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Course Listing for Criminology & Justice Studies

All courses, arranged by program, are listed in the catalog. If you cannot locate a specific course, try the Advanced Search. Current class schedules, with posted days and times, can be found on the NOW/Student Dashboard or by logging in to SiS.


Criminological Theory: Foundations (Formerly CRIM 501/521)

Description

This course provides a detailed examination of the best known and most influential theories of crime causation. Topics include: theory construction, hypothesis testing, theory integration, and the links among theory, research, and policy.

Administration of Justice (Formerly 44.503/CRIM 520)

Description

An examination of the components of the criminal justice system and a review of the administration of federal, state and local criminal justice agencies, including a focus on criminal law and procedure.

Managing Justice Organizations (Formerly 44.570/CRIM 521)

Description

A range of criminal justice management issues are addressed, including organizational structure, purpose, rewards and relationships, leadership and management styles, and the development of effective change strategies by criminal justice agencies. The complex role of the criminal justice manager in both the adult and juvenile justice system is emphasized.

Issues in Policing

Description

The course provides a foundation for understanding policing in the United States. The American public has voluntarily given the police the right to use coercive force; and yet, the modern police force is often taken for granted with little analysis of its function in a free society. The implications of this function provide the context for the current course, which reviews fundamental issues, both historical contemporary, in policing a democratic society. Such issues include, but are not limited to: the police function, culture, discretion, misconduct, legitimacy, accountability, and contemporary reforms.

Issues in Corrections (Formerly 44.550/CRIM 524)

Description

This course reviews the development of institutional corrections and the issues surrounding the punishment of criminals in secure settings. The course also surveys the management of correctional institutions, including custody, classification, reception, programming, release, staffing, scheduling, collective bargaining, prisoners' rights, and other related issues.

Juvenile Justice and Youth Crime (Formerly CRIM.525)

Description

Examines the historical development of juvenile justice in the U.S., how the juvenile justice system operates, the rationale for treating juveniles differently from adults, and the extent of youth crime in the United States according to official statistics and self-report data.

Criminal Profiling (Formerly 44.542/CRIM 540)

Description

An overview of the development and characteristics of violent offenders, some of whom will evolve to become criminal psychopaths. The class provides an analytical understanding of the unique characteristics of serial criminals and the methodologies used to commit their crimes.

Forensic Psychology (Formerly 44.543/CRIM 541)

Description

This course applies psychological theories, principles, and research to issues of concern to the criminal justice system with a special focus on the intersection of the mental health and criminal justice systems.

Gender, Race & Crime (Formerly 44.560)

Description

The implications of criminal laws, criminal justice practices and programs. Focus on inequalities based on gender, race and class.

Transportation Systems Safety and Security (Formerly 44.566)

Description

This course will look at safety, security and emergency management with regard to transportation operations; multi-modal transportation security threats, vulnerabilities, risk and strategies to mitigate and incident; and the security of supply chains and critical infrastructure. The course will use case studies to provide the student with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively safeguard the movement of assets within interconnected transportation networks.

Prerequisites

Pre-req: CRIM.5740 Overview of Homeland Security

Technology, Crime, and Criminal Justice

Description

This course will examine the history and evolving nature of the relationship between technology, crime, and criminal justice. We will study major issues in technocrime and cybercrime with particular focus of (I) use of technology in committing crime, (II) Technology for crime prevention, (III) technology for punishment, and (IV) crime prevention and prediction. This course will be taught specifically for non-computer science majors, although students with computer science backgrounds are welcome to join for the experience that they can bring to class discussions.

Crisis and Emergency Management (Formerly 44.513/CRIM 570)

Description

This course will provide a broad introduction to the critical challenges of disaster management. The course will address past and present strategies for reducing and responding to hazards posed by both manmade and natural disasters. Emphasis will be placed on what we can learn from the history of disasters, and on how we can apply those lessons to the management of future events.

