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George Mason University

Criminology, Law and Society

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Courses and Syllabi

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.

Choose a level to see catalog information for all courses in Criminology offered at that level. Choose a semester above to view scheduled sections in Criminology.

Undergraduate

100-Level Courses in CRIM

CRIM 100: 3 Credits

Introduction to Criminal Justice

Overview of the American system of criminal justice, covering theories of justice, criminal law, policing, courts and associated pre and post-trial legal processes, punishment and corrections, and juvenile justice.  Required for all criminology majors and minors.

200-Level Courses in CRIM

CRIM 210: 3 Credits

Introduction to Criminology

Explores and evaluates how crime is defined and measured, and examines crime patterns and trends. Provides an overview and critical assessment of the major theories of crime causation.

CRIM 220: 3 Credits

Introduction to Law and Society

Introduces the relationship between law and society. Discusses theoretical perspectives from a number of social science disciplines. Promotes a foundational understanding of the concept of law and the origins, development, and role of law in society, particularly outside of formal legal institutions. Topics covered may include legal mobilization, law and social change, social movements, law and inequality, and law's relationship to social control.

CRIM 230: 3 Credits

Introduction to Homeland Security

Introduces fundamental concepts of homeland security. Examines governmental actions designed to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from man-made and natural disasters. Focuses on efforts to align preparedness, incident management, and emergency response plans from various agencies (federal, state, local, tribal, private sector, and non-governmental).

300-Level Courses in CRIM

CRIM 300: 4 Credits

Research Methods and Analysis

Emphasizes asking clear, researchable questions and using appropriate evidence to answer them. Students learn to use a broad range of evidence, including quantitative and qualitative information. Covers design and analysis of surveys, government archives, case studies, and interpretations of events in journals. Examines ethical implications of information technologies. Required for all criminology majors.

CRIM 301: 3 Credits

Public Law and the Judicial Process

Covers American judicial organization and operation, role of the Supreme Court in policy formation, and selected constitutional principles.

CRIM 302: 3 Credits

Delinquency

Presents theories of juvenile delinquency and societal reactions to it, gender differences in rates and types, historical overview, development of juvenile justice system, and critical assessment of juvenile justice and its alternative.

CRIM 303: 3 Credits

Experiencing the Criminal Justice System

Experiential learning course designed to give preservice criminology students a firsthand, practical journey through the criminal justice process and system.

CRIM 304: 3 Credits

Computer Crime, Forensics, and Auditing

Covers computer crime, relevant laws, agencies, standards, auditing, logging, forensics, and related software. Explores legal principles such as chain of evidence, electronic document discovery, eavesdropping, and entrapment. Hands-on experience with forensics tools.

CRIM 305: 3 Credits

Crime and Crime Policy

Examines the development of crime policy, including the influence of crime trends, politics, public opinion, media, criminological theory, and empirical research.  Considers the effectiveness of crime policy.

CRIM 306: 3 Credits

Criminal Justice Ethics

Analyzes ethical principles relevant for those working in criminal justice. Required for all criminology majors.

CRIM 307: 3 Credits

Social Inequality, Crime, and Justice

Explores the significance of social inequality (especially race and gender inequality) for several crime and criminal justice issues. Examines the effect of gender and race on rates of criminal offending and victimization and explanations for the variation in offending and victimization.

CRIM 308: 3 Credits

Human Rights and Justice

Studies the norms, laws, and systems for the promotion and protection of human rights. Provides a foundation for understanding historical, legal, political, economic, and ethical aspects of human rights. Examines ideological and cultural perspectives, sources of violations, the United Nations, regional and national mechanisms, special issues (e.g., women, torture, children, minorities), and the role of nongovernmental organizations.

CRIM 310: 3 Credits

Introduction to the Intelligence Community

Introduces students to the structure, function, and process of the intelligence community including the basic skills in writing, research, and presentation used in intelligence analysis. Required for all intelligence analysis minors.

CRIM 312: 3 Credits

Intelligence Analysis Techniques

Introduces the key analytical techniques used by entry-level analysts In the Intelligence community.

CRIM 315: 3 Credits

Research Methods and Analysis in Criminology

Provides an introduction to research design, methods, and analysis in the field of criminology. Students learn to understand, interpret, and critique quantitative and qualitative research approaches, and become intelligent consumers of research.

CRIM 320: 3 Credits

Crime and Place

Focuses on the analysis of locations that attract and repel crime, displacement of crime, and identifying and measuring crime concentrations.

