The Criminal Justice Department Goals

1. Students will be familiar with key concepts and theories in criminology (for the Criminal Justice Program). 
   

   • Distinguish between crime and deviance.

   • Explain and compare and contrast various theories of crime causation.

   • Explain the issues concerning “victimless crime”. 

   • Explain the patterns associated with various crime typologies. 

2. Students will have a basic understanding of the criminal justice system and how it operates (fort the Criminal Justice Program).

   • Explain police culture, issues concerning police corruption and police brutality, the court system, the corrections system and alternatives to corrections. 

   • Students will be able to articulate the goals and philosophies governing the criminal justice system.

   • Students will be able to explain issues concerning crime victims.

3. Students will understand the role of evidence in Criminal Justice and will be familiar with quantitative and qualitative research methods used in the social sciences.

   • Identify basic methodological approaches and understand the role of methods in building sociological knowledge.

   • Compare and contrast basic methodological approaches for gathering data.  

   • Critically assess published research reports/articles.

   • Design and complete a research study.

   • Use data sets to answer research questions.

   • Understand and apply basic statistical tests used in the social sciences.

4. Students will be able to communicate effectively.

   • Express ideas in a clear and coherent manner in writing.

   • Express ideas in a clear and coherent manner through oral presentations.

   • Work together in teams to present group projects.

   • Demonstrate critical thinking skills including analysis, synthesis, and application of principles.

5. Students will have a basic understanding of the legal rights afforded the accused (for the Criminal Justice Program).

   • Explain the basic constitutional rights afforded to the accused.

   • Explain the exclusionary rule.