Courses Offered by Criminology

CRM 215 Career Preparation in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Acquaint students with the types of job opportunities available in the field of criminology and criminal justice including required credentials, career preparation, and the job search process. Opportunities for graduate study, along with the process of applying for more advanced education, also are discussed.

CRM 260 Criminal Law and the Courts

This course examines the basic principles, processes, and structures found in adult criminal courts in the United States and Missouri. The course also examines the nature and development of criminal law from the Common Law to its current state nationwide, with an emphasis on current Missouri criminal law.

CRM 300 Service Learning in Criminology

Prerequisite: 30 hours and concurrent registration in a Criminology course designated as service learning offering. An integrative learning experience which addresses the practice of citizenship and promotes an awareness of and participation in public affairs by incorporating community service with classroom instruction. Includes 40 hours on-task service to a community organization, agency or public service provider. The community service placement agency and service assignment will vary, dependent on the disciplinary course topic and learning objectives. May be repeated.

CRM 302 Reforming America's Prisons

This course explores the nature of confinement used by the American criminal justice system and includes a study of prisons and jails. Both the humanitarian and rehabilitative conditions of these facilities are reviewed in a critical context with attention paid to ways in which existing problems may be corrected. Prison reform is studied from a system-wide perspective recognizing the role of legislatures, courts, and the public in bringing about effective reform.

CRM 304 Sex Crimes

This course highlights sex offenses, sex offenders, victims of sex offenses and a variety of responses to sexual offending patterns. Definition of different sex crimes will be discussed, along with an examination of the violence involved and policies geared towards these types of offenses. Methods of working with sex offenders in rehabilitative efforts are also discussed.

CRM 306 Criminal Profiles: Who Did It?

This course is designed to expose students to patterns of criminal behavior within the context of justice, law and society. Students will identify and analyze the nature of the offense, the manner in which it was committed, along with various aspects of the criminal's background, behavior, and motive during and after the crime.

CRM 308 To Shoot or Not To Shoot: Ethical Dilemmas in Criminal Justice

This course examines and nature and meaning of ethical behavior within the context of the criminal justice system. Students will identify the various ethical dilemmas faced by law enforcement, courtroom and correctional practitioners, as well as examine their own views of right and wrong.

CRM 310 Investigating Motive in Hate Crime and Terrorism

The purpose of this course is to critically examine the motives behind hate crime, domestic terrorism, and foreign terrorism. Course will explore both the various types of motives as well as methods of using our understanding of motive to prevent acts of violence and disruption. Attention will be given to psychological, economic, and social factors which contribute to a hate crime or terrorism mindset.

CRM 313 Prison Violence and Disorder

This course examines the nature, extent, and causes of prison violence. It explores the psychological, environmental, cultural, and organizational factors that contribute to various forms of violence and disorder in prisons. Special emphasis is placed on identifying solutions for correctional policy and practice to reduce incidents of assault, riots, and gang disturbances in prisons.

CRM 330 Juvenile Justice

Prerequisite: CRM 210 and CRM 250 and CRM 260 and CRM 270. This course reviews the topic of juvenile delinquency, with primary focus on a review of the history, extent and significance of delinquency and traces the emergence and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system as a societal response to juvenile offenders.

CRM 340 Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Prerequisite: CRM 210 and CRM 250 and CRM 260 and CRM 270 and CRM 320. An overview of research design as applied to research on crime and justice. Topics include hypothesis formulation, sampling techniques, reliability and validity, survey construction, field observation, and evaluation research. May be taught concurrently with CRM 641. Cannot receive credit for both CRM 340 and CRM 641.

CRM 355 Current Issues in Policing

Prerequisite: CRM 210 and CRM 250 and CRM 260 and CRM 270. This course addresses a selection of contemporary issues and controversies facing police officers and law enforcement agencies. Topics covered may include, but are not limited to, problem-oriented and community policing, police use of force, racial profiling, leadership in law enforcement, and police corruption.

CRM 375 Current Issues in Corrections

Prerequisite: CRM 210 and CRM 250 and CRM 260 and CRM 270. This course addresses a selection of contemporary issues and controversies facing corrections officers and corrections agencies. Topics covered may include, but are not limited to, inmate-staff relations, inmate subculture, management issues, and reentry issues

CRM 396 Directed Readings in Criminology

Prerequisite: CRM 210 and permission of instructor. Readings designed to introduce students to new material or to supplement material introduced in previous departmental courses. May be repeated to total of 6 hours if topic changes.

CRM 410 Crime, Justice, and Gender

Prerequisite: CRM 210 and CRM 320. A sociological examination of the impact of gender on crime and justice issues. The course format relates the impact of gender to the differential treatment of women and men as offenders, victims, and professionals in the system. Possible solutions to the problems identified in the course are also explored.

CRM 420 Comparative Criminal Justice Systems

Prerequisite: CRM 210 and CRM 320. A comparative and historical study of the origins of law, crime rates, and the structure and operation of the criminal justice system in the United States as compared to other western and eastern nations. Included is the study of criminal and juvenile law, police, courts and the corrections system.

CRM 435 Evidence

Prerequisite: CRM 210 and CRM 250 and CRM 260 and CRM 270. This course critically examines the laws and rules of evidence at trial. Common law rules and the Federal Rules of Evidence are discussed, along with leading court cases.

CRM 445 Victimology

Prerequisite: CRM 210 and CRM 250 and CRM 260 and CRM 270 and CRM 320. This course examines the characteristics of crime victimization as it relates to the various components of the criminal justice system. Students will develop a better understanding of the contextual relationship between victims and offenders, as well as the role of police, courts and corrections in the dynamics of crime victimization, as well as the physical, emotional and financial impact of crime.