400-Level Courses in CRIM

CRIM 400: 3 Credits

Applied Criminal Psychology

Uses overview of psychological and criminological theories to apply behavioral science theory to practical application in forensic settings. Focuses on analysis of various crime scenes and characteristics of offenders.

CRIM 401: 3 Credits

Policing in America

Fundamental issues relevant to contemporary public policing in America: role and history of police; impact on crime, disorder, and other social problems; discretion and its control; moral hazards; police legitimacy and public support; police culture and the police organization; and community policing.

CRIM 402: 3 Credits

Punishment and Corrections

Covers theories on forms of punishment systems; punishment and corrections as a product of historical, cultural, and political changes; differences by race and gender in punishment and corrections; problems of social control and violence in prisons; alternative rehabilitation; and community prevention strategies.

CRIM 403: 3 Credits

Community Corrections

Studies the purposes and goals of community-based corrections and its various components, including pretrial diversion, probation, parole, and emerging alternatives to traditional incarceration. Addresses issues related to offenders returning to the community and critical issues facing jails, community corrections, and the management of offenders in community settings. Examines the role of community corrections within the broader correctional system.

CRIM 404: 3 Credits

Crime Victims and Victimization

Explores experiences of crime victims, distribution of the risks of victimization, and causes and consequences of victimization. Also considers nature and influence of victim’s rights advocates.

CRIM 405: 3 Credits

Law and Justice around the World

Comparative inquiry into the models of legal and justice systems around the world. Considers how social and legal norms are created, and how different societies exercise powers of social control. Evaluates justice models in action, including law and courts, policing, corrections, and juvenile justice.

CRIM 406: 3 Credits

Family Law and the Justice System

Introduction to the elements of family law, and exploration of its influence on American social life and contemporary notions of justice. Topics include marriage and parenting, divorce, custody and support, nontraditional families, and domestic violence.

CRIM 407: 3 Credits

Advanced Topics in Law and Society

Provides an in-depth examination of the law's role in social life to deepen students' appreciation of the law in action.  Focuses on scholarly research that describes and explains how legal actors, processes, and institutions operate in the world  Topics include: theories of legal change, law's relationship to class, gender, and race, and law, culture, and identity.

CRIM 408: 3 Credits

Criminal Courts

Studies the workings, advantages, and frailties of criminal courts, and explores whether the system works effectively and efficiently.

CRIM 409: 3 Credits

Community Policing

Study of community policing, particularly in the United States. Covers history and development of community policing, community relations, problem solving, and issues of organizational change.

CRIM 410: 3 Credits

Criminal Investigations

Focuses on criminal investigations and the role of the criminal investigator in the criminal justice system.

CRIM 422: 3 Credits

Controversial Legal Issues

Focuses on the study of law as an institution that continuously interacts with other social institutions at the individual, community, state, and federal levels. Examines how constitutional and statutory laws are interpreted by the courts to determine and define the law through contemporary, controversial, legal issues. Explores how the courts, using the law, resolve today's most controversial issues.

CRIM 423: 3 Credits

Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties

Studies First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, and religion; the right to privacy; and Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection.

CRIM 424: 3 Credits

Constitutional Law: Criminal Process and Right

Studies constitutional law pertaining to the rights of the criminally accused from investigation and evidence through attorney, trial, and punishment stages at federal and state levels. Required for all criminology majors.

CRIM 425: 3 Credits

Criminal Justice Management

Explains the management function for current and future criminal justice managers. Emphasizes communication, leadership skills, and organizational development.

CRIM 460: 3 Credits

Surveillance and Privacy in Contemporary Society

Philosophical perspectives, historical context, technological developments, and institutional changes that surround controversies about privacy and surveillance in contemporary society. Explores public and private institutions conducting surveillance, how they calculate and manage risk, and legal constraints on surveillance activities.

CRIM 461: 3 Credits

Introduction to Homeland Security

Examines governmental actions designed to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and national disasters. Focuses on efforts to align federal, state, local, tribal, private sector, and nongovernmental preparedness, incident management, and emergency response plans into the effective and efficient national structure necessary for the protection of the United States.

CRIM 462: 3 Credits

Law Enforcement and Homeland Security

Examines the effect of 9/11 on law enforcement organizations in the United States and explores the evolving relationship between the military, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the post-9/11 era. Emphasis on understanding the entire framework of homeland security in the United States and the unique issues faced by local law enforcement.

