Criminal Justice
The field of Criminal Justice explores why society considers some actions to be criminal and how those definitions are influenced by social, economic, political, and psychological forces. This major takes a liberal arts approach to the discipline, strongly incorporating the "connected learning" philosophy of the College. Majors participate in many connected learning activities, including service-learning in courses such as Criminology, required for all majors. The major culminates in the senior year with a year-long Capstone Experience. This experience includes both a full year Justice Studies Internship and a full year Senior Capstone class. Students complete internships in courts, police agencies, corrections, governmental agencies, and youth service organizations to name a few. The program prepares students to enter graduate programs in Criminal Justice and Criminology, Sociology, Psychology, Political Science, Public Policy, or Law School. A bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice prepares students to apply their learning as well in such areas as law, law enforcement and public safety, crime prevention, domestic violence, gang interventions, adult and juvenile probation and corrections, parole, drug and alcohol abuse and prevention, and diversion programs for first-time offenders. The College has established the Theta Ro Chapter of the National Criminal Justice Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Phi, and the Beccaria Society, a club for student majors. The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice at Lasell College is approved by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education under the Guidelines for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Academic Programs.
The following goals and associated learning outcomes delineate what we strive for students to achieve when they complete the major program of study in Criminal Justice:
Goal 1: Disciplinary principles
Upon completion of the major program of study in Criminal Justice, students will be able to
- demonstrate an understanding of disciplinary concepts
- demonstrate an understanding of issues of diversity in the field
- demonstrate civic/social responsibility
Goal 2: Professional skills
Upon completion of the major program of study in Criminal Justice, students will be able to
- compare occupations and career paths in the discipline
- evaluate ethical and moral issues in a professional/disciplinary context
- perform effectively in a professional environment
Goal 3: Analytical thinking skills
Upon completion of the major program of study in Criminal Justice, students will be able to
- think critically about issues in the discipline
- demonstrate effective quantitative reasoning skills
- evaluate appropriate source materials
Goal 4: Communication skills
Upon completion of the major program of study in Criminal Justice, students will be able to
- communicate effectively in writing
- communicate effectively orally
- demonstrate competence in use of technology and computing skills
Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Core Courses | ||
CJ101 | Introduction to Criminal Justice | 3 |
CJ201 | Criminology | 3 |
CJ213 | Ethics in Criminal Justice | 3 |
CJ312 | Corrections | 3 |
CJ313 | Police & Society | 3 |
CJ316 | Criminal Procedure | 3 |
CJ323 | Justice, Class, Race & Gender | 3 |
CJ441 | Topics in Crime & Public Policy I | 3 |
CJ442 | Topics in Crime & Public Policy II | 3 |
CJ443 | Justice Studies Internship & Seminar I | 3 |
CJ444 | Justice Studies Internship & Seminar II | 3 |
LS204 | Criminal Law | 3 |
LS311 | The American Court System | 3 |
MATH208 | Statistics | 3 |
POLS201 | State & Local Government | 3 |
POLS210 | Political Theory | 3 |
PSYC101 | Psychological Perspectives | 3 |
SOC101 | Sociological Imagination | 3 |
Choose 1 from the following: | ||
LS101 | Foundations of American Legal System | 3 |
POLS101 | American Government | 3 |
Choose 1 from the following: | ||
PSYC331 | Experimental Design in Psychology | 4 |
SOC331 | Research Methods in the Social Sciences | 4 |
Choose 1 from the following: | ||
POLS202 | Issues in Contemporary Political Thought | 3 |
SOC221 | Contemporary Social Problems | 3 |
SOC335 | Social Policy | 3 |
Choose 3 from the following: | ||
CJ202 | Juvenile Justice | 3 |
CJ203 | Juvenile Delinquency & Gangs | 3 |
CJ205 | Forensics | 3 |
CJ206 | Drugs & Society | 3 |
CJ207 | Criminal Investigations | 3 |
CJ210 | Special Topics in Criminal Justice | 3 |
CJ303 | Domestic Violence | 3 |
CJ305 | Crime & Popular Culture | 3 |
CJ309 | Children & Violence | 3 |
CJ314 | White Collar and Organized Crime | 3 |
CJ315 | Global Technology & Crime | 3 |
CJ317 | Comparative Justice Systems | 3 |
CJ318 | Violence & Aggression | 3 |
CJ319 | Victimology | 3 |
CJ321 | Probation, Parole & Other Sanctions | 3 |
LS202 | Legal Research & Analysis | 3 |
LS203 | Justice, Law & the Constitution | 3 |
LS210 | Special Topics in Legal Studies | 3 |
LS213 | Mock Trial Practicum I | 3 |
LS214 | Communication Law | 3 |
LS215 | Entertainment Law | 3 |
LS301 | Legal Writing & Reasoning | 3 |
LS304 | Litigation Practice | 3 |
LS305 | Comparative Law & Legal Systems | 3 |
LS307 | Tort & Personal Injury Law | 3 |
LS320 | Philosophy of Law | 3 |
LS325 | Evidence | 3 |
POLS202 | Issues in Contemporary Political Thought | 3 |
POLS208 | Contemporary International Relations | 3 |
POLS302 | The Conspiracy in American Politics | 3 |
POLS320 | Policy Making & the Political Process | 3 |
Core Curriculum Requirements and remaining Unrestricted Electives: 44 credits
Minimum credits required for graduation: 120
Courses listed below fulfill Knowledge Perspective requirements:
Individuals & Society
CJ101: Introduction to Criminal Justice
CJ101 - Introduction to Criminal Justice
This course is an overview of the history, philosophy, ethics, and legal issues related to the criminal justice system. The course provides an overview of the criminal justice system, focusing on critical decisions with an emphasis on contemporary issues, controversies, and trends.
