various professionals in the system to introduce students to potential career paths.	3
CRM224	Juvenile Justice Examination of biological, psychological, sociological, and ecological theories of juvenile delinquency; its historical and current legal definitions and enabling legislation; statistical resources and activity patterns; and methods of prevention, control, and treatment of juvenile delinquency. Cross-listed as SWK 224.	3
CRM225W	Criminology Criminology is the study of crime, its causes and effects. This course covers definitions and types of crime, research methods, theories of criminal behavior and responses to crime. Crimes against people, property, and organizations will be examined, and biological, psychological, and sociological explanations will be discussed. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
CRM305	Law Enforcement and Criminal Investigations Survey of the history, theory, and practice of criminal investigations conducted by law enforcement officers and private investigators. Crime scene documentation, search and seizure, interview and interrogation, suspect identification and arrest procedures are applied to both violent and property crimes. Report writing and courtroom presentation are also covered. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
CRM310	Survey of Corrections This course provides both a historical and contemporary exploration of correction methods utilized in the United States. This course examines the philosophy, theory, and practices involved in the control and behavior modification of offenders. Issues of inequality and at-risk populations are explored. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
INTCRM303	Internship - Criminology Internship - Criminology	3
CRM490	Integrative Capstone The integrative capstone, undertaken by the student during the senior year, is an extended project that helps the student complete their transition from an undergraduate student to a world-ready professional. The study usually centers on the student's major and may be conducted, at least in part, in the context of a group experience. Such programs are crafted to meet the unique needs of each major, and could include, for example, fieldwork, theater production, creative work in the arts, independent research, or independent readings. The integrative capstone in an interdisciplinary major must have the approval of both academic programs. Pre-requisites Complete all 2 of the following courses: PSY213 Statistics and Research Design PSY314W Foundations of Behavioral Research	3
PSY101	General Psychology An introduction to the scientific study of behavior with an emphasis on the origins of behavior, learning, social influences, physiological factors, individual differences, personality, and adjustment and maladjustment.	3
OR
SWK101	Introduction to Sociology This course introduces students to the basic sociological concepts, including sociological imagination, socialization, social institutions, social stratification, and social inequality. Emphasis is placed on conceptual tools necessary for the analysis of the influence of social structures on human behavior and life chances.	3
PSY213	Statistics and Research Design This course is designed to introduce students to essential research tools. Topics include frequency distributions, indices of central tendency, variability, and various inferential statistics, including nonparametric techniques. This course also examines research design procedures with an emphasis on analysis of variance. Priority given to psychology, social work and forensics majors. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: PSY101 General Psychology	3
PSY314W	Foundations of Behavioral Research This course examines the scientific method employed by social scientists. Topics include types of variables, validity and reliability, research ethics, experimentation, and field research. Students will conduct research and write scientific papers in areas of social science. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: PSY213 Statistics and Research Design	3
1 of the following or substitute electives approved by the program coordinator:
CRM220	Women and the Criminal Justice System This course focuses on three aspects of women's involvement in the criminal justice system: as victims, offenders, and professionals. Coverage will include theories and facts about women offenders, the impact of crime on women victims and survivors, and special issues facing women who pursue careers in policing, corrections and law.	3
CRM313	Special Topics This course allows in-depth exploration of a special topic in criminology. Possible topics include organized crime, the death penalty, victimization of children and adolescents, and media portrayals of forensics and forensic professionals. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
CRM320	Criminalization of Mental Illness This course explores the intersection of the criminal justice and mental health systems. Areas of focus include: the impact of governmental policies, law changes, prevalence of mental illness among offender populations, the biopsychosocial status of offenders, and interventions that assist offenders transitioning back into society. Pre-requisites Complete any 1 of the following courses: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice PSY101 General Psychology SWK101 Introduction to Sociology	3
CRM332	History of Crime and Punishment This course will provide an introduction to the historical study of crime and punishment. Specifically, the course will examine definitions of crime, goals of punishment, and how these forms of crime and punishment reflect the structure of that society within that specific historical context. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
CRM340	Violent and Predatory Crimes The criminology and victimology of violent and predatory crimes are explored from psychological, sociological, and biological perspectives. Serial, spree, rampage, and mass murder are covered. Students will gain increased understanding of violent and predatory criminals, their victims, social science research methods, forensic investigations, and criminal law. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
CRM362	What is Evil? This course will utilize an interdisciplinary framework (criminology, sociology, psychology, history, political science) to examine definitions of "evil," motivations to commit "evil" actions, social reactions to "evil," and control of "evil." Pre-requisites Complete any 1 of the following courses: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice PSY101 General Psychology	3
PSY331	Social Psychology An examination of human social behavior with an emphasis on social influences that people have upon the beliefs or behaviors of others. Representative topics include conformity, persuasion, social cognition, prejudice, aggression, and interpersonal relationships. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: PSY101 General Psychology	3
PSY333	Abnormal Behavior A study of definitions of normality and abnormality, functional and organic syndromes, theories of causation, and procedures for the diagnosis and modification of disturbed behavior. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: PSY101 General Psychology	3
PSY340	Psychopharmacology The influence of drugs on behavior and psychological state. Topics include neuron morphology, neurochemistry, principles of pharmacology, and the action and effects of psychotropic drugs. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: PSY101 General Psychology	3
SWK201W	Human Behavior in the Social Environment I This course examines the development of individuals, couples, and families from birth to death within the framework of relevant biological, psychological, sociological, and social work research and theory. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: PSY101 General Psychology	3
SWK202	Human Behavior in the Social Environment II This course is a continuation of SWK 201W. It examines the development of individuals, couples, and families from adolescence to death within social work research and theory. Also explored are systems that influence gender, race, ethnicity, social, and economic influences within the context of families, groups, organizations, institutions, and communities. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: SWK201W Human Behavior in the Social Environment I	3
SWK321	Social Welfare and Social Justice This course examines the history, development, context, and current status of the American social welfare system. The American system is compared with policies and programs in other countries. The specifics of major welfare programs such as Social Security and Temporary Aid to Needy Families are explored.	3
SWK325	Deviant Behavior This course examines deviance using sociological, criminological, and psychological perspectives. Emphasis is placed on examining the influence of social, cultural, historical, political, and economic context in the identification, labeling, and control of deviant behavior. Pre-requisites Complete any 1 of the following courses: SWK101 Introduction to Sociology CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3