Domestic Terrorism and Violent Extremism (Formerly 44.526/CRIM 571)

Description

This course examines the evolution and contemporary nature of domestic terrorist threats and violent extremist movements that the U.S. has confronted over the past several decades. Special attention is focused on right-wing militias, religious extremists, racial supremacist/hate groups, and extreme environmental and animal rights groups. Students will also learn about political and socioeconomic factors that enable a terrorist group's ideological resonance, prison radicalization, the role of the Internet in mobilizing individuals toward violent behavior, and the legal and criminal justice dimensions of responses to terrorism.

Comparative Terrorism and Counterterrorism (Formerly 44.549/CRIM 572)

Description

This course examines a broad spectrum of terrorist groups and counterterrorism responses in over a dozen countries, including Colombia, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Northern Ireland/UK, Pakistan, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Yemen. This comparative analysis will help students develop and understanding of patterns and trends within political violence (including radicalization, tactics, financing, targeting behavior, malevolent creativity, disengagement and de-radicalization) and the many different policies and strategies adopted by governments in response to terrorist threat.

Threat Assessment and Risk Management (Formerly 44.554/CRIM 573)

Description

The goal of this course is to enhance understanding and increase expertise regarding risk management and the impact of terrorism on economic and other critical infrastructures in the United States. The course will provide the tools (operational and statistical) and technology required to mitigate these risks. A second purpose of the course is to examine and critically discuss current and future methods to create best practices in security management.

Overview of Homeland Security (Formerly 44.567/CRIM 574)

Description

The U.S. has embraced the homeland security monolith without a full understanding of what it encompasses. This course provides a comprehensive overview of homeland security and defense as undertaken in the United States since 9/11. The course critically examines the current body of knowledge with a specific focus on understanding security threats, sources, and reasons for these threats. The roles of the key players at the federal, state and local levels, the policies and procedures enacted since 9/11, and the homeland security system in practice are also examined.

Contemporary Security Studies (Formerly 44.568/CRIM 575)

Description

This course examines the complex nature of key domestic and international security threats and responses. Topics include terrorism and insurgency, transnational organized crime, WMD proliferation, cyber-security, intelligence, national and homeland security strategies, critical infrastructure protection, and theories of international security.

Intelligence Analysis Policy and Practice (Formerly CRIM.578)

Description

Students will examine the tradecraft of intelligence collection and analysis from various perspectives. Topics will include strategies, tactics, legal and ethical implications, sources, means, methods, limitations, covert action, methods of analysis, and case studies of prominent intelligence successes and failures in the last half century.

Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience

Description

This course will develop an in-depth understanding of the 16 Critical Infrastructure sectors in the U.S.; federal, state and local government regulations and strategies to ensure resilience; the planning, processes and physical, operational and systems measures to protect and harden critical infrastructure; and the interdependency among these sectors and between operations and infrastructure in light of national and homeland security.

Master's Thesis - Criminal Justice (Formerly 44.743/CRIM 583)

Description

There is currently no description available for this course.

Master's Thesis - Criminal Justice (Formerly 44.746/CRIM 586)

Description

There is currently no description available for this course.

Strategic Intelligence and Homeland Security (Formerly 44.588)

Description

This course is designed to provide an overview of the past, present, and future role of intelligence in national security. The course addresses the development and institutional structure of intelligence organizations and explains their purpose, roles, responsibilities, and realms of authority. It also provides an overview on oversight and accountability of intelligence agencies, intelligence cultures, the impact of technology, the development of collection and analytic capabilities, and the iteraction between intelligence and policy. The course makes extensive use of case studies to examine incidents where intelligence played a significant role and the dilemmas in its application, primarily in the areas of national security and military policy.

Descriptive & Inferential Statistics (Formerly 44.580/44.590)

Description

This course is a rigorous introduction to statistical inference: probability theory, confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests. The course also covers regression analysis, which is developed in a non-technical way, with an emphasis on interpretation of regression results, using examples from recent research.

