Criminal Justice
Degrees
Required courses in these programs of study may have prerequisites. Reference the course description section for clarification.
Undergraduate Programs
Within the Bachelor of Arts degree, the Department of Sociology and Justice Studies offers a program in Criminal Justice, blending career education and the liberal arts. Criminal Justice is an integrated major with required coursework in the core disciplines that provide the theoretical and methodological roots of contemporary criminological inquiry as well as applied coursework in Criminal Justice. The program is designed to provide an academic foundation appropriate for an educated citizen as well as particular specializations for career preparation.
The Department of Sociology and Justice Studies believes that a university must educate broadly to enrich both career and life. Accordingly, students in the Criminal Justice program will complete social science foundation courses as well as core disciplinary courses. In order to assist them as they move into a variety of career paths, students must also complete coursework in an approved specialty track.
Note: all 300- and 400-level CRIM courses have a prerequisite of sophomore standing or above.
Criminal Justice Courses
CRIM 195. INTERNSHIP. 1-5 Credits.
CRIM 196. EXPERIMENTAL. 1-5 Credits.
CRIM 299. SPECIAL STUDIES. 1-5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
Individual study in criminal justice. Topics are mutually agreed upon by the instructor and student.
CRIM 300. INTRODUCTION TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. 5 Credits.
This course is taught from the perspective of the criminologist and emphasizes the interaction within and between the systems of law enforcement, the courts and treatment.
CRIM 302. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS AND DEVELOPMENT. 5 Credits.
In this course students will explore the origins and development of the contemporary criminal justice system in America.
CRIM 304. FORENSIC INQUIRY. 5 Credits.
Notes: for majors only.
Scientific methods of inquiry used in forensic investigations. Includes methodologies from social science, natural science, law, and criminal justice.
CRIM 307. FORENSIC PHOTOGRAPHY. 4 Credits.
Pre-requisites: CRIM 300.
This course is designed to illustrate the proper use of a digital camera for the purpose of crime scene documentation. Photography is one of the many important aspects of criminal and forensic investigation. Photography serves to preserve a visual record of a scene, person, or item of evidence and allows the investigator & courts to re-examine the original scene and related evidence. Students learn the basic concepts involved in crime scene photography utilizing a digital camera.
CRIM 330. SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHOD. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: CRIM 300.
An introduction to the scientific method in the social sciences, core concepts and issues in social science methods, core groups of methods for data collection and core group of analytic techniques.
CRIM 340. ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE. 5 Credits.
In this course, we will explore major ethical theories with an emphasis on their application to components of the criminal justice system. We will analyze current issues and ethical dilemmas that criminal justice professionals deal with. We will examine the complex process of moral and ethical decision making in the criminal justice system.
CRIM 356. INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL STATISTICS. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: SOCI 356.
Notes: required for Sociology and Criminal Justice majors.
Pre-requisites: SOCI 101.
A holistic approach to statistical methods, techniques, and critical analysis used in social science research. This course focuses on sociological and criminological issues such as race, class, gender, age, health, education and social justice.
CRIM 360. WOMEN IN PRISON. 5 Credits.
Cross-listed: GWSS 360.
In this course, we examine the socio-structural relationships between women’s lives and women’s crimes and explore how race, class and gender assumptions shape the experiences of female correctional officers and female inmates. In addition, we analyze how the prison rules and regulations that girls and women have to abide by are deeply gendered. Since the 1980s, the number of women and girls incarcerated has increased drastically. Yet, we know very little about female criminality.
CRIM 375. VICTIMOLOGY. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: CRIM 300.
This course introduces students to the study of victims, victimization and victim rights. Topics include the causes and consequences of various types of criminal victimization, including victimizations related to violent and property crime, family violence, elder abuse, sexual violence, cyber crime, white collar crime, state crime, and more.
CRIM 382. CRIMINAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION. 5 Credits.
Basic organization and management of criminal justice agencies. Discusses line, personnel, and auxiliary functions.
