Course Descriptions

This course is a sociological analysis of the nature and extent of criminal behavior in the United States and around the world. It reviews the past and current theories that attempt to explain the causes of criminal behavior and examines society’s response to crime, the criminal justice system and its various components.

Prerequisite: CRIM 241. This course presents an analysis of crime and how it is evaluated and processed at a crime scene. Specifically, this course will focus on the various types of investigative techniques on how to identify and retrieve physical evidence. Additionally, this course will address the ethics and responsibility for those who handle crime scene investigations. This course will also focus on the unique challenges of how evidence is introduced in court and its influence on jurors.

Victimology provides a comprehensive overview of the process of victimization throughout our society. This course will also discuss the history of victimization; theories of victimization; and various categories of victimization, stratification, and victim typologies. Specific topics will include the scope of victimization, restorative justice, victims’ rights, child abuse, elder abuse, international sex trafficking, and domestic violence.

This course presents an analysis of abuse and exploitation and how it relates to children and focuses on the various types of exploitation, abuse (sexual, physical, emotional, and neglect), as well as human trafficking. Additionally, this course will examine the physical and emotional indicators of child abuse, long term effects of victimization, as well as the unique challenges of investigating child abuse, and the criminal justice response.

This hands-on course focuses on the application of current data mining techniques in business and economics. Supervised and unsupervised learning techniques will be discussed, including association rules, decision trees, and classification. These are applicable in marketing (customer profiling), economics (fraud detection), accounting  auditing), information systems (security), and a variety of other contexts.

Prerequisites: ACCT 301-302. This course examines the concepts and procedures used in auditing and introduces auditing standards and methods used to obtain evidence.

This course focuses on the application of investigative and analytical skills for the purpose of resolving financial issues in a manner that meets standards required by courts of law. Coursework covers the accounting and legal foundations of forensic accounting, forensic accounting tools and standards, and common applications of forensic accounting including fraud investigation, organized crime, and terrorism.

Prerequisites: BIOL 222/222L (C or better for all), CHEM 127, NRSG 225 (B- or better).  rerequisite or corequisite: BIOL223/223L (C or better). In this course students are introduced to a comprehensive, systematic approach to health assessment. Students learn the components of a complete health history, including interviewing and documentation. In addition, students are introduced to the techniques of physical assessment and practice in a laboratory setting. Lab not required.

Much of previous health research has focused on health-related issues solely as they relate to the male population. This course will explore current health research, which has taken a more intentional look at health-related issues as they relate to the female population. The course will look at women’s health issues, with particular attention to their relevance for health promotion and education. Topics covered will focus on several dimensions of wellness, including the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual and include: gender bias in health research; leading causes of death for women; body image and the media; eating disorders; depression; stress from multiple roles; violence and abuse; nutrition for pregnancy & breastfeeding; exercise and pregnancy; alcoholism among women; alcohol use and pregnancy; impact of tobacco, caffeine, and illegal drug use on women and on pregnancy; complications of sexually transmitted infections in women; cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death among women; osteoporosis among women; pregnancy and asthma, epilepsy, lupus, and multiple sclerosis; cancers of the lung, breast, cervix, uterus, ovaries, skin, colon, and rectum.

This course introduces the student to the forensic science profession. Course topics include crime scene investigation, techniques used for the identification and analysis of body fluids, hair, glass, fibers, latent fingerprints, firearms, and narcotics. Laboratory experiments emphasize the collection/preservation of evidence, serology, wet chemical techniques, microscopy, and the use of spectroscopic instrumentation.

This course examines the application of psychological principles, research, and knowledge to legal issues dealing broadly with the interface between psychology and the law. As such, the course will critically investigate the wide range of contemporary applications of psychology to a variety of topics including understanding the origins and treatments of criminally deviant behavior, psychological autopsies, criminal profiling, jury selection, eye witness testimony, repressed memory, persuasive communication in the courtroom, child abuse investigation, competence determination, and the insanity defense.

Prerequisite: BIOL 222. This course presents a path in how the criminal justice field and the medical/nursing field collide. This course will focus on the history of forensic nursing, child physical abuse, child sexual abuse, adult abuse and neglect, domestic violence, and adult sexual assaults. The course will address the medical aspects of care in victims of violence and how that care crosses over to the criminal justice system. Additionally this course will address the courtroom testimony regarding fact vs. expert witnesses, and how the testimony is utilized in the court system.