Learning Outcomes
Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomes
Goal #1 Expose students to the body of scholarship (foundational and current) associated with the fields of criminology and criminal justice.
- Display a comprehension of the major scholarly works associated with early and current criminology and criminal justice.
- Articulate the major schools of thought in criminology
- Describe the various models used to analyze criminal justice administration, including, but not limited, to the systems perspective and the due process/crime control model
- Evince an understanding of the substantive differences between the fields of criminology and criminal justice
Goal #2 Describe the difficulties associated with acquiring valid and reliable empirical data on the nature and extent of crime.
- Describe the most-used measures of crime available
- Recognize the strengths and limitations of each crime measure
Goal #3 Delineate the different agencies and steps involved in crime processing.
- Identify the agencies that comprise the criminal justice system
- Illustrate the steps and activities used by each of the agencies in responding to and processing of crime
Goal #4 Describe the major concepts, perspectives, and methodological traditions used by scholars in the fields of criminology and criminal justice.
- Evince an understanding of the major concepts and perspectives associated with the disciplines of criminology and criminal justice
- Assess and apply the major methodologies used to study crime and the administration of criminal justice
Goal #5 Expose students to current issues confronting criminal justice and the importance of maintaining an objective, bias-free perspective when examining them, using evidence-based research when available.
- Describe the current issues confronting criminal justice, recognizing the complexity, dynamics, and context of each
- Acknowledge the role of the media in shaping the beliefs and opinions of an uninformed public
- Appreciate the importance of evidence-based research in understanding and changing the process/system of criminal justice in this country