CRIM 471: 3 Credits

Prevention and Deterrence of Crime

Theoretical and practical strategies for crime prevention and deterrence. Discusses social, environmental, and mechanical developments, police courts, and correctional elements of law enforcement in terms of current effectiveness and future potential for crime prevention.

CRIM 475: 3 Credits

Theory and Politics of Terrorism

Explores origins of terrorism, tracing development from early states to a modern mode of conflict. Presents national, regional, and global perspectives.

CRIM 479: 3 Credits

Preparation for Internship

Preparation for internship in a justice organization or justice-related work activity. Students develop a relationship with a prospective internship sponsor and develop a plan for the internship and the research to be reported.

CRIM 480: 6-12 Credits

Internship

Application of classroom learning to an applied justice setting. Students maintain daily journals, conduct research, and deliver written and oral reports.

CRIM 490: 1-3 Credits

Special Topics

Recent developments in the field.

CRIM 491: 3 Credits

Honors Seminar I

Course includes readings, individual or group projects, and discussion of seminar papers.

CRIM 492: 3 Credits

Honors Seminar II

Course includes readings and discussion of seminar papers, leading to a research project under the direction of a faculty member.

CRIM 495: 3 Credits

Capstone in Criminology, Law and Society

Provides an in-depth examination of a historical and contemporary issues facing criminology and law and society scholars. Focuses on the philosophies, practices, and procedures used by individuals and organizations and uses a variety of materials, experiences and resources.

CRIM 498: 1-3 Credits

Research Practicum

Supervised research experience with a professor in a non-classroom setting. Offers students an opportunity to gain valuable research experience and training in research. Students are required to work 45 hours (across the semester) per credit.

CRIM 499: 1-3 Credits

Independent Study

Reading and research on a specific topic under the direction of a faculty member.

Topics in CRIM

CRIM 490: 1-3 Credits

Special Topics

Recent developments in the field.

Graduate

500-Level Courses in CRIM

CRIM 509: 3 Credits

Justice Organizations and Processes

Examines structures, practices, and performance of organizations involved in administration of justice: law enforcement, courts and legal agencies, corrections, regulatory and related agencies, and private organizations.

CRIM 510: 3 Credits

Policing in a Democratic Society

Fundamental issues in policing a democratic society: police mission, subculture, performance measurement, moral hazards, discretion, impact on crime and disorder, legitimacy, community policing, and other reforms.

600-Level Courses in CRIM

CRIM 691: 3 Credits

Justice Program Planning and Implementation

Examines challenges of adapting to, planning, and implementing change in justice organizations. Provides hands-on experience in conducting, planning, and implementing project.

700-Level Courses in CRIM

CRIM 700: 3 Credits

Theories of Justice

Overview of ancient and modern theories of justice with application to contemporary issues involving justice system, and other social and political institutions.

CRIM 702: 3 Credits

Comparative Justice

Survey of justice systems and their environments in different lands and cultures. Identifies commonalities and differences among justice systems, evaluates them, and considers policy implications.

CRIM 703: 3 Credits

Restorative Justice

Covers origins of restorative justice, its principles, implications for different justice organizations and processes, and application to a variety of problems, such as family violence, human rights, and reconciliation following mass victimizations.

CRIM 720: 3 Credits

Behavior of Law

Examines development of law and law’s effect on human behavior. Reviews theories of law’s meaning and aims. Examines construction of law and investigates consequences of law and legal decisions.

CRIM 721: 3 Credits

The Constitution, Criminal Procedure, and Security

Focuses on understanding legal doctrines that form basis of U.S. constitutional procedural rights and how doctrines develop, why courts rule as they do, and evaluating strengths, weaknesses of rights.

CRIM 722: 3 Credits

Civil Justice

Covers understanding civil justice system, rules that govern civil justice, origins and effects, strengths and weaknesses of civil law doctrines, and processes to understand power of law to order social behavior.

CRIM 723: 3 Credits

Law and Social Control

Competing conceptions of law, political systems, and social control. Intellectual traditions behind social control, its definitions, and mechanisms for regulating public and private behavior, by both individuals and organizations in society.

CRIM 730: 3 Credits

Courts and Constitutional Law

Role, influence, and effects of U.S. courts in creating constitutional norms and interpreting them. Special attention to First and Fourteenth Amendments, Commerce Clause. Analyzes leading court cases.

CRIM 740: 3 Credits

Justice Organization and Administration

Examines organization and administration of justice and security organizations. Covers organization theory and behavior as applied to justice and security organizations.