Research Design (Formerly CRIM.591)

Description

Research design is a graduate-level introduction to methodology as used in criminology/criminal justice. The course surveys the research design enterprise and covers a host of issues on the measurement and collection of data, and other procedures that influence whether a research study will lead the investigator to scientifically rigorous information. This course explains various strategies for devising social science studies, compares the relative benefits of various designs, and identifies the tools necessary to conduct studies that will yield data worthy of analysis and interpretation. This material will be valuable for students who will conduct research and administrators who must evaluate the research of others.

From Data to Practice and Policy

Description

This course provides students with the tools and understanding needed to collect, process, and analyze data, turn it into useful information, and communicate knowledge to a variety of audiences via written and visual means. Students will earn how they can take unprocessed, messy, and complex data from a variety of sources, turn this into something useful (and reliable), and then effectively communicate the underlying 'so what' to other people to help influence policy and practice.As part of this process, students will learn the skills needed to spot incomplete, suspect, and/or fake data, and to identify misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda. Students will learn these skills through a combination of different modalities. At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to produce their own impactful policy briefs and data visualizations to effectively communicate impactful information to a variety of audiences.

Program Evaluation (Formerly 44.595)

Description

A detailed examination of methods of evaluating criminal justice programs. Focuses on both process and outcome evaluation.

Curricula Practical Training (Formerly 44.5CO-OP)(Never Offered)

Description

Curricula Practical Training

Professional Development

Description

This course is designed to support the professional development of doctoral students as they pursue a research-oriented graduate degree. Specific material will sensitize students to the expectations for the quality of their work, as well as enhance preparation for developing a research agenda, publishing scholarly manuscripts, seeking external funding, and navigating the job market. This course will also discuss topics relevant to preparing graduate students for teaching at the undergraduate level, including course development, lecture/activity planning, and classroom management.

Criminological Theory Advanced (Formerly 44.601)

Description

The course examines contemporary criminological thought by assessing major theories that anchor the discipline of criminology. Also explores the causal structure of these theories, the level of analysis at which they reside, the assumptions that underlie them, their strengths and weaknesses, and their policy implications.

Prerequisites

Pre-req: CRIM 501 Criminological Theory: Foundations, and CJC-PHD students only.

Nature and Extent of Crime and Criminals (Formerly CRIM 602)

Description

Exposes students to the major measurement methods for the incidence of crime and prevalence of criminals. Students will become versed in using data derived from any of the three primary sources of crime statistics: police-based measures (UCR, NIBRS), victim surveys (NCVS), and self-reports of criminal behavior (Monitoring the Future, National Youth Survey).

Prerequisites

PhD Students only, or Instructor Permission.

Correlates of Crime and Justice (Formerly CRIM 603)

Description

This course examines the nature of the relationships among attributes and indices at the individual, situational, and aggregate levels to various forms of crime and systems of justice. The implications of criminal laws, criminal justice practices, and programs are examined with a focus on inequalities based on gender and race.

Prerequisites

PhD Students only, or Instructor Permission.

Advanced Theory of Political Violence

Description

The course aims to provide advanced understanding of the various ways in which social scientists explain the manifestations of political violence, such as terrorism, insurgency, and political assassinations. Theories from the fields of political science, sociology, criminology, international relations, and economics will be introduced, and critically analyzed, to examine their utility in answering questions such as: How does violence differ from other types political action? When and why is violence employed in place of peaceful solutions to conflict? How is violence being rationalized? The course will force students to grapple with research from different disciplinary traditions, and with various methodologies, and in general, exercise an interdisciplinary approach.

Prerequisites

PhD Students only, or Instructor Permission.

Law and Social Control (Formerly CRIM 611)

Description

This course examines and analyzes the various means by which society attempts to control criminal conduct. Social control encompasses both formal and informal mechanisms and a variety of institutions and social processes to deter inappropriate conduct, if possible, and/or punish and reform such conduct. Social control has evolved considerably over time and various social control philosophies and techniques have been prevalent at one time but not in others. Because social control is a response to inappropriate conduct, the course will also provide a brief introduction to the concepts of deviance and crime and the differential social control needs and priorities posed by different kinds of inappropriate conduct.

