Major Courses

A survey of the U.S. system of criminal justice. The history and philosophy of criminal justice administration in America, description of its social and political institutions, and overviews of major issues in the discipline are covered. (3 units; Fall, Spring, and Online)

The course provides an introductory overview of the American political system. It begins with a discussion of the principles of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights and an examination of their impact on the country. It also covers the avenues and means of democratic citizenship and political influence in American politics. The course further examines the major political institutions in the United States: Congress, Presidency, Bureaucracy, and Courts. In order to assess the impact of government on society, the course concludes with an exploration of public policy. (Meets state requirement in United States Constitution and California Government.) (3 units; Fall, Spring, and Online)

This course studies the place and responsibilities of state and local governments in the United States and how they relate with other units of government. This includes an assessment of the citizenship and participation in state and local politics, both at the individual and collective level; and then an examination of state political institutions, such as governors, state legislatures, state courts, and administration. The course also covers city and county governments, and other local units of government. Although it is comparative, special attention is given to California politics. (3 units; Fall, Spring, and Online)

Students will critically examine the charges of direct and indirect institutional racism within the totality of the criminal justice system. Students will also analyze society's response to crime, cultural, economic and political differences. (3 units; Fall, Spring, and Online)

A study of the traditional and theoretical schools of criminology. Theories relating to individual abnormality and theories relating to cultural influences are examined. Theories of the causes of delinquency and data on delinquent behavior including gangs, minor and major criminal actions, and methods of correction are also covered. (3 units; Fall and Online)

The course examines scientific approaches to the study of criminal justice. Students will learn how to research and study crime using the scientific method. Students will be exposed to various research methods and designs, which will be illustrated with criminological examples and exercises. Finally, the students will calculate and interpret measures of central tendency, dispersion, and association. (3 units; Fall and Online)

This course studies the most important decisions of the Supreme Court on individual rights and the conflicts from which they have arisen, which means examining the trinity of individual values and rights in American civil liberties?freedom, due process, and equality. (3 units; Fall, Spring, and Online)

A traditional exploration of the field of law enforcement ethics, which broadly encompasses the history of justice and theories of morality and ethics from antiquity to the modern age. It will also cover the ethical problems unique to law enforcement such as "shoot - no shoot" scenarios, the use of force in general, racial profiling and hate crimes, opportunities for corruption in the context of the War on Drugs, and various other law enforcement issues. (3 units; Online)

This course will cover the principles of emergency management as practiced in the state of California, as well as the County, State and Federal Government. Chief components of the course are the establishment of protocols and procedures, planning and preparedness, intergovernmental responsibilities, developing a response, and mitigating disasters and recovery. (3 units; Online)

This course examines the use of technology in the management of criminal justice data and systems. The course studies trends in the use of modern technology in the administration of management and personnel data. Lastly, the course examines potential unintended consequences of the use of technology in criminal justice management. (3 units; Online)

The course offers an introduction to the historical study of crime and the administration of justice throughout human history, especially in the United States. The course highlights both changes in criminal behavior and the different ways that societies have sought to deter, punish and rehabilitate. (3 units; Online)

This course will cover the detailed study of terrorism, counter terrorism, terrorist personalities, and terrorist groups, including types, tactics, and trends on a worldwide scale as well as domestically. The course also examines the unique challenges posed by the government's war on terrorism and commitment to homeland security. The issues of prevention, civil liberties, and nation building will be examined. (3 units; Online)

The functions, institutions, and operations of U.S. and foreign criminal justice systems are compared. Comparisons are made between countries similar to the U.S., such as Canada and Great Britain, as well as those which are quite different, such as Asian or Arabic countries. The underlying concepts of law enforcement, judicial and correctional processes will be studied in current and historic perspectives. (3 units; Spring and Online)

This course examines the scope of public administration. Emphasis on practice as well as theory in personnel administration, financial administration, problems of management, administrative organization, merit systems, and intergovernmental relations by the use of case studies. (Spring even year and OPS; 3 units).