GRADUATE PROGRAMS

PhD Program

Course Descriptions

(All courses are subject to change without notice)

CORE Ph.D. PROGRAM COURSES
Masters and Ph.D. Electives Courses
Electives for Ph.D. Program only

Criminology and Justice Policy I       HCJ G300

Course provides detailed coverage of theoretical criminology and its implications for public policy. Approaches the understanding of crime from an interdisciplinary perspective, with special attention given to recent theoretical developments. Emphasis is placed on evaluating theory in light of empirical research, understanding the implications of theory and research for programs and policies of crime prevention and control and evaluating current approaches to crime prevention and control.

Criminology and Justice Policy II       HCJ G301

Continues CJ G300. Provides detailed coverage of theoretical criminology and its implications for public policy. Approaches the understanding of crime from an interdisciplinary perspective, with special attention given to recent theoretical developments. Emphasis is placed on evaluating theory in light of empirical research, understanding the implications of theory and research for programs and policies of crime prevention and control and evaluating current approaches to crime prevention and control.

Evaluation Methods       HCJ G303

This course deals in detail with all aspects of evaluation research. The course includes both process and outcome evaluation models and will include a discussion of both experimental and quasi- experimental designs. Students will review both qualitative and quantitative approaches to evaluation design and will include a discussion of financial issues in program evaluation. Students will also be exposed to ways to develop an evaluation research proposal.

Multivariate Analysis       HCJ G306

Building upon the concepts of correlation and inference, this course presents analytic procedures involving several variables, including multiple regression, logistic regression, and factor analysis. Emphasis is on data analysis strategies using various available data sets. The use of computers and statistical software is central to the course. Prerequisite: Statistical Analysis and Lab

Advanced Data Analysis       HCJ G310

This course examines data structures and file types, data aggregation and merging, GIS data, manipulating files, basic programming concepts and tools, graphical techniques, and mapping.

Practicum in Teaching (1sh)       HCJ G700

Graduate student lecturers meet weekly with a faculty advisor to discuss common concerns and issues arising during the course of teaching. With input from the Center for Effective University Teaching, topics such as syllabus preparation, examination preparation and grading, classroom protocol, and student interaction will be covered. The practicum is required of all doctoral students teaching a class for the first time.

Practicum in Policy Analysis (1sh)       HCJ G702

Graduate students will work with an outside agency and meet weekly with a faculty advisor to discuss common concerns, problems, and ideas related to policy analysis.

Practicum in Research       HCJ G704

Graduate students meet weekly with an outside agency and meet weekly with a faculty advisor to discuss common concerns, problems, and ideas related to policy analysis.

Dissertation       HCJ G890

The Dissertation is an original investigation of a criminal justice issue conducted under close faculty guidance. Each student will identify a faculty chair and two additional faculty members who will comprise the student’s Dissertation Committee. This committee will provide support and direction to each student as she/he conducts their research and develops a dissertation. Ultimately this committee will approve the final research product.

ELECTIVE MASTERS and Ph.D. PROGRAM COURSES
Core Ph.D. Courses
Electives for Ph.D. Program only

Law and Society       HCJ G208

(may satisfy either the law requirement or elective course)
Focuses on the sociology of law; emphasis is also on jurisprudential thought and the political analysis of legal institutions. Explores the sources of law and functions and dysfunctions of law in action. Reviews institutional roles of courts, legislatures, and administrative agencies. Topics include alternative dispute resolution, how the law can help or impede social change, whether Americans have become too litigious, or race and gender issues in achieving justice.

Juvenile Law       HCJ G232

(may satisfy either the law requirement or elective course)
Examines the legal relationship between the juvenile offender and the state. Covers case and statutory law as well as constitutional due process standards in juvenile proceedings. Topics include jurisdiction, prejudicial process, waiver of jurisdiction, adjudication, disposition and post dispositional issues, as well as the right to treatment.

Law and Psychiatry       HCJ G238

(may satisfy either the law requirement or elective course)
Discusses the fundamental principles, concepts, and development of criminal law and the constitutional provisions that govern it. Focuses on the relationship of the individual to the state and includes and examination of the general framework of criminal law as a means of social control.

Gender, Crime and Justice       HCJ G210

Examines ways in which criminology, the criminal justice system, and the law contribute to the social construction of gender. Investigates process through which biological females are encouraged to become girls and women by cultural assumptions about female deviance, discourses on female crime, the criminal justice system, and legal assumptions about the meaning of equality on feminist approaches to criminal justice that parallel the new feminist jurisprudence.

Juvenile Justice       HCJ G212

Analyzes critically the policies and practices of the agencies involved in the processing of young persons through the juvenile justice system. Emphasis is on jurisdictional issues, police practices, detention, intake, diversion, adjudication, and dispositions of juveniles within the justice system. Also focuses on the historical development of the juvenile justice system as well as assesses current trends and proposals for reform. Emphasis is on the key policy issues facing juveniles involved with the juvenile justice system today.