Drugs, Crime and Justice (Formerly CRIM 612)

Description

This course surveys the historical development and contemporary context of the use of criminal sanctions to combat the use of illicit drugs. The relationship between drug use/abuse and crime is explored. The course also provides a policy analysis of the alternative means available to deal with the drugs-crime issue (legalization, decriminalization, interdiction, tougher criminalization).

Law and Public Policy (Formerly 44.573/CRIM 613)

Description

The course is an introduction to crime and the efforts to control crime through public policy. We explore the foundations of the policy-making process at the federal, state, and local levels. The course also considers broad theoretical applications pertaining to public opinion, national culture, and comparative analyses among Western democracies and their differing approaches to crime. This course employs a variety of learning tools, from roundtable discussions to policy cases.

Seminar in Policing (Formerly CRIM 622)

Description

This seminar examines the contemporary research literature in policing with a focus on the key research issues. Through a critical examination of the literature, students gain an understanding of the significant topic areas that have been pursued and develop an agenda for further research.

Seminar in Courts and Sentencing (Formerly CRIM.623)

Description

This seminar examines the contemporary research literature in adjudication and sentencing with a focus on the key research issues. Through a critical examination of the literature, students gain an understanding of the significant topic areas that have been pursued and develop an agenda for further research.

Seminar in Juvenile Justice and Youth Crime (Formerly CRIM 625)

Description

This seminar examines the contemporary research literature concerning juvenile justice with a focus on the key research issues. Through a critical examination of the literature, students gain an understanding of the significant topical areas that have been pursued and develop an agenda for further research.

Community Based Correction (Formerly 44.650/CRIM 626 )

Description

This course presents a detailed examination of current theory, research, and policy development in the field of community corrections, both nationally and internationally. Topic areas include sentencing, probation, parole, fines, community service, and intermediate sanctions (intensive supervision, house arrest/electronic monitoring, boot camps). Issues include the punishment vs. control argument, community justice models, special offender populations (drug offenders, sex offenders, mentally ill offenders, AIDS), and the cost effectiveness of community corrections.

Victimology (Formerly CRIM 522)

Description

This course examines the study of crime victims and of the patterns, impact, and formal responses to criminal victimization. Particular attention is given to research issues such as measurement of victimization, fear of crime and related measures, and conducting research with victimized populations, as well as discussion of current issues in the field of Victimology. Substantive topics may include theories of victimization, the overlap between victims and offenders, social-psychological and other impacts of victimization on primary and secondary victims, media coverage of victimization, and evaluation of prevention and intervention programs for victims (criminal justice system based programs and others).

Intimate Partner Violence (Formerly 44.622/CRIM 631 )

Description

An examination of the nature and extent of intimate partner violence and an analysis of the causes and consequences of violence between partners as well as the latest research regarding the criminal justice response.

Responding to Child Maltreatment (Formerly 44.623/CRIM 632)

Description

Introduction to empirical findings and theoretical perspectives concerned with the maltreatment of children and youth. Includes an examination of prevalence rates, risk factors, consequences, and system responses.

Criminal Mind and Behavior (Formerly 44.545)

Description

This course is designed to address a broad range of topics relevant to criminal behavior and the development of the so called criminal personality. Factors that are considered to influence the evolution of criminal mentality are examined and the laws and the past and current response of the criminal justice system to repeat offenders are explored.

Mental Health & Criminal Justice (Formerly 44.546/CRIM 641)

Description

The course focuses on how and why individuals with serious mental illness become involved in the criminal justice system, and on how the criminal justice and public mental health systems respond to that involvement. Topics include law enforcement responses, court-based strategies, mental health and corrections, community supervision of individuals with mental illness, violence and mental disorder, and unique challenges associated with female and juvenile populations.

