Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration
Program Description
Program Requirements
Course ID |
Course Title |
|---|---|
| GEN300 |
Skills for Professional Development
This course examines the skills necessary for successful critical thinking, teamwork, research, and communication. The course is designed to aid adult learners in acquiring and improving the core competencies that are necessary at the University of Phoenix. Students will examine their reasons for returning to school, and develop strategies for achieving educational goals in school, work, and personal settings. Students will also be introduced to the University library and learn how to access its resources successfully. Credits: 3 |
| CJA303 |
Foundations of Criminal Justice
This course is a survey of the criminal justice system, including the agencies and processes involved in the administration of criminal justice. It provides an overview of police, prosecution, courts, and the correctional system. The problems of the administration of justice in a democratic society are also discussed. Credits: 3 |
| CJA313 |
Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice
This course explores developments and changes in the practice of criminal justice brought about by the war on terrorism, as well as rapid technological change, and other social dynamics. Specific topics include: homeland security, the police response to terrorism, police accountability, racial profiling, and the expanded participation of the community in ensuring public safety. Students also learn about how technology has altered the way crimes are committed as well as the ways that law enforcement and the communities they serve confront the problem and address emerging public safety issues. Credits: 3 |
| CJA323 |
Criminology
Criminology is an introductory course in the study of crime and criminal behavior, focusing on the various theories of crime causation. This course highlights the causes of crime, criminal behavior systems, societal reaction to crime, and criminological methods of inquiry. Credits: 3 |
| CJA333 |
Policing Theory and Practice
This course is designed to provide students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of policing in the United States. It offers the foundations of policing, from police roles to the issues that police officers are facing today. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA343 |
Criminal Law
This is an introductory course in the study of criminal law, general legal principles, and how the criminal law functions in and affects modern society. This course highlights a variety of key topics, including the concept of crime and the development of criminal law, defenses to criminal charges, and a number of specific types of crimes, including personal crimes, property crimes, public order crimes, and offenses against public morality. Legal issues affecting punishment will also be discussed, as will ways the criminal law impacts victims of crime. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA353 |
Criminal Procedure
This course explores the basic core knowledge of constitutional criminal procedure. Emphasis is placed on the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendments, searches and seizures, interrogations and confessions, identifications, pre-trial and trial processes. In addition, the United States Constitution as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court is examined along with philosophical policy considerations. Application of core knowledge is developed through simulation exercises and examination of homeland security issues. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, CJA343, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA363 |
Interpersonal Communications
This course prepares the student to communicate effectively in both written and verbal forms. The course covers best practices in investigative reporting, written reports and memos, and interpersonal verbal communication within criminal justice settings, including interactions with victims, suspects, incarcerated persons, government officials, staff, and civilians. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA373 |
Criminal Court Systems
This course is an overview of American court history, including the development of state and federal courts. Court administration, the roles of professional and non-professional courtroom participants, and stages in the process are discussed. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA383 |
Institutional and Community Corrections
This course is a survey of the punishment phase of the criminal justice system, including the history, evolution, and process of American corrections. It provides an overview of corrections, including the persons, agencies, and organizations that manage criminals. Jails and prisons are described, including portrayals of inmates and their characteristics, and administrative operations. Other issues examined include overcrowding, inmate rights, privatization, the emergence of community corrections, female prisoners, and juveniles. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA393 |
Criminal Organizations
This course is a survey of the origins and development of organized crime in the United States. It examines the structure and activities of organized criminal enterprises, considers different models that have been employed to describe organized crime groups, and explores theories that have been advanced to explain the phenomenon. Major investigations of organized crime and legal strategies that have been developed to combat it are also considered. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA403 |
Juvenile Justice Systems and Processes
This course is a general orientation to the field of juvenile justice, including causation theories and the development of system responses to delinquent behavior. The problems facing juveniles today are addressed, and adult and juvenile justice systems are compared, including initial apprehension, referral, and preventive techniques. Specific issues examined include chemical dependency, mental illness, and compulsive and habitual offenders. Special attention is given to the problems inherent in the police handling of juveniles and the function of juvenile courts. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, CJA353, CJA373, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA413 |
