Law and Policy Major (B.A./B.S.)
Purpose
The purpose of this program is to prepare students who wish to gain admission to law school and also to provide a foundation of legal knowledge for those who seek to integrate their knowledge of law and public policy into their vocations but do not aspire to law school.
Program Learning Outcomes
The student will be able to:
- Describe the constitutional foundation of the American legal system.
- Apply biblical principles to the theory and practical application of the law.
Pre-Law Concentration
The student will be able to:
- Perform legal research, analysis and synthesis.
- Describe the fundamental areas of law which form the core of the American legal system.
- Construct logical legal arguments for negotiation and problem solving.
Delivery Format: Residential and Online
Delivery Format: Residential Only
Delivery Format: Online Only
An introductory course covering an overview of the whole criminal justice system in America, including discussion of law enforcement generally, the court systems, correctional organizations, the history of law enforcement in the U.S. and some other nations, and the ethics and philosophy of criminal justice generally.
Offered: Resident and Online
This course is an introductory course to research in the social sciences, both in traditional and online venues. It covers plagiarism, APA formatting, case briefing, academic writing, formal reporting, and memoranda. A major research paper is required.
Offered: Resident and Online
This course is an introductory course in criminal justice professional writing. It covers all major reports from first responder report to criminal case file. The emphasis is on criminal justice tradecraft reporting.
Offered: Resident and Online
Registration Restrictions: Sophomore status, 2.00 GPA, two courses in major, declared major, not more than one CSER behind
Offered: Resident
This course is designed to familiarize the student with the theoretical and practical management perspectives embraced by the American criminal justice system. This will include nature of criminal justice organizations, individual and group behavior within those organizations, processes inherent in those organizations, and areas of criminal justice reform from a Christian perspective.
Offered: Resident and Online
Resident Prerequisite: (CJUS 200 and CJUS 230) and (RSCH 201 or Inquiry Research with a score of 80 or Research with a score of 80 or Research (prior to 2017-2018) with a score of 80)
This course is designed to provide an in-depth study of the juvenile justice system in the United States. The student will study the general principles of juvenile delinquency, overview of the juvenile criminal justice system, theories of delinquency, and other issues dealing with juveniles in the justice system.
Offered: Resident and Online
This course is designed to familiarize the student with the criminal correctional system in the United States. The student will review the history of corrections and procedural, statutory, and case law of American correction.
Offered: Resident and Online
Examines the extent to which juvenile correctional interventions are used. Provides an in-depth analysis of various correctional responses to juvenile offenders including diversion, community-based, and residential programs.
Offered: Online
This course introduces the student to the new philosophies within corrections to establish successful rehabilitation programs in the community and outside of traditional prison settings. Students will analyze different programs that are being implemented nationally to include electronic monitoring, boot camps, and restorative justice programs.
Offered: Online
Explores various strategies for prevention of adult and juvenile crime with particular attention to the theoretical and empirical bases for these approaches. Students will develop a crime prevention plan.
Offered: Online
An overview of legal issues and court decisions related to juvenile justice. An analysis of the various ethical issues surrounding juvenile justice contexts and practices.
Offered: Online
This course is designed to increase the understanding of the criminal judicial process in the United States. It includes a study of the functioning of courts, judges, lawyers and law enforcement agencies, including judicial decision-making and the impact of court decisions on the American Republic.
Offered: Resident and Online
This course is designed to examine theories regarding the nature and cause of criminal behavior and society's response. It approaches crime from a philosophical, psychological, and sociological perspective. Most importantly, this course strives to integrate a theological, perspective to crime and punishment. (Formerly CJUS 210).
Offered: Resident and Online
This course is designed to build upon the biblical foundations students should have developed from other courses (such as BIBL 105/110 and THEO 200/201) and enhance foundational ethical considerations into more developed and practical notions of right behavior within the realm of criminal justice praxis.
Offered: Resident and Online
This course is designed to provide an in-depth evaluation of current issues in the criminal justice system in the United States. Criminal justice reform is an explorative approach used to identify issues, problems, and policies that affect existing conditions in American law enforcement, courts, and correctional systems. Issues may include use of force, race relations, excessive punishment, and overcrowding in prisons, and this course will study these and similar current issues with a focus on meaningful and relevant reform approaches. Consequently, theory, current practices and policies, new and proposed relevant justice programs, and legislative and political agendas will be integral elements of the course.
Offered: Online
This course examines effective crisis intervention strategies for law enforcement agencies and helps inform students about the development of mental health community - law enforcement partnership teams throughout the United States. Students will not only gain theoretical knowledge about crisis intervention in law enforcement, but they will also gain practical skills in crisis intervention.
Offered: Online
This course is designed to provide an in-depth study of proven community corrections programs which are evidenced based and have demonstrated measurable success.
Offered: Online
An introductory overview of forensics and how it is applied to the justice system by law enforcement agencies. This course demonstrates the importance of documenting physical evidence and identifying various kinds of evidence such as: fingerprints, trace, tool marks, DNA, etc.
