Course Descriptions of Molloy College New York
CRJ 501 MODERN AMERICAN JUSTICE
This course provides an overview of current American criminal justice theories and practices. The focus of the class is on developing an in-depth understanding of criminality and police practices with respect to American justice. Particular emphasis will be placed on practical applications. Current theoretical approaches to understand American justice will be studied as well as modern American policing. 30 lecture hours per semester.
3 Credits.
CRJ 502 CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND LEGAL ISSUES
This course will critically examine constitutional and legal issues which are essential components of the modern criminal justice system of the United States. In recent decades, court cases and legislation have had a profound impact in shaping our modern criminal justice system. Examples of court cases and their progeny that will be examined include Miranda v. Arizona, Terry v. Ohio and Mapp v. Ohio among others. Theories on the judiciary will also be examined such as the additional model versus the legal model of jurisprudence. 30 lecture hours. 3 Credits.
CRJ 503 RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
This course provides the student with a graduate-level introduction to criminal justice research, statistics, and methodologies. Criminal justice research keeps policy makers and social scientists informed of vital updates in the field. As such, research techniques and methods will be strongly emphasized. Both qualitative and quantitative studies will be critically analyzed. In addition, the course will closely examine the scientific method and how this method influences research. Prerequisites: Undergraduate statistics course or permission of Director. 30 lecture hours per semester. 3 Credits.
CRJ 504 ETHICS AND MORALITY IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Ethics and morality are incorporated into every aspect of criminal justice. From the police officer patrolling the street, to the parole officer checking on his/her parolees, the role of ethics and morality should not be underestimated. This course examines real-life ethical decisions that occur everyday in the criminal justice field. Using case studies and hypothetical scenarios, the student will be able to understand the complexities of criminal justice ethics. 30 lecture hours. 3 Credits.
CRJ 510 VIOLENCE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
Violence has become commonplace to Americans. This course will provide an overview of the nature of American society and explore why American society, in particular, is so violent. This course will examine violence through case studies of American violence including: workplace violence, relationship violence, child abuse, organizational violence, school violence, gang violence, militia violence, serial killers, and other types of violence. Prerequisites CRJ 501 and CRJ 503. 30 lecture hours per semester. 3 Credits.
CRJ 511 CRIMINAL JUSTICE TECHNOLOGY
Technology has revolutionized the field of criminal justice. From policing to after-the-fact crime analysis, the use of technology has greatly advanced the war on crime. Some hands-on examples of these techniques will be demonstrated; DNA fingerprinting, photographic imaging, bomb detection, and other developments in technology will be covered. Additionally, technology has also created severe problems for law enforcement. The availability of information to construct Weapons of Mass Destruction or even fairly destructive bombs are now commonplace. Also, criminals have the ability to commit crime transnationally using computers. Such problems for law enforcement will be closely examined. Prerequisites: CRJ 501, 503, and permission of the Director. 30 lecture hours per semester. 3 Credits.
CRJ 512 DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
This course provides an overview of terrorism with a focus on the United States. It will examine the history, the threat of terrorism on U.S. soil, efforts by American officials at identifying priorities and solutions, future threats, and the impact on society. Prerequisites: CRJ 501 and CRJ 503. 30 lecture hours per semester. 3 Credits.
CRJ 513 Modern Law Enforcement
This course provides a thorough survey of modern law enforcement agencies and practices and how these aspects have evolved over time. Topics include the professionalization of police officers, community policing, broken windows, Compstat,
and how these influence law enforcement administration and procedure. Prerequisites: CRJ 501. 30 lecture hours per semester. 3 Credits.
CRJ 514 SURVEY OF INTERNATIONAL MODERN JUSTICE SYSTEMS
This course will survey various justice systems throughout the world. It will focus on a wide variety of countries: India, Brazil, China, Nigeria, Russia, United States, and others. Each country’s system will be explored and evaluated. Specific issues regarding each country will be addressed. For example, the Russian Federation, as a new democracy, is dealing with many problems, especially but not exclusively, corruption. These issues will be closely examined country by country. Additionally, the interconnections between countries and the handling of transnational crime will be addressed. Prerequisites: CRJ 501 and CRJ 503. 30 lecture hours per semester. 3 Credits.
CRJ 515 ADVANCED CRIMINAL JUSTICE INTERNSHIP
This course provides an internship in a criminal justice agency. This course provides a real-life experience in the field. The student will spend a minimum of 150 hours interning in a criminal justice agency performing supervised fieldwork. The student will learn through both observation and some participation. This class is designed for those who are not criminal justice practitioners. Prerequisites: CRJ 501 and permission of Director. 3 Credits
CRJ 516 ADVANCED RESEARCH METHODS AND STATISTICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
This course provides an in-depth overview of advanced criminal justice research methods. The topics covered include the use of multivariate statistics as well as additional advanced
methods. The student will utilize advanced methods in writing their own research paper. The importance of scientific research in criminal justice will be stressed. The course is designed for students interested in research and perhaps advancing to the doctoral level of study. Prerequisites: CRJ 501, CRJ 503, undergraduate statistics course, and permission of Director. 30 lecture hours per semester. 3 Credits.
CRJ 517 IDEOLOGY, SOCIOECONOMICS, AND POLITICS OF CRIME AND TERRORISM
The role that ideology and socioeconomic factors play in crime and punishment are enormous in American society. This course will analyze how the topic of crime traditionally
has been used by politicians seeking public support. The influences that social and economic factors have on criminal behaviors and criminal justice reactions will be investigated. Additionally, this course will focus on how terrorism is used as an ideological and political pawn, and how this “use” of crime and terrorism is received by the public when these political promises fail. Prerequisites: CRJ 501. 30 lecture hours per semester.
3 Credits.
CRJ 518 MODERN CORRECTIONAL SYSTEMS
In American society, the reliance on formal social control mechanisms to restrict unwanted behaviors is exceptional. The United States has one of the most populous criminal justice
systems in the world. Strategies employed by correctional 13 agencies to change behaviors will be explored. Discussion will focus on both traditional and non-traditional methods. Emphasis will be placed on evaluating and critiquing these strategies. Prerequisites: CRJ 501. 30 lecture hours per semester. 3 Credits.
CRJ 590 ADVANCED TOPICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
This course will focus on topics, updated each semester, that reflect the ever-changing and evolving field of criminal justice. These topics will not duplicate issues discussed in other criminal justice graduate course. Discussion of the topic will include an in-depth analysis of research findings in the field. Prerequisites: CRJ 501. 30 lecture hours per semester.
3 Credits.