The Criminal Justice Major| Degree Requirements | Course Descriptions
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The Criminal Justice major in intended:
- To provide the student with an understanding of the effect crime and deviance have on society and individuals.
- To provide the student with an understanding of the causes and consequences of crime for perpetrators, victims and society.
- To help students apply theoretical perspectives to crime and criminal behaviors.
- To examine and analyze the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, the court process and corrections.
- To exercise basic skills of data collection and data analysis to better understand crime and appropriate societal responses.
- To provide a model of Christian values and ethics as applied to an understanding of crime, criminology and deviance.
Students wishing to major in Criminal Justice must complete the general education core as
well as the courses listed below toward their major. All majors will be required to pass a
senior comprehensive examination.
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
This program is intended for students planning careers or future study in the field of
criminal justice. Through exposure to various perspectives, theories, systems, and processes,
students will develop a broad understanding of the criminal justice system as it continues to
evolve in our society today.
Toward fulfilling the Liberal Arts Core requirements, students should note the following
specific requirements:
PS251 Statistics for the Social Sciences must be taken for the Math requirement.
PS110 Introduction to Psychology and PS240 Lifespan Development must be taken to fulfill
the Social Science requirement.
SO212 Human Diversity and IN299 Special Topics in Intercultural Studies must be taken to
fulfill the Intercultural Literacy requirement (unless students are required to take a foreign
language).
In addition to the courses listed above and the remainder of the Liberal Arts Core, students in
this program will take 24 credits in the major as follows:
CJ180 Introduction to Criminal Justice
CJ251 Criminology
CJ261 Social Deviance
CJ272 Family Violence
CJ311 Law Enforcement and Policing
CJ322 Criminal Law and Constitutional Principles
CJ341 Corrections and Alternatives
CJ402 Ethics in Criminal Justice
Plus 9 credits of cognates as follows:
SO351 Methods of Social Research
SO110 Introduction to Sociology
SO401 Sociological Theory
Minoring in Criminal Justice
Students from any major field of study at ENC may add a minor in Criminal Justice to their
transcript by successfully completing CJ180 Introduction to Criminal Justice and any other
12 credit hours in Criminal Justice (course prerequisites must be observed). It is recommended that non-majors consult with a Criminal Justice faculty member in selecting
courses to maximize the enrichment of their major and to best facilitate the achievement of
long-term goals.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
CJ180 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 credits)
Provides an introduction to the various elements of the criminal justice system in the United
States (e.g., courts, corrections, police, probation, parole), as well as addressing some of the
critical issues that will shape the system in the years to come.
CJ251 Criminology (3 credits)
This course is a social scientific study of crime and criminal behavior in society, including
an examination of the historical and modern theories of crime, as well as an analysis of the
methods and research to cope with these problems.
CJ261 Social Deviance (3 credits)
Examines the structures and processes underlying social deviance. Various theoretical
perspectives are examined as well as current research. Some major topics are: social
definitions of deviance, social reaction to deviant behavior, and deviant subcultures.
CJ272 Family Violence (3 credits)
This course explores the social, legal, and medical perspectives of intimate partner violence.
Various aspects of intimate partner violence will be examined, with a focus on theoretical
perspectives, as well as specific types abuse such as child abuse, spousal abuse, and elderly
abuse. The objective of this course is to broaden knowledge of family violence, understand
some of the causes, discuss types and forms of abuse, gain insight on the dynamics between
perpetrators and victims, and analyze social, legal, and medical responses to this social
problem.
CJ311 Law Enforcement and Policing (3 credits)
This course will cover the importance of knowing the law, patrol procedures, search and
seizure, discretion when to arrest, dealing with diverse populations, motor vehicle stops,
deadly force, coping with the rigors of the job and internal department strife.
CJ322 Criminal Law and Constitutional Principles (3 credits)
This course will examine the constitutional underpinnings of the criminal law. Students will
comprehend the nature of constitutional rights/protections afforded to persons subject to the
criminal justice system and the limits of governmental powers to investigate and prosecute.
Case studies will be used to highlight various constitutional issues and to enable students to
identify and analyze constitutional problems.
CJ341 Corrections and Alternatives in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
This course will explore the history and operation of prisons and jails in the United States
and other countries. The course also covers the management and operation of corrections
facilities from the perspective of both employees and incarcerated persons. Ideas dealing
with innovative correction techniques will be covered, as well as the future of corrections in
the United States.
CJ402 Ethics in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
This course will enable students to comprehend the ethical principles that apply to the criminal justice field. The focus of the course will be the development of an ethical decision
making model which will provide students with a methodology of analyzing and resolving ethical issues. Given a specific factual situation or case study, students will learn to apply the methodology (alone or in a small group) to produce an ethically sound decision.
Criminal Justice Department
Eastern Nazarene College | 23 East Elm Ave.
Quincy, Massachusetts 02170
Phone: 617-745-3576
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