Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice

This course will review and describe the various theories and implications of criminal acts in relation to behavior discipline, causative and scientific aspects. Analysis of criminal and non-criminal behavior is addressed regarding certain causes, controls, and legal aspects. Crime is analyzed from an interdisciplinary study of social problems and social responsibility perspectives. Distinctions are addressed regarding criminal behavior of perpetrators of serious criminal acts and the concept of social relativity to the study of criminality.

The student will develop and evaluate policies and procedures in all phases of police administration. These include judicial decisions, which impact the legal status of the operation of police agencies. Additionally, administrative issues inherent in both large and small police organizations are assessed including: the history and context of police administration, police organizational tasks, leadership in the police organization, the role of the police manager, and the role of citizen oversight. Oversight committees addressing police accountability for community enforcement services are analyzed.

This course will examine in detail crimes such as murder, serial killing, rape, and related crimes of violence from a sociopsychological profiling perspective. Topics covered will include the foundations of criminal profiling, the elements and goals of criminal profiling, multidisciplinary theory, victimology, geographic profiling, the scientific method as applied to behavioral theories, and ethical considerations. Modus Operandi and Signature behaviors will be analyzed, and inductive and deductive profiling methods will be assessed.

This course is a study in the major decisions made by law enforcement executives from a variety of levels and locales. These decisions include issues in crisis management as well as inter-relationships among community leaders with police executives. Management styles are addressed to determine the most effective methods of implementing solutions to macro social community problems. Additionally, strategic decision-making processes are assessed to evaluate fairness and the aspects of voluntary cooperation and attitudes of all parties. The intent of the course is to provide a thorough analysis of executive decision making from which the student can appreciate the strengths and weaknesses executive decisions while reflecting on the student’s own style and approach to decision making.

This course focuses on the fundamental principals, concepts, and development of criminal law and the constitutional provisions which govern it. The course further discusses the relationship of the individual to the state and includes an examination of the general framework of criminal law as a means of social control.

This course addresses the specific constitutional rights, including the fourth, fifth and sixth amendments as those that have a direct impact on the defendant and prosecution in the judicial process. The course will review issues of the pre-arrest stage to post conviction remedies, as well as the procedural laws in the criminal justice process and their limits. The parameters of these limits will be analyzed by studying various court decisions.