Winter Session Highlights
Art & Literature
Arts and Culture in the African Diaspora: AFR 132 (ONLINE).This course examines the arts and cultural production in social justice movements across the African Diaspora. Course sections examine different genres of cultural production, focusing on the ways in which the arts both impact and are influenced by social and political happenings. Possible topics include dance, oral tradition, spoken word poetry, hip hop, theater, and visual arts. Special attention will be paid to the intersections of creative expression and performance and how these practices shape our concepts of the African Diaspora.
Eco Art and Design: ART 122 (ONLINE) This interdisciplinary studio art course explores diverse and exciting ways artists use to engage with our environmental challenges. Students will create a rich variety of art projects such as collages, jewelry, fashion design, and proposals for performances, installations and large scale art projects that remediate the environment. The inspiration for student projects will evolve from field trips, thought provoking videos and slides, discussions, exercises and experiments with found objects, and explorations of environmental problem sites.
Crime, Punishment, and Justice in U.S. Literature: LIT 326 (ONLINE). This course examines literary texts about crime, punishment, and justice from the United States in order to explore how questions of right, wrong, and fairness have been and are understood. Students will read literary texts that question the psychological and social causes of crime, philosophies of law, the varieties and purposes of punishment, and what justice might mean in any given context. Critical and writing skills will be enhanced through close analysis of texts and the application of basic literary concepts and methods of interpretation. Prerequisite: ENG 201 and Junior Standing
Criminology & The Law
Criminology: SOC 203 (ONLINE). This course introduces students to the subject of criminology by discussing the main theoretical perspectives and issues. It focuses on the problems of definition and measurement and the main ways in which crime can be explained and controlled. In addition, the course considers how crime is represented, for example, by the mass media, the unequal distribution of crime within society; the relationship between victims and offenders, and the social and political context of debates on crime and social control. Prerequisite: ENG 101 and SOC 101
Introduction to Cybercrime: Theories and Applications: SEC 107 (ONLINE). This course delves into the complex world of cybercrime by exploring different types of cybercrime; the nature and extent of cybercrime; cybervictimization; criminological theories; the reasons why offenders commit cybercrime; cyberwitnesses’ roles and reactions to cybercrime; the applicability of criminological theories to specific cybercrimes; and existing laws, policies, and measures and those needed to effectively control and combat cybercrime.
Law and Evidence: LAW 202 (ONLINE). A comprehensive analysis of the rules of evidence. Particular subjects include judicial notice, presumptions, the nature of real and circumstantial evidence, burden of proof, province of court and jury, documentary evidence, hearsay evidence, confessions, admissions, witnesses, and constitutionally protected evidence. Emphasis on evidence in criminal cases. Prerequisite: ENG 101 and Sophomore Standing
Jurisprudence: LAW 301 (ONLINE). This course considers the study of the theory and philosophy of law and the relationship between law and society. Issues to which special attention will be paid include the problem of disobedience, the nature of the judicial process, and the relations between law and personal morality. Current controversies about civil disobedience, the role of courts, "non-victim" crimes, and the relationship of the police to the rule of law will be explored. Prerequisite: ENG 201; and LAW 203, POL 230, or POL 301; and Junior Standing
Psychology and the Law: LAW/PSY 370 (ONLINE). A critical examination of the relationships between the legal system and psychological theory, research and practice. Topics include: civil commitment, the rights of mental patients, standards of legal competence, psychological testimony, predictions of dangerousness, the insanity defense, child custody disputes, and ethical issues in psychology and the law. Prerequisites: ENG 201; and PSY 101 and PSY 221 or PSY 242 or LAW 203
Psychology of Criminal Behavior: PSY 372 (ONLINE). A study of the psychological bases and dynamics of criminal behavior. Topics to be discussed include the "antisocial personality"; the "psychopath"; psychosis and crime; alcoholism and drug abuse; the adolescent offender; the female offender; "sex" offenders; and white collar crime. The varying ways in which the criminal justice system processes, treats, and affects the different types of offenders will also be discussed. Prerequisites: ENG 201 and PSY 242
The Law and Institutional Treatment: COR 201 (ONLINE). This course examines the process of law from arrest to release from confinement in its relation to correctional principles and practices. Functions of the police, defense, prosecution, courts, probation, correction, parole will be explored as will the civil rights of the accused and the convicted. The course will also review legal documents relating to commitment, bail, fines, and writs. Prerequisite: ENG 101; and COR 101, CRJ 101, ICJ 101, CJBS 101, or equivalent
Introduction to Criminal Investigations: PSC 107 (ONLINE). The course provides a history of criminal investigation and an in-depth look at the investigative process as well as ethical considerations that apply. Students will learn about the qualifications for becoming an investigator, crime scene search techniques, preparing effective field notes and investigative reports, interviewing and interrogating suspects and witnesses, the proper collection and packaging methods used to preserve evidence, contributions of forensic science in criminal investigation, legal issues involved in criminal investigations and preparing a case for trial. They will also learn about real-life examples to enhance their understanding of how to effectively apply the techniques and tools provided.