Sex Crimes and Offenders (Formerly 44.646/CRIM 642)

Description

This course examines the nature of sex offenses as well as the mind of the sex offender, and focuses on motives, possible victims, and rehabilitation. The responses of the mental health and criminal justice systems are examined and the effectiveness of those responses is assessed.

Violence in America (Formerly CRIM 650)

Description

This course provides an in-depth analysis of the causes, context, and control of a wide range of violent crimes. Topics covered in this class include: Murder, rape, robbery, assault, and violence in the helping professions, the workplace, school, gang violence, cult violence, and institutional violence. For each form of violence, we examine issues related to(1) the extent of the problem, characteristics of the crime, victim, and offender, (2) causation, (3) crime prevention, and (4)crime control strategies.

Criminal Homicide (Formerly 44.575/CRIM 575)

Description

A survey of the nature and extent of criminal homicide. There will be five main components: statutory definitions of homicide; theories of homicide; homicide rates over time and across jurisdictions; trends and patterns in homicide characteristics; and cross-cultural comparisons. Homicide is an important topic in criminology for three reasons: (1) it is the crime of greatest severity in any penal code; (2) it is a fairly reliable barometer of all violent crime; and (3) at a national level, no other crime is measured as accurately, precisely, and comprehensively.

Elite Deviance and White Collar Crime (Formerly 44.523)

Description

This course introduces the concept of white collar crime as an area of scientific inquiry and theory formation. It critically examines the latest scholarship on the subject by looking at white collar crime from a multiplicity of perspectives and reference points, ranging from a focus on the offense, offender, legal structure, organizational structure, individual and organizational behavior, to victimization and guardianship, with special attention on the interaction between these components. The course also pays special attention to definitional issues, typologies of white collar crime, and assesses the nature, extent and consequences of white collar crime nationally and internationally. To enhance the understanding of white collar crime in today's IT development and society, the course will pay a special attention to roles of information and technology and E-commerce within white collar crime. Finally, the course examines current criminal justice system efforts at controlling white collar crime.

Substance Abuse and Crime (Formerly 44.563/CRIM 655)

Description

This course examines the dynamics of substance abuse, the interrelationship between substance abuse and crime, and the use of both criminal and civil law to deal with the problems posed by substance abuse.

Issues in Computer Crime and Cyber Security (Formerly 44.642/CRIM 658)

Description

This course will examine the history and evolving nature of the relationship between technology, crime, and security, with a particular focus on legitimate and illegitimate Internet commerce, and cyber criminal methodologies and techniques. We will study major issues in cyber security including criminal and state-sponsored hacking; data, intellectual property, and identity theft; financial and personal data security; cyber-terrorism; tools and methods used to exploit computer networks, and strategies to protect against them; and new and emerging technologies. This course will be taught specifically for non-computer science majors, although students with computer science backgrounds are welcome for the experiences that they can bring to the class discussions.

Weapons of Mass Destruction (Formerly 44.643/CRIM 664)

Description

This course explores the threats that weapons of mass destruction (WMD) pose to the U.S. and its interests along with the strategies to meet those threats. The course will examine the technical aspects, history, and contemporary threat of each category of weapon Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear followed by a critical analysis of U.S. and global efforts to limit access to these weapons and prohibit their production, proliferation and use. The course will also review some aspects of WMD attack response, recovery, and mitigation.

Global Trafficking and Criminal Networks (Formerly 44.644/CRIM 665)

Description

Illicit economic activities are a global phenomenon with local impact. This course will examine the threat that global trafficking poses to a nation's security, political stability, economic development, and social fabric. The lessons in this advanced graduate-level seminar are organized around the trafficking activities of greatest concern to the United Nations, Interpol, IAEA and other international agencies' as well as to the U.S. Departments of State, Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security.