Corrections Theory and Practice       HCJ G214

Reviews the history of our correctional system, said by many to have four central themes (revenge, restraint, reformation, and rehabilitation/reintegration). Defines the role and working relationship of corrections in the greater spectrum of criminal justice, identifies and discusses the issues and problems facing the system today, and evaluates its intended purpose versus how it actually functions. Explores prison operations from designing and staffing a prison to responsible reintegration. Discusses the political, social, and economic issues that have impacted correction operations, such as sentencing reform, overcrowding, and boot camps. Provides an overview of corrections through a blend of theory, practice, and firsthand observation.

Alternatives to Incarceration       HCJ G216

Examines the concepts of community corrections, utilizing historical, philosophical, and practice-oriented perspectives. Includes an analysis of the alternatives to imprisonment or institutionalization. For course purposes, community-based programs are defined as programs aimed at reducing the occurrence of criminal and delinquent behavior through prevention, rehabilitation, reintegration, and/or diversionary services in no institutional settings, which make maximum use of existing and potential community resources.

Youth Gangs       HCJ G220

Examines the nature and extent of contemporary gangs in the United States, with emphasis on the relationships between gangs, drugs, and violence. Discusses variations in gang structure, function and activities, and highlights gender, ethnic/racial, and community distinctions. Evaluates policies and programs addressing gangs, and guest speakers (including law enforcement and social service personnel) are invited to discuss their experiences with gang suppression, intervention, and prevention strategies in Boston.

Computers in Criminal Investigations       HCJ G222

Allow students to explore the various uses of computers in a criminal justice environment. Examines the role of computers both as a tool of law enforcement and as evidence of a crime. Students build on basic computer skills and gain hands-on experience with the tools and techniques to investigate, seize, and analyze computer- based evidence using a variety of specialized stat recovery and forensic software in a PC environment.

Forensic Psychology       HCJ G224

Offers a seminar on conceptual, empirical, historical, and professional aspects of selected topics in forensic psychology including such areas as law and psychology, competence to stand trial, criminal responsibility, and the insanity defense. Topics include jury selection, reliability and validity of eyewitness testimony, truth detection methods, and post conviction pleadings.

Loss Prevention       HCJ G226

Focuses on applied methods for use in preventing losses or minimizing the dollar value of those that are inevitable by using a case-study approach. Covers techniques to try to identify those who are responsible for losses, and more importantly, the conditions that allowed the losses to occur initially so that corrective action can be taken to reduce the risk of recurrence. Students are asked to analyze cases where losses occurred, or the potential for loss existed, in terms of what could or should have been done to prevent the incidents or at least minimize the risk of their occurrence.

Criminal Violence       HCJ G228

Investigates and analyzes aggression and violence as forms of individual, group, and societal behavior. Discusses a historical review of the role that police have played in society as well as the structure of large and small police organizations. Topics include community policing, problem-solving methods, police discretion, police misconduct, police crime prevention strategies, and restorative justice.

Police and Society       HCJ G230

Introduces research, theory, and applications of the causes and consequences of police behavior. Discusses a historical review of the role that police have played in society as well as the structure of large and small police organizations. Topics include community policing, problem-solving methods, police discretion, police misconduct, police crime prevention strategies, and restorative justice.

Criminal Justice Organization and Management       HCJ G234

Analyzes the structures, functions, and operations of criminal justice agencies including the police, the court, and corrections (jail, probation, prison, and parole) within the context of the entire criminal justice system. Reviews existing organizational theory and examines the application of these theories within agencies of criminal justice. Discusses interjurisdictional and intrajuisdictional issues facing these organizations and ethical dilemmas facing various decision makers.

Ecology of Crime       HCJ G236

and analyzes literature on the demography and ecology of crime. Includes reviews of research and theory that address the influences of economics, demography, social organization, and political economy on crimes within cities and neighborhoods. Combines student presentations of published articles with lectures, tutorials, and student projects.

Race and the Criminal Justice System       HCJ G240

Offers a sociohistorical analysis of the effects of race and ethnicity on legitimate social opportunities, criminal behavior, victimization, and differential judicial processing. Analyzes the impact of assimilation and acculturation on criminal behavior, victimization, and criminal justice processes. Discusses issues resulting from increasing diversity of both the criminal justice workforce and society in general.

Terrorism and International Crime       HCJ G242

Provides an overview of the various approaches to terrorism employed around the world. Discusses the theories of terrorism as well as the major international and national approaches to reducing threats. Also discusses the role of the news media, the political consequences of terrorism, the military as a resource, and the role of hostages.