CRIM 741: 3 Credits

Conduct of Justice Organizations at the Street Level

How justice organizations behave at lowest levels, where service is delivered and discretion is greatest (suspects, victims, witnesses, police officers, prison guards, parole officers, attorneys, and others who interact with the justice system).

CRIM 742: 3 Credits

Leadership in Justice and Security Organizations

Examines leadership theories, and explores fundamental questions about leadership in justice and security organizations today.

CRIM 743: 3 Credits

Changing Justice and Security Organizations

Examines challenges of changing justice organizations, how changes have been successfully and unsuccessfully implemented in the past, and what change strategies appear to be the most effective.

CRIM 744: 3 Credits

Corrections

Covers the social institutions and processes involved in punishment, control, and behavior change. Reviews the consequences of different policies and organizational approaches.

CRIM 749: 1-3 Credits

Issues in Justice Administration

Explores issues in justice administration, taking into diverse perspectives. Emphasizes using theory and evidence to evaluate different viewpoints. Course topics vary, focusing on controversial matters.

CRIM 760: 3 Credits

Crime and Crime Policy

Explores relationship between crime policy and empirical evidence about etiology of crime. Includes crime measurement and trends in crime over time, effectiveness of various policy interventions.

CRIM 761: 3 Credits

Politics of Crime Policy

Explores political context of crime policy. Examines influence of public opinion, interest groups, scientific community, and other political forces. In-depth, case-study comparison of several crime policies.

CRIM 762: 3 Credits

Crime and Place

Examines the concentration of crime at places, including geographic, environmental, and sociological features that attract or repel crime. Discusses theoretical explanations, crime prevention strategies, and the measurement of crime concentrations.

CRIM 764: 3 Credits

Sentencing

Explores theories of punishment and sentencing practices. Examines political, sociological, criminological, and organizational influences on sentencing processes and decisions.

CRIM 780: 3 Credits

Research Methods

Introduces logic and methods of scientific inquiry in justice, law, and crime policy. Includes conceptualization of research questions, observation, measurement, research design, and principles of causality. Evaluation of extant research according to scientific principles.

CRIM 781: 3 Credits

Justice Program Evaluation

Practical exploration of assessment techniques used in evaluating need for and consequences of justice programs and policies. Design and measurement, interpreting and presenting results.

CRIM 782: 3 Credits

Statistics I

Focuses on descriptive and inferential statistical methods and theory with application to problems within the justice field. Explores the logic of inferential statistical methods in general and null hypothesis significance testing in particular. Covers widely used statistical procedures within the applied social sciences.

CRIM 783: 3 Credits

Statistics II

Focuses on the theory and application of multivariate regression methods as applied within the justice field. Topics include tests for and consequences of violating assumptions of the generalized linear model, dummy coding of categorical variables, testing of interaction effects, logistic regression, ordered and multinominal logit, and missing data analysis.

CRIM 784: 3 Credits

Experimental Criminology

Discusses the methodological, statistical, ethical, and practical concerns associated with experimental research designs in criminology.

CRIM 790: 3 Credits

Capstone in Policy and Practice

Student-initiated research project supervised by instructor. Students must work with a justice organization to conduct useful research and produce a policy-oriented white paper.

CRIM 795: 3 Credits

Special Topics

Recent developments in field, or topics not covered by regularly listed courses.

CRIM 796: 1-3 Credits

Directed Reading

Independent reading at doctoral level on specific topic related to justice, law, or crime policy as agreed to by student and faculty member and approved by coordinator of CRIM program.

CRIM 797: 0 Credits

Professionalization Seminar

Introduces doctoral students to research, scholarship and teaching practices in the field to promote their professional development.

CRIM 799: 1-6 Credits

Master’s Thesis

Research on approved master’s thesis topic under direction of thesis committee with approval of chair.

900-Level Courses in CRIM

CRIM 998: 1-6 Credits

Doctoral Dissertation Proposal

Work on a research proposal forming basis for doctoral dissertation.

CRIM 999: 1-21 Credits

Doctoral Dissertation Research

Doctoral dissertation research and writing under direction of student’s dissertation committee.

Topics in CRIM

CRIM 749: 1-3 Credits

Issues in Justice Administration

Explores issues in justice administration, taking into diverse perspectives. Emphasizes using theory and evidence to evaluate different viewpoints. Course topics vary, focusing on controversial matters.

CRIM 795: 3 Credits

Special Topics

Recent developments in field, or topics not covered by regularly listed courses.