CJ103 - Principles of Human Rights
This course takes a global perspective defining human rights, reflecting on violations of these rights, considering arguments in support of human rights, and examining various new initiatives designed to protect human rights in different countries in all parts of the world. This course focuses on issues pertaining to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights such as slavery, personal security and equality before the law, freedom of marriage, freedom of assembly, and freedom of movement.
CJ201 - Criminology
In this course, contemporary criminological theories are analyzed and evaluated with an emphasis on the social construction of crime, criminal offending, and victimization. Theories of crime are distinguished from theories of criminality. Assessments of theoretical advances, including theory integration and general theories of crime are examined. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisite: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101, or SOC 101
CJ202 - Juvenile Justice
This course focuses on the history and philosophy of juvenile justice, landmark court cases, police handling of juveniles, the juvenile court, the deinstitutionalization of status offenders, and juvenile rehabilitation. Prerequisites: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC101, or SOC 101.
CJ203 - Juvenile Delinquency & Gangs
This course examines juvenile delinquency in relation to the general problem of crime. There is consideration of factors and theories that attempt to explain delinquency, gangs, and status offending. The course also examines delinquent subculture, and programs for control and prevention. Prerequisite: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101 or SOC 101.
CJ205 - Forensics
This course provides an introduction to the modern methods used in the detection, investigation, and solution of crimes. Practical analysis of evidence such as: fingerprints and other impressions, ballistics, glass, hair, handwriting and document examination, and drug analysis are studied. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or LS 101.
CJ206 - Drugs & Society
This course examines the social origins and consequences of the use and abuse of consciousness-altering substances (including alcohol) within American society. It considers how society defines drug use, drug abuse, and social harm, as well as how society responds to drug use and abuse. Included is examination of socio-historical perspectives on drug consumption and control, the structure of legal and illegal drug markets, the relationship between drugs and crime, and competing models of drug policy and enforcement. Prerequisite: CJ 101, PSYC 101, SOC 101, or LS101
CJ207 - Criminal Investigations
This course examines the fundamentals of criminal investigation including scientific aids, interviews, interrogations, collection and preservation of evidence, methods of surveillance, follow-up and case preparation. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or LS 101.
CJ210 - Special Topics in Criminal Justice
This course provides special subjects in Criminal Justice in order to satisfy interests of both faculty and students. Examples of such topics are: restorative justice, global violence against women, or computer crime.
CJ211 - Terrorism
No other issues generate as much discussion and controversy as the contemporary debate over "terrorism". But what is terrorism? And how should we respond to it? This course examines terrorism with a critical eye, looking at the different ways that the subject is framed by various disciplines and examines the ways that terrorism has been presented, debated, and analyzed. The course addresses the social-political conditions that spawn terrorist organizations, examines terrorism in a historical context, and looks at methods of terrorism. The course explores the psychological processes that create a terrorist, the psychological impact of terrorist activities, and explores counter-terrorism strategies through creative problem-solving.
CJ213 - Ethics in Criminal Justice
The field of criminal justice operates most effectively when it relies on a core of ethical principles to guide discretionary actions. If criminal justice professionals are to maintain our personal integrity in light of organizational and social demands can be difficult. As criminal justice professionals our choices and policies emanate from our personal beliefs and values. In principle we intend to come to an understanding of what various ethical considerations can assist us to make the right decision when exercising our discretion. Prerequisite: CJ101 or LS101 & ENG102
CJ217X - Childhood & Human Rights
This Connected Learning Experience is designed to continue students’ development along the Core Curriculum by demonstrating in an inquiry-based way the nature of integrative learning. As such, this team-taught, multidisciplinary course will focus on the concepts of childhood and human rights from the following perspectives: historical, criminal justice, social justice, and moral and ethical. The topics to be explore are manifold, ranging from human trafficking of children for sexual exploitation to other crimes against children like forced soldiering and labor. Although this course is a pilot for the proposed Core Curriculum, it will satisfy the following Areas of Inquiry in our current general education curriculum: Historical and Moral/Ethical.