Private Security Management       HCJ G246

Examines private security theories, operations, and practices, with emphasis on the administration and management of security. Explores the philosophical background, history, and current role of private security as well as the role and status of the security manager in threat assessment, risk prevention, and the protection of assets. Discusses functional-area security systems; law, science, and technology for security; ad issues; and standards, goals, and challenges for the future. Explores security systems, particularly as they relate to criminal justice and the environment.

Victimology       HCJ G250

This course involves a scientific study of crime victims and public policy responses to them. Major subsections of the course focus on the nature and extent of criminal victimization, the dynamics of victim-offender relationships (e.g., incest and domestic violence), theories of victimization, a historic analysis of the victim’s role in the criminal justice process, the restorative justice model, and the contemporary victim rights and victim services movement.

White-Collar Crime       HCJ G252

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 these issues through a multiplicity of perspectives and reference points. These range from 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 nature, extent, and consequences of white-collar crime will be assessed from a national and international perspective. This course will also focus on the criminal justice system’s current efforts at controlling white-collar crime, and given the relative ineffectiveness of traditional criminal justice responses, alternative systems of control will be examined. Many tangible, research-based suggestions will be made regarding actions that organizations and businesses can take to reduce the significant losses accrued to white-collar crime.

Crime and Personality       HCJ G254

This course will examine the interplay among physiological, cognitive, family, social, and cultural forces in the creation and maintenance of individual differences related to crime. The course will focus on the context of crime (e.g., the relationship between crime and human nature), and will describe and interpret the interpersonal traits, processes, and characteristics connected with crime and delinquency (the criminal personality). The course will also cover the development of the criminal personality and will explore the prevention and amelioration of crime and delinquency.

Court Administration and Management       HCJ G256

This course is designed to familiarize the student with court administration and management practices and issues. The course will focus on court organization and structure; court reform; obstacles to and constraints in reform and management; court unification; court performance standards; case management and delay reduction; provision of counsel for indigents; court reporting technology and management; effective use of available technology; and the process of change.

Topics in Criminal Justice       HCJ G260

Rotating annually, this course focuses on a particular aspect of the criminal justice system of contemporary interest.

Judicial Decision Making       HCJ G318

This course examines the various points within the criminal justice system, with particular emphasis on bail setting, diversion, prosecutorial charging decisions, juror deliberation, judicial adjudication and sentencing, and appellate review. Such topics as plea negotiations, discretion, sentencing guidelines, and correlates of judicial outcomes will be covered, and various models of the justice process will be examined.

Internship I and Internship II       HCJ G400, HCJ G402

Offers field placement in a criminal justice agency involving administrative, research, teaching, and related activities. Gives students the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts in a practical, applied fashion by observing and contributing to the daily activities of operating agencies and organizations. All students work on at least one specific project a their field placement, and the results of this project are submitted to the Graduate Director.

Directed Study       HCJ G411(1sh), HCJ G412(2sh)

Offers the student the opportunity to bring individual, concentrated attention to a particular topic as arranged and agreed upon in advance by a faculty member and the student. This option is generally recommended when the student desires a more intensive analysis of a particular subject.

ELECTIVE Ph.D. PROGRAM COURSES ONLY
Core Ph.D. Courses
Masters and Ph.D. Electives Courses

Advanced Criminological Theory       HCJ G302

This course entails a detailed examination of a wide range of criminological theories pertaining to offending and the correlates of crime. Students are expected to assess critically the application of various paradigms to selected crime types, relying extensively on original empirical and theoretical literature.

Advanced Research and Evaluation Methods       HCJ G304

This course examines planned change, program development, and evaluation research in criminal justice. Qualitative and quantitative methods, such as experimental design, survey, case study, and participant observation are examined in terms of appropriateness, as well as for validity and reliability. Emphasis is placed on understanding and applying proper scientific methods to determine program effectiveness. Prerequisite: Research and Evaluation Methods and Lab

Advanced Seminar in Policing       HCJ G308

This seminar examines the police function from a multitude of perspectives. The course moves beyond analysis of the institution of the public police to explore the broader meaning and role of policing in modern societies. Emphasis is placed on changes in the organization, structure, strategies, and control of policing. Students are expected to critically analyze existing empirical research that sheds light on the effectiveness of the police. Prerequisite: Seminar in Policing

Advanced Topics in Criminology       HCJ G312

Rotating annually, this course focuses on a particular aspect of criminology of contemporary interest.

Advanced Topics in Justice Policy       HCJ G314

Rotating annually, this course focuses on a particular aspect of justice policy of contemporary interest.

Advanced Topics in Research Methods       HCJ G316

Rotating annually, this course focuses on a particular application of research methods not covered extensively in other research methods courses.

Advanced Quantitative Models       HCJ G320

In this course, students will be exposed to a broad array of advanced quantitative modeling techniques including probability theory, stochastic processes, queuing models, times series modeling, survival models, and general linear models.

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