CRM 477 Geographic and Spatial Analysis of Crime

Prerequisite: CRM 210 and CRM 320. This course will provide an in-depth look at the history of our efforts to describe, understand, and respond to concentrations of crime across place and time. From early efforts in the 1800s to the most current research utilizing sophisticated computerized crime mapping, the questions of where, when, and why crime is most prevalent will be examined with a focus on how high-risk places and times can be addressed and prevented.

CRM 485 Drugs in Society

Prerequisite: CRM 210 and CRM 320. An important social problem facing our society today is that of drug use/abuse. This problem cuts across all cultures, as well as across social class, sex, and racial groups. It affects the economy of the country as well as the image we, as a nation, project to other peoples. It is a political issue of not just national, but also international proportions. In order to understand this problem better, this course attempts to place "drugs" in a sociological perspective and through using the sociological imagination. Solutions to the drug problem are also considered.

CRM 490 Internship in Criminology

Prerequisite: Criminology major, completion of 18 hours in the CRM major program, and permission of instructor. Faculty supervised experience in an agency related to issues of crime and justice. Students are expected to work 50 hours in the agency for each credit hour. Students must submit applications for CRM 490 no later than April 15 for subsequent summer (when offered) and fall enrollment, and November 1 for subsequent spring enrollment.

CRM 497 Special Issues in Criminology

Prerequisite: CRM 210 and permission of instructor. A variable topic course offering an in-depth analysis of one or more issues related to Criminology. May be repeated to a total of 6 hours when topic changes.

CRM 598 Senior Seminar in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Prerequisite: CRM 340; and Criminology major; and senior standing with 95 hours. This is the capstone course for Criminology majors. Students in this course will examine contemporary policy, diversity and ethical issues involving crime and justice in society. Students will complete a policy analysis paper that integrates coursework taken for the Criminology major.

CRM 657 Forensic Psychology: Child Abuse and the Law

Study of the legal issues related to child abuse and exploitation. Students will gain an understanding of the law pertaining to child cases and how interactions with children can bolster or diminish the quality of children's memory report as seen by the judicial system. The Greene County Prosecutor's Office will participate in the design of this course, thus the specific legal issues discussed will remain current and may change based on the needs of the community. Identical with PSY 657. Cannot receive credit for both CRM 657 and PSY 657.

CRM 701 Justice Administration

Prerequisite: admission to the MS in Criminology and Criminal Justice or MS in Administrative Studies with the Criminal Justice option. This course analyzes the criminal justice system in the United States emphasizing the role of criminal law, police, courts, and corrections as parts of the societal response to crime. Significant attention is given to contemporary issues facing each component of the system and implications for agency administration. A critical literature review paper is required for this course.

CRM 715 Leadership and Management in Criminal Justice

Prerequisite: admission to the MS in Criminology and Criminal Justice or MS in Administrative Studies with the Criminal Justice option. This course familiarizes students with theories, issues, and innovations related to leadership and management in criminal justice settings. Students are exposed to techniques aimed at enhancing leadership and management capabilities.

CRM 730 Juvenile Justice

This course aims to stimulate and facilitate critical and reflective thought regarding the legitimacy and effectiveness of juvenile justice policy and practice in the United States. Students analyze the mission and goals of juvenile justice systems, organizational design and managerial and staff roles, contemporary policies and programs, and methods of performance evaluation in juvenile agencies.

CRM 745 Topics in Homeland Defense and Security

Prerequisite: CRM 740. A comprehensive and integrated homeland security and defense strategy must also include the full range of elected officials, first responders, the human, animal and plant health communities, business and our citizens. In this course we will examine the application, progress and problems of the development and implementation of a homeland security/defense strategy.

CRM 747 Policing Terrorism

This course examines the role of law enforcement in counter terrorism efforts in the United States. It explores law enforcement responses to terrorism from a critical, best-practices perspective and addresses controversial strategies employed by enforcement agencies responding to terrorism within the context of a democratic government.

CRM 765 Legal Issues in Criminal Justice

This course introduces the student to the role of law and courts in the criminal justice system, with a particular focus on the relationship of the law to police investigatory procedures. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of the United States Supreme Court in interpreting the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments. Current legal issues in criminal justice will also be examined.

CRM 780 Gangs and Gang Policy

This course explores the nature and scope of street gangs and critically analyzes gang-control policies and programs. A variety of gang-related issues are discussed, including the problems inherent in defining the term "gang," the historical development and organizational structure of gangs, and gang origination, persistence, desistence, prevalence, and migration. In addition, proposed solutions to gang problems are analyzed by examining such policies and programs as gang databases, gang prosecution units, gang enhancement statues, and civil injunctions.

CRM 790 Graduate Practicum in Criminology

Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Faculty supervised experience in a criminology-related agency. Students are expected to work 45 hours in the agency for each credit hour. The practicum includes academic reflection on work experience at the agency. May be repeated for up to 6 hours.

CRM 797 Policy Analysis Capstone

Prerequisite: completion of 27 hours in the MS in Criminology and Criminal Justice program, including the completion or concurrent enrollment in CRM 701, CRM 705, CRM 715 and CRM 720; and permission of a graduate faculty member. This capstone experience requires an in-depth analysis of a specific criminal justice policy with an emphasis on demonstrating an understanding of the policy (including its historical background and current applications), specifying strengths and weaknesses, and offering suggestions for future research and improvement of the policy. This course should be taken the last semester of coursework.

CRM 799 Thesis II

Prerequisite: completion of or concurrent enrollment in CRM 701, CRM 705, CRM 715 and CRM 720; and approval of thesis prospectus by the student's thesis committee. This phase of the thesis process calls for the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and the development of final conclusions and implications. The final product must be successfully defended in front of the thesis committee.