Terrorism Networks (Formerly 44.577/CRIM 666)

Description

This course will explore the dynamics of terrorist networks and will equip students with an understanding of the drivers of terrorist network formation, development and disintegration. The course will also provide students with knowledge and understanding of how, why and when networks expand, affiliate, and occasionally splinter. And finally, students will be guided through the applicability of network theory and analysis to the design of hypothetical operational responses and contingency planning surrounding the disruption or containment of terrorist networks.

Prerequisites

Pre-req; CRIM.5720 Terrorism/Counter-Terrorism (CRIM 5490).

Advanced Security Studies (Formerly CRIM 667)

Description

This course examines the complex nature of key domestic and international security threats and how nations respond to them. While the traditional focus of security studies has been the phenomenon of war, the past two decades have seen tremendous growth and expansion of the field. Some scholars have studied the threat, use and control of military force, while others have studied various forms of political violence such as terrorism, organized crime, and insurgency or armed rebellion. Research in this field also incorporates scholarship on the politics of defense and foreign policymaking, traditional theories of international relations, comparative analysis of national and regional case studies, ethics and morality of security policies, and transnational issues like arms trafficking, piracy, and the proliferation of materials and technology for weapons of mass destruction. Overall, the study of national and international security has evolved into a complex, interdisciplinary field, as demonstrated on the list of journals and websites provided on the last page of this syllabus. Each lesson in this course draws on a large and diverse body of readings, including academic journal articles, government reports, and original source materials.

Scientific & Technological Dimensions of National Security (Formerly 44.569/CRIM 668)

Description

In this required course for the MS in Security Studies program, students will take this course to learn all about the efforts in the public and private sector to design new sensors, scanner, and the general role of science and technology in homeland and national security.

Counterterrorism Policies and Strategies (Formerly 44.576/CRIM 669)

Description

This course examines the formulation and implementation of U.S. national strategies for combating terrorism, protecting critical infrastructure, and preventing the proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons or materials that could be used by terrorists. Students will develop an understanding of the structure and operations of key federal agencies, state and local fusion centers, and examine the political, legal, moral and ethical issues of countering modern terrorism threats.

Prerequisites

Pre-req: CRIM.571 (CRIM 5490) Domestic Terrorism and Violence Extremism, or CRIM.572 (CRIM 5710) Comparative Terrorism and Counterterrorism. or Permission of Instructor.

Seminar in Terrorism Studies (Formerly CRIM 670)

Description

This course will offer an in-dept examination of one more special topics within the field of terrorism. Examples include terrorist psychology, the use of women and children by terrorist groups, models of successful hostage negotiation or the use of social network analysis to understand the evolving nature of a terrorist threat. Students should consult with their advisor and the program director before registering for this course.

Selected Topics (Formerly 44.680)

Description

A comprehensive examination of a current issue in criminal justice.

Directed Study (Formerly CRIM 683)

Description

This course is designed as an independent study of a subject not offered in the standard curriculum.

Directed Study (Formerly 44.696/CRIM.686)

Description

This course is designed as an independent study of a subject not offered in the standard curriculum.

Special topics in Criminal Justice and Criminology (Formerly CRIM.689)

Description

Special topics classes are used to address timely issues that do not fit into the regular course offerings.

Prerequisites

Pre-Req: Graduate level or Instructor permission.

Advanced Regression Analysis (Formerly CRIM 690)

Description

This course focuses on statistical methods that are useful in the investigation of hypotheses in the social sciences and the analysis of public policies and programs. The bulk of the course is a detailed examination of the bivariate and multiple regression models estimated using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), with an emphasis on constructing regression models to test social and economic hypotheses. Several special topics in regression analysis are addressed as well, including violations of OLS assumptions and the use of dummy variables, and interaction effects. Throughout, examples are dawn from the literature so students can see the models and methods in action.

Prerequisites

Pre-req: CRIM.5900 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics, and CJC-PHD students only.

