Criminology

Why does a person commit a crime? How does a society even decide what actions are classified as “criminal”? What happens if you get arrested while abroad? This course will seek to answer these compelling questions along with many others as we study crime, causes of criminal behavior, and criminal justice processes.

Criminology focuses on several aspects of the criminal justice system, beginning with an exploration of the purpose and origins of law along with examination of crime data and research methods. Students will explore theories that attempt to explain criminal behavior, apply their learning to scenarios and real-life criminals, and evaluate the efficacy of the criminal justice system in the United States and internationally.

Lively discussions include topics such as potential careers in criminology, the death penalty, the purposes of incarceration, and cybercrimes. In addition to the discussions, a variety of assessments include a group project to develop an effective policy that is constitutional, a book/movie project, an evaluation of a serial killer, and a final project that incorporates recommendations for preventing crime and recommending post-criminal activities.

Acknowledgements

Students must be mature enough to handle some violent and graphic subject matter.
Please Note: This course contains an end-of-course proctored exam. Instructions for students to identify an appropriate adult proctor are included in the course lessons.

Course Objectives

Essential Questions:

How do criminologists identify patterns in criminal activity?
To what extent can theories explain criminal behavior?
How has the criminal justice system changed over time to adapt to changing society?
How does the international community cooperate in addressing transnational issues?

Learning Objectives - Students will:

Identify the purpose and origins of laws.
Analyze crime data and criminology research methods.
Evaluate criminological theories for effectiveness in explaining criminal behavior.
Predict outcomes of criminal justice processes.
Create a policy statement, prevention plan, and corresponding programs for a specific crime.