CJ303 - Domestic Violence
This course introduces students to the basic concepts of the law relating to domestic violence. In addition the course examines the existence of violence among family members and in relationships in today's society. Topics include child abuse, partner abuse, and elder abuse. Prerequisite: LS 101, CJ 101 or any introductory social science course.
CJ305 - Crime & Popular Culture
Crime is considered a major social problem in our country, but our understanding of crime and justice are derived more from indirect mediated images than direct personal experience. Popular culture, distributed through mass media and composed of popular news and entertainment, is a major source for shaping this understanding, especially when it comes to crime a staple of mass media. This course will examine images of crime and justice in popular culture and consider the sources of these popular culture accounts of crime and justice. It also will evaluate the influence popular culture has on our understanding of crime and criminal justice policy. Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing , CJ 201 & ENG 102
CJ309 - Children & Violence
This course examines the psychological, criminal justice, and legal issues surrounding children who experience violence in their lives, either as victims or perpetrators of violence. Topics include child maltreatment, pedophilia, online child predators, school victimization, domestic violence, juvenile delinquency, child sex offenders, and youth homicide. Prerequisite: PSYC 221, PSYC 223, CJ 201, or LS 204.
CJ312 - Corrections
Corrections is the vast collection of persons, agencies, and organizations that manage convicted criminals. This course examines theories of punishment, the history of corrections, classification and sentencing schemes, prisons, probation and parole, and alternative sanctions. It also explores corrections-related personnel issues, legal issues, and specific concerns dealing with race, age, and gender. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
CJ313 - Police & Society
This course examines policing from a variety of perspectives. The philosophical foundations of social control in relation to policing, as well as the emergence, organization, and structure of police systems are examined. There is also an examination of the relationship between the police and the public in different historical, political, and economic contexts. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.
CJ314 - White Collar and Organized Crime
This course addresses the definition, detection, prosecution, sentencing, and impact of white collar, occupational, and organized crime. Special consideration is given to the role of federal law and enforcement practices due to the frequent national and international scope of these types of crimes.
CJ315 - Global Technology & Crime
In this course the advances in technology developed in crime investigation will be examined, like crime mapping. The impact of technology and media on international crime and new globally-oriented cooperative enforcement strategies will also be examined. Students will gain a better understanding of crime control in a global society.”
CJ316 - Criminal Procedure
Criminal procedure refers to the process whereby the criminal law is enforced. Major topics to be covered in this course include: the exclusionary rule, search and seizure, identification, interrogation, trial rights, sentencing, and due process. Special emphasis is placed upon how the rules of procedure affect the components of the criminal justice system. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or LS 101.
CJ317 - Comparative Justice Systems
This course analyzes differences in global approaches to law enforcement, criminal procedure, criminal law, corrections, juvenile justice, and prevention. The material provides a worldwide overview of cultural and legal traditions that are related to crime. Through cross-cultural comparisons, the course examines whether due process rights must be sacrificed in order to achieve crime control effectiveness and efficiency. Prerequisite: CJ 101 or LS 101.
CJ318 - Violence & Aggression
This course investigates and analyzes aggression and violence as forms of individual, group, and societal behavior. It includes an assessment of anthropological, biological, philosophical, political, and sociological theories of violence. Prerequisite: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101 or SOC 101, & ENG102, or Permission of Dept Chair
CJ319 - Victimology
This course presents an overview of the history and theories of victimology. Students analyze victimization patterns with special emphasis on types of victims and crimes. The course also examines the interaction between victims of crime and the criminal justice system, the victim’s rights movement, and services offered to victims of crime. Prerequisite: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101 or SOC 101.
CJ321 - Probation, Parole & Other Sanctions
This course examines the development and application of traditional forms of conditional and unconditional prison release, as well as a variety of new intermediate or alternative sanctions. Different sentencing options are evaluated to determine which, if any, of the theories of criminology or philosophies of sentencing are satisfied by their use. Current research and analytical perspectives are examined. Prerequisite: CJ 101, LS 101, or SOC 101.
CJ323 - Justice, Class, Race & Gender
This course explores issues unique to individuals of different classes, gender, and/or races or ethnic groups. The course focuses on these issues specifically in the context of the American criminal justice and legal systems. Issues of diversity relevant to all aspects of the criminal justice system are examined. Prerequisites: CJ 101, LS 101, PSYC 101 or SOC 101, Sophomore standing.