Advanced Research Design (Formerly 44.691)

Description

This course focuses on measurement and data development strategies and techniques to facilitate effective statistical analysis. Topics include the logic of causal inquiry and inference, the elaboration paradigm and model specification, handling threats to internal validity, hierarchies of design structure (experimental, quasi-experimental and non-experimental), linking design structure to affect estimation strategies, and analyzing design elements in published literature. Students will select a research topic in consultation with the instructor and prepare a written comparative design analysis.

Prerequisites

Pre-req: CRIM.591 Research Design, and CJC-PHD Students only.

Directed Study in Criminal Justice (Formerly CRIM.691)

Description

This course is designed as an independent study of a subject not offered in the standard curriculum.

Qualitative Research Methods (Formerly CRIM 692)

Description

This course designed to increase students' knowledge and understanding of the design and process of qualitative research in criminology. The material covered in this course includes the nature and uses of qualitative research; the design of qualitative research; grounded theory and the use of qualitative research to advance new theories and critically evaluate tenants or assumptions of widely held explanations of criminal behavior and justice system functioning; and the ethics of qualitative research. Qualitative research methodologies including ethnography, case studies, participant observation, interviewing, content analysis, and life history narrative / life course analysis will be studied. Students will develop and initiate their own qualitative research and learn first-hand about the conduct of such research, the sequencing of data collection, data analysis, and more data collection. Students will learn the uses of computer assisted software programs designed to assist qualitative data analysis.

Prerequisites

Pre-req: CRIM 591 Research Design.

Survey Methods (Formerly CRIM 693)

Description

This course exposes students to the use of survey methods in social science research. Emphasis is placed on interview and questionnaire techniques and the construction and sequencing of survey questions as well as the use of Likert and Thurstone sales. Attention is also devoted to sampling theory, sampling designs, and sampling and non-sampling errors.

Prerequisites

Pre-req: CRIM 591 Research Design.

Crime Analysis and Mapping (Formerly 44.594/CRIM 694)

Description

This course examines the use of new technologies to analyze crime patterns and develop crime prevention strategies. Students study theories that explain the geographic distribution of crime and learn how to use Geographic Information Systems to study crime in ways that draw upon theory as well as how to apply GIS techniques in the law enforcement and corrections fields.

Security Studies Capstone Research Paper (Formerly 44.699/ CRIM.699)

Description

This course represents the culminating capstone experience for students in the MA in Security Studies program at UMass Lowell. Incorporating the tools learned in CRIM.5900, Research Design and Methods, students are required to design a research question, gather and analyze information, and write a Masters level research paper of at least 50 pages on a topic of their choosing related to security studies. Students will provide drafts of their paper to their faculty supervisor periodically during the semester, and the final version will be submitted for grading on the basis of quality research and writing.

Capstone Research Paper in Criminal Justice

Description

This course is the culminating, final core requirement for the Masters in Criminal Justice. In this course, students will write an integrative research paper (generally 50-6- pages in length, double---spaced) on a topic of their choosing within the realm of criminal justice. By integrative, we mean you are expected to draw upon material you have covered in several of the courses in this program, including (but not limited to) Administration of Criminal Justice, Criminological Theory: Foundations, Descriptive and Inferential Statistics, Research Design, Managing Criminal Justice Organizations, or Law & Public Policy. You may enroll in this course at the same time as on of your elective courses, but it is assumed that you have already completed all requirements for the Masters in Criminal.

Dissertation Supervision (Formerly CRIM 703)

Description

Direct supervision with a dissertation advisor (3 credits).

Prerequisites

Pre-Req: Advanced PhD standing.

Dissertation Supervision (Formerly CRIM 706)

Description

Direct supervision with a dissertation advisor (6 credits).

Prerequisites

Pre-Req: Advanced PhD standing.

Dissertation Supervision (Formerly CRIM 709)

Description

Direct supervision with a dissertation advisor (9 credits).

Prerequisites

Pre-Req: Advanced PhD standing.