CRIM 398. PROFESSIONAL DEV SEMINAR. 5 Credits.
Covers values, ethics and personal development.
CRIM 399. DIRECTED STUDIES. 1-5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
Individual study in criminal justice. Topics are mutually agreed upon by the instructor and student.
CRIM 404. FORENSIC IDENTIFICATION. 4 Credits.
This course is designed to give a hands-on experience in the latent fingerprint discipline. This is achieved through lecture and classroom exercises, encompassing a large variety of latent fingerprint topics. These topics include: historical review, friction ridge skin biology, pattern analysis and interpretation, evidence processing, and latent print comparison using the ACE-V methodology.
CRIM 415. CRIME AND MEDIA. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: CRIM 300.
This course confront and critiques media representations of criminality, crime and punishment as they appear in popular culture. News media, film, television, social media, and other forms of media exist as sites of cultural creation and consumption; specifically they inform our knowledge of crime and justice, influencing policy and practice. Topics include criminogenic media, representations of police, courts, and corrections in media, and use of media in crime control strategies.
CRIM 416. COMPARATIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS. 5 Credits.
A comparative approach to understanding the different criminal justice systems found throughout the world.
CRIM 420. PEACEMAKING CRIMINOLOGY. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: CRIM 300.
This course provides an overview of peacemaking within communities and the justice system. Topics include leaders and tactics, and the historical and philosophical foundations of peace movements.
CRIM 421. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: CRIM 300.
This course provides an overview of restorative justice within communities and the justice system. Topics include the need for restorative justice practices with an emphasis on the causes of deterrence, new trends in community movements and justice procedures.
CRIM 450. HOMELESSNESS AND JUSTICE. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: CRIM 300.
This course provides an overview of homelessness found in communities and the justice system. Topics include the causes and consequences of homelessness, research on victimization and offending, new trends in community and justice responses to homelessness, and future directions in addressing homelessness in communities.
CRIM 460. PENOLOGY. 5 Credits.
Notes: Acceptable background security check. Course fee. CJ majors have priority.
A study of the contemporary practice of penology in the western world with special attention to the United States and Washington state. Lecture, laboratory and required field trips to Northwest Custodial Institutions.
CRIM 468. POLICE SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: CRIM 300 or permission of the instructor.
This course examines the profession of a police officer. Topics include criminal investigations, specialized operations, ethics, liability, and the process, organization and management of policing in the United States.
CRIM 485. CORRECTIONAL COUNSELING: GROUP METHODS. 5 Credits.
Examines group methods used with criminal offenders, both juvenile and adult. Includes treatment programs, evaluation and therapeutic environments.
CRIM 490. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SENIOR CAPSTONE. 5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: senior standing.
Satisfies: a university graduation requirement–senior capstone.
This course is intended for criminal justice majors in their senior year who are nearing completion of their major studies. The primary purpose of this class is two-fold: to prepare the graduate for entry-level positions in the criminal justice system, or continue onto graduate/law school; and to provide students with an opportunity to hone and apply the skills and knowledge they have developed with the criminal justice major.
CRIM 495. INTERNSHIP. 6-12 Credits.
Pre-requisites: 2.5 GPA, permission of internship instructor and CRIM 490.
The intern earns credits through participation in a full-time work experience. The length of time is determined by the amount of credit. Normally it will be 10 weeks. Requirements include an on site visit, detailed written report and additional assignments. Internships are limited to the state of Washington and some selected Idaho and Oregon locations. Applications and approval must be obtained prior to the internship experience. Credit for unapproved internship or life experience is not granted.
CRIM 496. EXPERIMENTAL COURSE. 1-5 Credits.
CRIM 497. WORKSHOP, SHORT COURSE, CONFERENCE, SEMINAR. 1-5 Credits.
CRIM 498. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SEMINAR. 5 Credits.
CRIM 499. INDEPENDENT STUDY. 1-5 Credits.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
For individual/independent study in criminal justice. Topics are mutually agreed upon by the instructor and the student.