+Minor Requirements

The criminology minor is primarily intended for students interested in careers in human services or criminal justice. The social science foundation of this minor particularly complements the B.A. degrees in psychology and social work available at Chatham.

2 required courses:
CRM101	Introduction to Criminal Justice This course is an introduction to U.S. criminal justice system. Topics covered include the nature of crime, law, justice, police, functions of courts, and the effectiveness of punishment and sanctions.  Also explored will be the roles of various professionals in the system to introduce students to potential career paths.	3
CRM225W	Criminology Criminology is the study of crime, its causes and effects. This course covers definitions and types of crime, research methods, theories of criminal behavior and responses to crime. Crimes against people, property, and organizations will be examined, and biological, psychological, and sociological explanations will be discussed. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
3 electives from the following, or substitute courses approved by program coordinator:
CRM220	Women and the Criminal Justice System This course focuses on three aspects of women's involvement in the criminal justice system: as victims, offenders, and professionals. Coverage will include theories and facts about women offenders, the impact of crime on women victims and survivors, and special issues facing women who pursue careers in policing, corrections and law.	3
CRM224	Juvenile Justice Examination of biological, psychological, sociological, and ecological theories of juvenile delinquency; its historical and current legal definitions and enabling legislation; statistical resources and activity patterns; and methods of prevention, control, and treatment of juvenile delinquency. Cross-listed as SWK 224.	3
CRM305	Law Enforcement and Criminal Investigations Survey of the history, theory, and practice of criminal investigations conducted by law enforcement officers and private investigators. Crime scene documentation, search and seizure, interview and interrogation, suspect identification and arrest procedures are applied to both violent and property crimes. Report writing and courtroom presentation are also covered. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
CRM310	Survey of Corrections This course provides both a historical and contemporary exploration of correction methods utilized in the United States. This course examines the philosophy, theory, and practices involved in the control and behavior modification of offenders. Issues of inequality and at-risk populations are explored. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
CRM313	Special Topics This course allows in-depth exploration of a special topic in criminology. Possible topics include organized crime, the death penalty, victimization of children and adolescents, and media portrayals of forensics and forensic professionals. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
CRM340	Violent and Predatory Crimes The criminology and victimology of violent and predatory crimes are explored from psychological, sociological, and biological perspectives. Serial, spree, rampage, and mass murder are covered. Students will gain increased understanding of violent and predatory criminals, their victims, social science research methods, forensic investigations, and criminal law. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
CRM320	Criminalization of Mental Illness This course explores the intersection of the criminal justice and mental health systems. Areas of focus include: the impact of governmental policies, law changes, prevalence of mental illness among offender populations, the biopsychosocial status of offenders, and interventions that assist offenders transitioning back into society. Pre-requisites Complete any 1 of the following courses: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice PSY101 General Psychology SWK101 Introduction to Sociology	3
CRM332	History of Crime and Punishment This course will provide an introduction to the historical study of crime and punishment. Specifically, the course will examine definitions of crime, goals of punishment, and how these forms of crime and punishment reflect the structure of that society within that specific historical context. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice	3
CRM362	What is Evil? This course will utilize an interdisciplinary framework (criminology, sociology, psychology, history, political science) to examine definitions of "evil," motivations to commit "evil" actions, social reactions to "evil," and control of "evil." Pre-requisites Complete any 1 of the following courses: CRM101 Introduction to Criminal Justice PSY101 General Psychology	3