Advanced Research in Terrorism (CRIM 710)

Description

This course focuses on describing and understanding how research and evidence-based analysis helps us to understand, explain and predict changes in terrorist behavior. The course makes use of case studies to illustrate quantitative and qualitative research methods, and to approach research questions on terrorism from multiple levels of analysis. The course will also examine successful examples of interdisciplinary research and will help students navigate the pathway from theoretically informed research on terrorism to policy and practitioner-relevant counter-terrorism.

Prerequisites

PhD Students only, or Instructor Permission.

Continued Dissertation Review (Formerly CRIM 711)

Description

Direct supervision with a dissertation advisor (1 credit).

Prerequisites

Criminal Justice PhD Students Only, Pre-Req:CRIM703, or CRIM706 or CRIM709.

Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables (Formerly CRIM 790)

Description

The estimation of empirical models is essential to public policy analysis and social science research. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis is the most frequently used empirical model, and is appropriate for analyzing continuous dependent variables that meet certain distributional assumptions. This course examines several types of advanced regression models for dependent variables that violate one or more of the assumptions of the OLS regression model. For example, some dependent variables may be categorical, such as pregnant or not, employed or not, etc. Other dependent variables may be truncated or censored, such as contributions to an individual retirement account that are limited by law to certain dollar amounts. Still others may be counts of things, like the number of children born to a given woman or the number of traffic accidents on a given day. The principal models examined in the course are binary logit and probit, multinomial logit, ordinal logit and probit, tobit, and the family of Poisson regression models. The Heckman correction for selection and Event History Analysis are also addressed. All these models are estimated using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). The course focuses on the application and interpretation of the models, rather than statistical theory.

Prerequisites

Pre-req: Crim.690 Advanced Regression Analysis and PhD students only.

Structural Equation Modeling (Formerly CRIM 791)

Description

This course is an introduction to structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM represents a general approach to the statistical examination of the fit of a theoretical model to empirical data. Topics include observed variable (path) analysis, latent variable models (e.g., confirmatory factor analysis), and latent variable SEM analyses.

Prerequisites

Pre-Req: CRIM 6900 Advanced Regression Analysis.

Survival Analysis and Longitudinal Data (Formerly CRIM 792)

Description

Criminological research often involves the study of change over time in both individuals and groups. Analyzing such over time poses a number of methodological and statistical challenges, however, and these must be addressed to derive valid inferences from data analysis. This course will examine several techniques that are appropriate for such analyses. These include the family of univariate, bivariate and multivariate techniques collectively known as "survival" or "event history analysis" that are appropriate for studying processes such as recidivism and length of time individuals spend in various programs. The course will also describe zero-inflated Poisson trajectory and latent growth curve models, as well as multilevel models for change. Emphasis will be on application as opposed to theory.

Prerequisites

Pre-req: Crim.6900 Advanced Regression Analysis and PhD students only.

Multi-Level Modeling

Description

This course covers multilevel statistical models, which are increasingly being used in the social sciences to analyze clustered data. The course will introduce students to the theory and concepts of multilevel model and will address both the statistical and theoretical advantages to using multilevel models to analyze clustered data. The course will largely take an applied approach, meaning that it is designed to prepare students for putting the techniques covered in the course to use in a "real world" context. As such, course lectures and assignments will cover a range of relevant issues, including data acquisition, data exploration, estimation of multilevel models with statistical software, and reporting of results from multilevel analyses.

Prerequisites

Pre-Req: CRIM 6900 Advanced Regression Analysis.

Advanced Qualitative Methods

Description

This course is designed to train graduate students in qualitative research methods in criminology and criminal justice, using an applied and collaborative approach. Students in the course will activity engage in designing and collecting data for a primary research project. The collaborative project will best fit, to the extent possible each students' research interests. Data collection will be a joint effort, with each student in the course responsible for collecting data and conducting analysis, the merged dataset will be utilized by each student to develop an independent research paper on a specific topic pertinent to the project's larger research goals.

Prerequisites

Pre-req: CRIM.6920 Qualitative Research Methods, or permission of instructor.