Offered: Resident and Online
Students will learn and apply principles of photography in digital format. Within the field of forensic science, the use and understanding of photography is essential. The course will focus on the areas of aerial, underwater, and macro photography as used to document and present criminal investigations. Students must have access to a digital camera that has aperture settings (example: Sony P200) and a tripod.
Offered: Resident and Online
This course will address critical thinking, resource management, supervision, and investigative failures in criminal investigations. A detailed explanation of how to effectively manage a forensics investigation and how to preserve and present evidence will be covered.
Offered: Resident and Online
The course will focus on the role of computer forensics and the methods used in the investigation of computer crimes. The course explains the need for proper investigation and illustrates the process of locating, handling, and processing computer evidence.
Offered: Online
Introduction to the basics of court and expert witness testimony and relevant court decisions. This course offers relevant court testimony elements and practices for law enforcement, crime scene investigators, other experts including forensic scientists, engineers, psychologists, nurses, and accountants, and pre-law students. This course will brief relevant legal cases, explain courtroom processes, and present and practice effective courtroom presentations.
Offered: Resident and Online
An introduction to the public and private sector dimension of the broad range theoretical and practical aspects of homeland security and emergency management, including: origins of natural and terrorist-caused disasters; local, state, and federal emergency management planning and operations; health infrastructure capabilities, public communication strategies; business community concerns; ethical, legal, and constitutional questions; as well as the social and psychological dimensions of disasters. NRF, NIMS, ICS, IC, and UC will be examined. Further, national and association standards found in agencies and documents such as Presidential Directives, NFPA 1600, IAEM, and IACP will be examined.
Offered: Online
An introduction to the basic tasks of emergency preparedness and disaster mitigation, including planning, response, and recovery. Special emphasis will be placed on command arrangements, coordination, and budgetary issues among emergency responders (law enforcement, firefighters, transportation, public works, and health care system officials), and within and between federal, state, and local governments.
Offered: Online
Identification, prioritization, and protection of critical infrastructure including agriculture, cyber and information technology, telecommunications, chemical, transportation, energy, water, medical, emergency services, and postal and shipping. Impact on personal safety, structural integrity and security, and economic performance.
Offered: Online
This course focuses on the sociological, psychological, and physiological human responses to natural and human-made disasters. Students will examine normal and abnormal psychological reactions, the recovery process, and principles of mental health care for victims and responders of disasters. Differences between natural and human-made disasters are examined and factors that mitigate post-traumatic effects are reviewed. Response of the public and individuals to disaster-related issues including: disaster warning, evacuations, relations, civil unrest, loss of family and property, and recovery activities are examined. Sociological and psychological aspects of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) disasters are also considered. Students develop an awareness of the effect of human influence and behavior on disaster response and recovery.
Offered: Online
This course is designed to provide an overview of the legal elements that apply to criminal law, procedure, and evidence, including proof, intent, conspiracy, classifications of crimes and related punishments, culpable mental states, defenses, rules of evidence (including the exclusionary rule), and rights and procedures in the gathering of evidence.
Offered: Resident and Online
CJUS 405 - Interview and Interrogation (3 hours)
Note: Extra costs above tuition and fees apply.)
Offered: Resident
This course is designed to study the constitutional provisions and Supreme Court decisions affecting law enforcement procedure, including due process of law generally, arrest, charges, right to counsel, search and seizure, identification, bail, trial and post-trial proceedings, and post-conviction appeals. The course also investigates civil liability for acts of law enforcement personnel.
Offered: Resident and Online
This course will address the constitutional requirements for conducting criminal investigations, essential techniques for processing a crime scene, and methodology for collecting evidence via subpoenas and interviews.
Note: Offered fall semester
Offered: Resident and Online
This course will apply the concepts addressed in CJUS 420 to specific crimes, including arson, rape, robbery, and murder. Additionally, the course examines the practices and procedures associated with the management of complex criminal investigations.
Note: Offered spring semester only
Offered: Resident
This course is a collection of practically oriented lectures, demonstrations, and short films specifically tailored to students interested in the application of scientific processes in identifying, locating, apprehending, and prosecuting criminal offenders. It will draw on practitioners within the various fields of the forensic science, police, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. This course is elective. Criminal Justice majors should consider enrolling for three semesters.
Offered: Resident
This course is a study in complex criminal investigations, primarily sexual assaults. The course covers the practical and effective investigative techniques and strategies used in sexual assault investigations. Investigative techniques taught in this course include victimology, crime scene processing, physical evidence, medical evaluations, forensic analyses, interviews of witnesses and interrogation of suspects, cold case investigations, sexual assault offender characteristics, sexual assault research, and court testimony.
Offered: Resident
This course is a predominantly on-site investigation into the institutions, processes, and practices of criminal justice in various foreign countries. It seeks to examine the historical development of criminal justice, the cross-cultural and economic impact of international crime, and competing notions of justice, crime, and punishment. This course is offered annually or bi-annually, as needed.
Note: Summer term only
Offered: Resident
Offered: Resident
Prerequisite: CJUS 230
Applications are processed through the department Faculty Intern Advisor. Applicants must apply the semester prior to starting the internship.
Registration Restrictions: Junior or senior status and required GPA
Offered: Resident and Online