CJ327X - Prof Report Writing in Criminal Justice
The sheriffs, probation officials, and corrections administrators who will visit our class will tellyou: they are looking to hire employees who can WRITE. Part of any job is documenting whatyou saw and what you did. If you can't write clearly, you won't be credible. You do not need towrite poetry to stand out in a job interview. But you do need to be able to write accurately,thoroughly, and persuasively, and Professor Drew can teach you how to do that. This course isa preferred prerequisite to CJ 441 and CJ 442 :Topics in Crime and Public Policy I and II, your requiredsenior year-long capstone class. Prerequisite: ENG102
CJ329X - Domestic Violence Practicum
In this experimental Criminal Justice elective, students will deepen their understanding of domestic violence through exercises, field trips and trainings while building networks and partnering with the domestic violence community at Lasell College and in the Newton service community. This class will focus on utilizing the students’ expertise to expand and perfect a college-based version of the “In Her Shoes” training created by Lasell College Domestic Violence class participants. During the “In Her Shoes” group training, participants ‘walk in the shoes’ of survivors experiencing violence by reading a series of short stories describing their experiences. Participants then are asked to make real-life choices that determine ‘their’ fate. By walking in the shoes of survivors experiencing violence, participants will gain powerful insight into the many obstacles they encounter as a result of abuse. This powerful training, written by college students for college students, will be utilized to train the Lasell College campus and has the potential to become a national training model for college campuses across the country. These students, working with the Peer Health Educators, will learn to test, administer and evaluate the training with the guidance and support of community-based sexual and domestic violence advocates. This training is already the recipient of the Betsy McCandless Break The Silence Award, and offers a unique opportunity to make a concrete difference by increasing awareness and elevating the college culture around sexual and domestic violence
CJ331X - Research Methods in Criminal Justice
The course is an introduction to quantitative and qualitative research using the field of criminaljustice as the backdrop. The purpose of this course is to provide the background that will help thestudent to read, understand, and critique data and studies in the field. Students will acquire aworking knowledge of programs like excel to collect and also analyze federal and other statisticalstudies. Required for all CJ majors (substitutes for SOC 331 and SOC 331L). Substitutes for SOC 331 and SOC 331L for all Social Science majors.Prerequisite: MATH 208
CJ401 - Justice Studies Internship & Seminar
This course provides an opportunity for participants to be in an individually arranged, college-supervised internship for 12 hours per week in a professional work setting related to the student's interest. Each student is monitored during the internship by the faculty advisor and attends a corresponding classroom seminar each week. Prerequisite: Senior standing and Permission of Dept Chair.
CJ441 - Topics in Crime & Public Policy I
This course is the first portion of the Capstone course offered in the fall semester to introduce seniors to a general understanding of policy studies. Students examine what policy analysis consists of, stages of policy analysis, and assessment of policy change. The class examines current policy issues in Criminal Justice such as community policing, sentencing, and minority overrepresentation in prison populations. The course examines various research strategies, design and methods and addresses research problem definition and how to produce a state of the art policy paper and literature review. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisites: PSYC 331 or SOC 331, Senior standing.
CJ442 - Topics in Crime & Public Policy II
In this part of the Capstone course offered in the spring semester, the student can use the field internship placement as the target for the individual policy analysis paper. The student can acquire data available at the agency or use generally available data from different sources to answer a policy question that can be applied to the agency the student works in or to similar agencies. The student is required to submit a detailed policy analysis and produce a paper and project to be presented at the Connected Learning Symposium. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisites: CJ 441, Senior standing.
CJ443 - Justice Studies Internship & Seminar I
This course provides an opportunity for participants to be in an individually arranged, college-supervised internship for 120 hours during the fall semester in a professional work setting related to the student’s interest. Each student is monitored throughout the internship by the faculty advisor and attends a corresponding classroom seminar each week. Prerequisite: Senior standing & Dept Chair approval.
CJ444 - Justice Studies Internship & Seminar II
This course provides an opportunity for participants to be in an individually arranged, college-supervised internship for 120 hours during the spring semester in a professional work setting related to the student’s interest. Each student is monitored throughout the internship by the faculty advisor and attends a corresponding classroom seminar each week. Prerequisites: CJ/LS 443, Senior standing and Dept Chair approval.
- Academic Information
- Academic Policies
- Arts and Sciences Electives
- Course Descriptions
- Core Curriculum
-
Programs of Study
- Undergraduate Minors
- Accounting
- Applied Mathematics
- Arts Management
- Athletic Training
- Communication
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- English
- Entrepreneurship
- Environmental Studies
- Event Management
- Exercise Science
- Fashion
- Finance
- Graphic Design
- History
- Hospitality Management
- Human Services
- Humanities
- Interdisciplinary Studies
- International Business
- Law and Public Affairs
- Legal Studies
- Management
- Marketing
- Pre-Law
- Psychology
- Resort and Casino Management
- Sociology
- Sport Management
- Undeclared Option
- Undergraduate Admission