Organized Crime in America: PSC 405 (ONLINE). A seminar on the origins, organization, function, and control of organized crime. Prerequisites: ENG 201; Senior Standing; and PSC 101 or CJBS 101 or CRJ 101 or ICJ 101
Ethical Theory & Practice
Ethical Theory: PHI 210 (ONLINE). Ethical theory is the attempt to understand the principles that should guide our thinking and decision making about morally important issues. In this course, we investigate moral theory in the history of philosophy. This course compares first principles and moral intuitions, moral relativism and moral dogmatism, moral character traits and the ethics of duty. Focus will be on theories, arguments and their relation to practical issues. We will examine these issues with reference to historically influential ethical systems, with an eye toward better understanding those systems and their relevance. The course will examine the ancient Greek tradition, which is still pivotal to the ethical debates of today. Part of the analysis of the dominant theories will include important alternatives to this tradition. These alternatives might include, but are not limited to, feminist ethics, Buddhist ethics, animal ethics, and environmental ethics. We will also be calling into question some of the key assumptions these ethical systems make, such as who counts as a morally relevant being and what sort of considerations are morally relevant. Prerequisite: ENG 101
Ethics and Information Technology: PHI 216 (ONLINE). This course will provide an introduction to the primary philosophical frameworks for reasoning about global problems of applied ethics in information, communication, and computer technology use – from surveillance, free speech, privacy, intellectual property, hacking, distributed denial of service, whistleblowing, cybercrime, cyberterrorism, and the digital divide, to ethics in social networking and online communities. The course will discuss the ethical responsibilities of information technology students, professionals and users, and promote responsible use of technology. Prerequisite: ENG 101
Ethics and Law: LAW/PHI 310 (ONLINE). Inquiry into the relationship between morality and law; their organic interrelationship in the natural law tradition; their separation in positivism. The contemporary debate illustrated by the issues of human and civil rights; the enforcement of sexual morality; civil disobedience; and the ethics of law enforcement. Prerequisite: ENG 201 and any Philosophy course
Health & Wellness
Personal Physical Fitness and Dynamic Health: PED 103 (ONLINE). The student will analyze modern concepts of fitness, evaluate one's personal level of health and fitness, examine the values of various exercise programs, perform exercises designed to improve muscular and cardiovascular systems, and understand concepts of weight management, diet and nutrition, and stress management.
Personal & Public Health: Social Context; Private Choices: PED 110 (ONLINE). This course examines individual health in the context of social, political, and cultural behaviors and beliefs. Focusing primarily on 'preventable' diseases, the course draws on a variety of public-health theories to analyze disparities in disease and longevity among diverse populations while also encouraging students to understand their own health-related choices in both personal and socio-cultural terms.
Stress Management: PED 180 (ONLINE). This course will explain the sources and consequences of stress. Key theories and terminology will be discussed and evaluated. A variety of instruments which measure stress levels among individuals will be demonstrated. Coping techniques enabling students to adjust to the demands of stress will be described and practiced.
Cognitive Psychology: PSY 200 (ONLINE). This course presents a comprehensive overview of essential concepts in cognitive psychology (the scientific study of thinking) including topics such as perception, reasoning, language, learning and memory. In particular, we will focus on the latest advances in cognitive neuroscience, a branch of neuroscience involving the study of the biological foundations of cognition. The aim of the course is to explore the critical issues in cognitive psychology from a historical, cultural and contemporary perspective. Prerequisite: ENG 101 and PSY 101
Developmental Psychology: PSY 231 (ONLINE). ). This course provides an introduction to the scientific study of human development, with an emphasis on the social, cognitive, cultural and biological influences on development and on methods for studying development. Topics will include perceptual, motor, cognitive, social and emotional development from infancy to adolescence and emerging adulthood. Prerequisite: ENG 101 and PSY 101
Abnormal Psychology: PSY 242 (ONLINE). A survey of the causes, classification, and treatment of abnormal behavior. The course examines topics such as reactions to stress and adjustment disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, psychoses, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual disorders and sexual deviations, disorders of mood, behavioral disorders of adolescence and childhood, and the psychology of criminal behavior. Methods of assessment, including psychological testing, and various approaches to treatment will also be considered. Prerequisite: ENG 101 and PSY 101
Multiculturalism & Diversity
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology: ANT 101 (ONLINE). This course is an introduction to cultural anthropology, the study of human societies and cultures. Students will examine the concept of culture in historical and global perspective, and learn tools for cross-cultural comparative analysis with an emphasis on critical thinking in relation to cultural values and practices, variation in human behavior, the organization of social life, and the making of cultural identity. Cross-cultural topics include subsistence, power and law, gender, family and kinship, language and intercultural communication, and the impact of globalization on human societies. Students will also learn fundamental concepts in anthropology to better understand the causes and conditions of our contemporary world.
