CRMJ 515 - Professional and Research Writing
This course provides students with advanced research and writing skills and techniques culminating in the production of a significant research paper. Students will be required to respond in writing to issues in a criminal justice framework. Additionally, the course will focus on the basics of delineating issues, formulating propositions, constructing an argument and researching a topic. Adherence to skills presented in the American Psychological Association Manual (APA) for preparing manuscripts is required.
CRMJ 520 - Criminal Justice Administration and Management
This course focuses on the administration and management of criminal justice agencies. Budgeting and long-range planning as well as human resources management are emphasized. The student also will study and analyze the development of various criminal justice agency policies and procedures from a multicultural perspective.
CRMJ 522 - Legal Issues in Criminal Justice Administration
An in-depth examination of the fundamental principles, concepts, and development of criminal law and the constitutional provisions which define it is the focus of this course. Included is the study of criminal statues and laws governing police procedures, as well as the rights of criminal defendants during judicial proceedings and of convicted offenders under the jurisdiction of criminal justice agencies. Issues related to multiculturalism also will be addressed.
CRMJ 525 - Theories of Criminology
A critical analysis of the major criminological theories from an interdisciplinary perspective will be provided by this course. The student will study how crime is defined and measured and the impact of this knowledge on major policy decisions. The concept of crime will be studied from sociological, psychological, economic and political frames of reference.
CRMJ 528 - Politics, Policy and Criminal Justice
This course will examine criminal justice concerns from the perspective of political science. The overall course objective will be to learn about how the criminal justice system is created, operates, and is evaluated within a particular political multicultural framework. Students will be expected to learn how the various parts of this system work in relation to the development of policy.
CRMJ 530 - Organizational Behavior in Criminal Justice
This course reviews organizational behavior as it relates to the foundations of individual and group behavior, the role of personality, emotions, motivation and communication, and human resources policies and practices. Research and theories from the behavioral sciences will be examined. Analyses of the following topics are included: leadership, group decision-making, cooperation, competition and inter-group conflict. Prerequisite CRMJ 520
CRMJ 532 - Economics of the Criminal Justice System
The focus of this course is for students to develop an understanding of economic principles applied to contemporary issues in the field of criminal justice. Students will examine the effects of fiscal and monetary policies on the state of the economy, on the funding of governmental agencies and the decision-making processes of resource allocation. Students will examine the role of economics as related to the cost of crime and its impact to the criminal justice system. Various theories will be used to study optimum decision-making rules under changing conditions, as well as consumption, distribution of goods and services and pricing. The use of cost-benefit analysis as a tool is emphasized. Each student will have the opportunity to select a specific topic in criminal justice and explore that issue from an economic perspective. Prerequisite CRMJ 520
CRMJ 534 - Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice
This class discusses ethics or the study of goodness and how it relates to such concepts as justice, fairness, and professionalism. The focus will be on understanding ethical systems and how morality develops and analyzing moral and ethical dilemmas.
CRMJ 536 Advanced Research Design and Analysis in Criminal Justice
This course is designed to introduce the graduate student to the process of social research. It discusses research concepts such as problem identification, data collection, data analysis, hypothesis testing and conclusion and the interrelatedness of these different stages. Prerequisite CRMJ 515
CRMJ 550 - Criminal Justice Administration Practicum
The practicum experience provides students with administrative experience in the field of criminal justice administration. Students gain practical experience, enhance skills learned in the classroom, and acquire contacts with professionals in the field of criminal justice administration. The Practicum requires students to complete a project that results in a final report and presentation at the annual Criminal Justice Administration Graduate Student Symposium. Students will be encouraged to submit proposals to a professional conference to present their projects. Prerequisite CRMJ 536
CRMJ 555 - Criminal Justice Administration Thesis
Students will identify a research question and will develop and write a thesis to further explore and explain the question. The student’s advisor and a second reader will grade the thesis. Thesis students will present the result of their research at the annual Criminal Justice Administration Graduate Student Symposium. Prerequisite CRMJ 536
CRMJ 559 - Master’s Capstone Seminar in Criminal Justice
The Capstone Seminar course is an intensive experience in critical analysis, designed to broaden graduate students’ perspectives beyond their culture or discipline and provides an opportunity for integration of all previous courses in the Criminal Justice Administration program. The topic or issue for the capstone project will be determined by the program director in conjunction with a criminal justice related institution, agency or organization within the Pittsburgh community. The Capstone seminar is designed for graduate students to foster cooperation and collaboration among their peers, to develop interdisciplinary partnerships, and to cultivate relationships with community partners. Students will examine a specific issue in the field of criminal justice, will prepare a final written document and present the results of their project at the annual Criminal Justice Administration Graduate Student Symposium. Prerequisite CRMJ 536
CRMJ 595 - Special Topics in Criminal Justice Administration
This course allows the department to select topics of special interest in the field of Criminal Justice Administration for further in-depth study. Prerequisite CRMJ 536
PCHE or Point Park University Elective
(500+ level) selected in consultation with advisor and approved by program director