Ethics in Criminal Justice
This course explores the standards and codes of professional responsibility in criminal justice professions (e.g., Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, ABA Standards of Professional Responsibility, American Jail Association Code of Ethics for Jail Officers, and the American Correctional Association Code of Ethics). It also explores analysis and evaluation of ethical dilemmas, roles of professional organizations and agencies, ethics and community relations, ethics in criminal justice laws and procedures and civil liability in law enforcement and correctional environments. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA423 |
Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice
This course offers a comprehensive, critical and balanced examination of the issues of crime and justice with respect to race and ethnicity. Procedures and policy in a pluralistic and multicultural society are examined relative to law enforcement, courts and corrections environments. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA433 |
Research Methods in Criminal Justice
Students learn and demonstrate knowledge of research methodology within the criminal justice system and become acquainted with the range and scope of quantitative and qualitative tools available to the criminal justice researcher. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA443 |
Organizational Behavior and Management
This course in organizational behavior encompasses the study of individual and group behavior as they apply to criminal justice organizations – court systems, law enforcement, and corrections. Managing organizational behavior challenges individuals to understand organizational structure and systems, leadership, motivation, effective communication, change management, and performance systems. A comprehensive review of these processes, as well as others, will allow students to examine their role in criminal justice systems in our rapidly changing society. A note regarding the approach to this course: This course focuses upon the application of fundamental organizational behavior and management concepts in criminal justice agencies. For students to gain competence in this field, they must first understand the general concepts, and then how to apply them in a criminal justice environment. To that end, the text, Organizational Behavior, selected for this course presents organizational behavior concepts that might be applied to any organization, public or private. From this, students will come to understand the fundamentals of organizational behavior. Thereafter, discussion questions, papers, and assignments will focus upon the application of these concepts in a criminal justice environment so as to expose students to some of the unique characteristics of such agencies. Additionally, the excerpts from the text Criminal Justice Organizations text will also help to synthesize theory with practice. Together, this integrated approach will help students to apply organizational behavior concepts to their criminal justice careers. In CJA/450: Criminal Justice Administration and CJA/470: Managing Criminal Justice Organizations, the students will also be called upon to apply this learning. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA453 |
Criminal Justice Administration
This course applies management and financial principles to criminal justice organizations. Emphasis is placed on budgets, financial accounting principles and assessing the effectiveness of the activities of criminal justice organizations. Constitutional requirements, court decisions, and legislation (such as EEOC requirements) as they impact management in criminal justice organizations are discussed. Basic accounting and financial terminology, and purposes and formats of financial statements are introduced: depreciation of assets, capital budgeting, cash management, lease versus purchase, and inventory management. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA323, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| CJA463 | Criminal Justice Policy Analysis |
| CJA473 | Managing Criminal Justice Personnel |
| CJA483 |
Futures of Criminal Justice
This course examines possible criminal justice futures and the broader topic of global justice. Students will research and discuss issues that police, corrections, and courts are likely to confront in the 21st century and beyond and will examine established predictive techniques in the field of futures research. Students will critically examine the varied criminal justice systems that exist in the global community. This is a capstone course requiring students to apply all they have learned throughout the program to the issues that will define possible criminal justice futures. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA303, CJA313, CJA323, CJA333, CJA343, CJA353, CJA363, CJA373, CJA383, CJA393, CJA403, CJA413, CJA423, CJA433, CJA443, CJA453, CJA463, CJA473, COMM215, GEN300, MTH209, GEN101, MTH212 |
| GEN480 |
Interdisciplinary Capstone Course
This is the capstone course for business, health and human services, and information technology undergraduate students. The course provides students with the opportunity to integrate and apply learning from their professional programs of study in a comprehensive manner. Students will also assess the impact of their educational experiences on their ethical perspectives and critical thinking skills. Students will reflect on and evaluate their personal and professional growth, the benefits of lifelong learning, and the impact of these elements on their future. Credits: 3 Prerequisites: CJA303, CJA313, CJA323, CJA333, CJA343, CJA353, CJA363, CJA373, CJA383, CJA393, CJA403, CJA413, CJA423, CJA433, CJA443, CJA453, CJA463, CJA473, CJA483, GEN300, GEN101 |