Urban Anthropology: ANT 208 (ONLINE). The basic concepts and perspectives of anthropology are used to examine the many different subcultures and groups which make up the urban environment, both in the United States and in other complex societies. It examines how these groups both conflict with and cooperate with each other, as they compete for urban space and urban resources. The course includes examination of deviant behavior as it exists within the context of the urban environment, and the ways in which the special characteristics of cities relate to the emergence and maintenance of a great diversity of lifestyles and subcultures. Prerequisite: ENG 101
Sex and Culture: ANT/PSY 210 (ONLINE). The study of behavioral and psychological differences between males and females in the light of contemporary theories of social structure, social learning, and individual development. Emphasis on the examination of contemporary theoretical issues in cross-cultural perspective. Prerequisite: ENG 101 and Sophomore Standing
Culture and Personality: ANT 310 (ONLINE). This course will explore the factors in, and the effects of, cultural conditioning on the biological foundations of personality. A study, on a cross-cultural basis, of the conditioning factors of child care and training, group values and attitudes, practices and culture forms, with reference to basic personality formation. Prerequisite: ENG 201 and ANT 101, or PSY 101 or SOC 101; and Junior standing
American Cultural Pluralism and the Law: ANT 330 (ONLINE). Culturally different groups use law in the United States to assert their rights and to maintain their cultural autonomy. They may also avoid courts and solve disputes within their communities. This course examines, through legal and ethnographic cases, the ways in which culturally different groups interact with law in the United States. The groups studied may include Native Americans and Native Hawaiians, African Americans, Asian Americans, Mormons, Amish, Rastafarians, Hasidic Jews, Latinos, Gypsies, gays, women, and the homeless. Prerequisite: ENG 201
Gender & Work Life: CSL 260 (ONLINE). In this interdisciplinary course, articles from a variety of disciplines including counseling, history, psychology, economics, sociology, gender studies, and organizational studies will be read to understand the changing roles and expectations of people at work in the U.S. Students will explore the meanings of gender, race, ethnicity, class, accessibility issues, and sexual orientation in human development. The course will address how formal and informal types of social control associated with these categories operate in career options and choice, and experiences in the workplace. Students will also explore what activities constitute work. For instance, can parenting or other forms of unpaid labor be considered a job? Prerequisite: ENG 201
Latinx Struggles for Civil Rights and Social Justice: LLS 322 (ONLINE). This course provides an interdisciplinary overview of the experiences of Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and other Latino/as during the Civil Rights period. It focuses on the Latino/a social movements during the 1960s and their consequences today for the struggles for civil rights and social justice of Latino/as and other racial minorities in the US. Topics include access to education and employment; immigrant rights; detention and deportation; race and crime; Latino/a and African American alliance building; Latino/a citizenship and the military and gender values and sexuality. Prerequisite: ENG 201 and Junior Standing
Latinx Experience of Criminal Justice: LLS 325 (ONLINE). This course analyzes the criminal justice system and its impact on the lives and communities of Latino/as and other groups in the United States. Particular emphasis is placed on Latino/as human and civil rights and the role that race, ethnicity, gender, and class play in the criminal justice system. Interdisciplinary readings and class discussions center on issues such as the over-representation of Latino/as and racial minorities in the criminal justice system; law and police-community relations, racial profiling, stop and frisk policies, immigration status, detentions and deportations, Latino/a youth, media representations, gangs, and access to education and employment and the school-to-prison-pipeline. Prerequisite: ENG 201 and Junior Standing
Multicultural Psychology: PSY 352 (ONLINE). This course will investigate the influence of sociocultural factors, such as race, ethnicity, gender and class, on human thought and behavior. Students will explore different theoretical ways in which psychology addresses the tensions between cultural differences and universals, with a focus on how cultures construct human thought, behavior and identity. Building on this theoretical foundation, the course examines varying perspectives on psychological constructs, such as gender, sexuality, parenting and identity, as crucial components of self-hood. Students will be challenged to think critically about universal assumptions in psychology and to become aware of cultural influences on individuals. The application of multicultural principles to psychological practice and research will be integrated throughout the course. Prerequisite: ENG 201; and PSY 101 and STA 250
Women and Social Control in the US: SOC 215 (ONLINE). This course examines how women negotiate and navigate the various systems of social control that influence how they are positioned in society. It offers an intersectional analysis which explores the complex ways race, gender, and class give meaning to and shape women’s diverse experiences and life chances, as they actively engage family, health, education, economic, political, and other social institutions of society. Throughout the course students will critically examine both historical and contemporary issues to analyze how women’s experiences have evolved, been sustained, challenged, and changed by examining the role of law, public policy, and protest in altering the institutions of social control that influence women’s lives. Prerequisite: ENG 101 and SOC/PSY/ANT 101
Police and Diversity: PSC 202 (ONLINE). This course will explore the pervasive influence of culture, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and various disabilities on daily encounters, contacts and interaction between police officers and civilian employees of police organizations, and other community members. The emphasized focus is on the cross - cultural contact, ethno- cultural diversity, the need for awareness and understanding of cultural ethnic, racial, religious, sexual orientation, gender, and an array of disabilities and other differences. The need to understand these differences is rooted in the concept of procedural justice and respect for those of different backgrounds that influences the decision making processes regarding deployment and other operational considerations. Prerequisite: ENG 101; and PSC 101 or CJBS 101 or CRJ 101 or ICJ 101
Accounting, Statistics, Math, & Computer Science
Intro to Accounting : ACC 250 (ONLINE). This course will consider topics that are basic to the accounting process while giving attention to criminal accounting manipulations. Students completing this course will have a broad understanding of the accounting cycle. Students will gain knowledge of the basic accounts found in an accounting system including: revenues, expenses, assets, lliabilities and equity accounts. Students will learn how to prepare basic financial statements and analyze them to determine the fiscal viability of an organization. Attention will be given to cases involving accounting scandals and frauds. This course prepares students for the Introduction to Forensic Accounting .Prerequisite: ENG 101
Principles and Methods of Statistics: STA 250 (ONLINE). Introduction to statistics as applied to the social sciences. Emphasis on the basic assumptions underlying statistical concepts and the role of statistics in the analysis and interpretation of data. Problems in frequency distribution, measures of location and variation, probability and sampling, tests of hypotheses and significance, linear regression and correlation, time series, and index numbers. Note: This course includes the use of SPSS software. Prerequisite: ENG 101; and MAT 108, MAT 141, or Graduate Standing
Liberal Arts Mathematics: MAT 106 (ONLINE). This course examines the importance of mathematics in Contemporary society. Students will examine the mathematics behind everyday activities such as scheduling deliveries in an urban area, sampling methods for decision making, selection of a good voting system for elections with three or more candidates and growth and decline in consumer finance. Students will develop an understanding and appreciation of the elementary mathematical principles that surround us.
Social Science Mathematics: MAT 108 (ONLINE). This course is recommended for students interested in the role of mathematical models in the quantification of the social sciences. Emphasis on mathematical skills and topics basic to the understanding of probability, linear programming, the power index, learning models, statistics, etc. Prerequisite: MAT 104 or MAT 105 or EXE 106 or ACT MATH Placement Part 1 score greater than 34 and Part 2 score greater than 57 and Part 3 score 35-46
Pre-Calculus: MAT 141 (ONLINE). Topics include a study of the conic section, systems of linear equations, determinants, two-dimensional vector geometry functions, and limits. This course is also recommended for Forensic Science majors. Prerequisite: MAT 104 or MAT 105 or EXE 106 or ACT MATH Placement Part 1 score greater than 34 and Part 2 score greater than 58 and Part 3 score 36-45 or Accuplacer Part 6 score of 50-64
The Nature of Computers and Computation: CSCI 171 (ONLINE). This course focuses on the history and nature of computers, the data they process, the networks they form, and the challenges of making computing secure. Students will consider limitations and vulnerabilities in computer programming, and the implications and the effect of computers on human culture and daily life, including the commodification of information and the right to privacy and anonymity. Additionally, students will learn to read and write in the analytical language of computer code, transforming their ideas into simple but practical software through the study of a scripting language like Python.
Introduction to Computing and Programming: CSCI 271 (ONLINE). This course tackles computer problem solving and programming in a high level language such as C++ are introduced. Algorithmic problem solving and basic programming techniques are emphasized. Problems are solved using methods such as top-down design and stepwise iterative refinement. Programming topics include basic data types, operators and expressions, control structures, functions, arrays and pointers. Students are introduced to a modern program development environment in the computer lab and are expected to complete several programming projects. Prerequisite: ENG 101 and MAT 105 and must be a declared major or minor in one of the following: Applied Mathematics, Cell and Molecular Biology, Computer Science and Information Security, Forensic Science, Toxicology; or with permission of the Math and Computer Science Department
Computer Architecture: CSCI 274 (ONLINE). This course will discuss the relationship between software and the hardware on which it operates, dealing with fundamental issues in computer architecture and design. The material covered will range from the primitive operations of modern computing machines to important security issues relating to the design of computer architectures. Along the way, we will study binary arithmetic, instructional sequencing, the management of computer memory, and the fundamentals of input and output. Prerequisite: ENG 101 Pre- or co-requisite: MAT 271