Administration of Justice

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(Effective Summer 1996)

To receive an Administration of Justice degree from SIUC, students must complete 33 hours of Administration of Justice courses. This includes 15 hours of required Administration of Justice courses, and at least 18 hours of elective Administration of Justice courses, including at least two at the 400-level. Furthermore, of the 18 elective Administration of Justice hours, at least 9 hours of "restricted Administration of Justice electives" must be completed to meet major requirements.

Michael Harbin, Academic Advisor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


General Information

  • AJ 201 and 290 are prerequisites for all other Administration of Justice courses. They can be taken concurrently and 201 is not a prerequisite for 290.
  • AJ 316 is a prerequisite for all 400-level Administration of Justice courses.
  • Remember to check course catalog or schedule for prerequisites of other Administration of Justice courses.
  • Internships (AJ 395): Prerequisites are 2.5 GPA (overall and in the major) and AJ 201 and AJ 290 plus 12 additional hours in Administration of Justice; student must submit internship application during the first 30 days of the preceding spring or fall semester; no more than 3 hours of AJ 395 can be counted toward the Administration of Justice major.
  • Transfer students from out of state or from four-year institutions are recommended to acquire a syllabus from each law enforcement, criminal justice, or Administration of Justice course they have taken prior to entering SIU. These syllabi are used by Administration of Justice advisement to evaluate transfer credit.
  • Second-semester juniors are urged to consider the availability of AJ 492 as they approach their senior year. Remember that this is a required course and fills up fast!

Administration of Justice Major Requirements

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  1. Students must complete these required AJ courses: AJ 201, 290, 310, 316, and 462 or 492. (15 hours)
  2. And at least 9 hours (3 courses) from these AJ "restricted AJ electives": AJ 302, 306, 317, 320, 350, 384, 415, 450, 462, 473, and 474. (See notes and limitations in current Undergraduate Student Handbook.)
  3. Plus any other Administration of Justice electives needed to total at least 33 hours in Administration of Justice.
  4. As part of the 18 hours of Administration of Justice electives, students must complete at least two 400-level Administration of Justice courses. The required course, AJ 492, does not count toward this requirement. These 400-level courses may be taken from the list of restricted electives OR other Administration of Justice elective courses.
  5. Students must complete a Minor in order to receive an Administration of Justice degree. The Administration of Justice department will honor any Minor offered by a baccalaureate (4-year) level degree program or department at SIUC. Under very special and limited circumstances, a student may be able to receive credit for a "Secondary Concentration" instead of a Minor. (See Administration of Justice Academic Advisor or current Undergraduate Student Handbook for more details.)
  6. Students must complete all University Core Curriculum and College of Liberal Arts requirements. (See College of Liberal Arts advisor for details on these requirements.)
  7. To officially enter the Administration of Justice Major, students must have a 2.0 overall GPA.

Undergraduate Courses (Updated Fall 2008)

Course Number

Course Description

201/3

INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.  Survey of the agen­cies and processes involved in the administration of criminal justice. The history of English law; the crimi­nal justice process and sys­tem, including underlying ideologies, procedures, fundamen­tal legal con­cepts, and the roles and functions of police, courts and correc­tion­al services.  Prerequisite: none.

203/3

CRIME, JUSTICE AND SOCIAL DIVERSITY.  (University Core Curriculum)  This course examines how social heterogenity and  inequality influence the processes involved in the definition and regulation of behavior through law, particularly the criminal law.  Factors such as race, ethnicity, gender and class are related  to definitions of crime and justice, and to the likelihood of being a victim of crime.  The differential influence of the operations and outcomes of the criminal justice system on diverse groups in U.S. society is emphasized.  Prerequisite: none

216/3

LEGAL STUDIES IN LIBERAL ARTS.  This course focuses on the relationship between the law and other social institutions, patterns of  law-making and law- breaking, the values that are expressed in law and shaped by legal structures and processes, and law as an instrument of public policy, social control and social change.  The course is offered for those interested in the discipline of law as a field of critical inquiry within a framework of a broad liberal arts education Prerequisite: none.

290/3

INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR.  Multidisciplinary study of the etiology and patterning of offender behav­ior.  Prerequisite: none.

302/3

INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION.  An intro­duction to the principles of administration and organization of criminal justice agencies.  Prerequisite:  201 and 290, or consent of instructor.

303/3

BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF INVESTIGATION.  Principles of be­hav­ioral science are applied to the recurrent patterns of criminal inves­tigation as a social and fact-finding process; survey of crimin­alistics.  Prerequisite: 201 and 290, or consent of instructor.

306/3

POLICING IN AMERICA.  Examines police as a part of society's official control apparatus.  Major topics include historical development of the police, role of the police in the crimi­nal justice system, functions and effectiveness of the police and the relationship of the police to the communi­ties they serve.  Prerequisite:  201 and 290, or consent of instructor.

310/3

INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL LAW.  (Same as Paralegal 315)  The nature and theories of law and social control; legal reasoning and case analy­sis; simple legal research; statutory construction; principles and history of punish­ment; constitutional, historical and general legal principles applicable to the criminal law.  Prerequisite:  201 and 290, or consent of instruc­tor.      

316/3

INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH.  A basic intro­duc­tion to the scientific perspective, relationship of research and theory, research design, measurement issues and reporting of research and program evaluation.  Emphasis on problems peculiar to criminologi­cal research.  Prerequisite:  201 and 290, or consent of instructor.

317/3

DATA ANALYSIS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE.  Covers basic statistical issues such as properties of single variables, association between pairs of variables and statistical inference in relation to criminal justice data.  Additional topics, such as analysis of aggregated data and prediction, address specific criminal justice concerns.  Prerequisite:  201, 290 and 316, or consent of instructor.

320/3

PROSECUTION AND ADJUDICATION.  Examination of the structure and process involved in the prosecution, adjudication and sentencing of criminal defendants.  The exercise of  prosecu­torial and judicial discretion is analyzed, with emphasis placed on understanding the influence of legal, organiza­tional and environmental contexts on decision-making.  Prerequisite:  201 and 290, or consent of instructor.

325/3       

SPECIAL TOPICS IN CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE.  Topics will be selected from current issues in criminology and criminal justice.  Examples include “media and crime,” “gangs,” “international comparisons of criminal justice,” “qualitative criminology.”  May be repeated for a maximum of six credits. Prerequisites: none.

330/3       

ETHICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE.  This course examines major ethical systems and their application to issues in criminal justice and behavior of criminal justice    practitioners in police, courts, and corrections.  Prerequisite: 201 and 290 or consent of instructor.

344/3

DRUG USE.  Types of drugs, drug impact on the American culture, legal and illegal uses of drugs, offenses re­lated to drug use, reac­tion of  the criminal justice                            system to drugs and drug users and the treat­ment and prevention programs coping with drug use.  Prerequisite: 201 and 290, or consent of instructor.

350/3       

INTRODUCTION TO PRIVATE SECURITY.  Examines the role and functions of proprietary and contact security, loss prevention and asset protection measures in the private sphere.  Emphasis is placed on examining contemporary events and factors which  influence how,  when and why  security measures can be applied and measuring their contribution and effectiveness.  Prerequisite:  201 and 290, or consent  of instructor.

360/3

LAW AND SOCIAL CONTROL. Situated in critical theories of crime and deviance, this course introduces key social science theories and research traditions in the study of law, particularly as they relate to class, gender, and sexualityCourse explores patterns and dynamics of law as an instrument and outcome of social control, and focuses on the processes and structures underlying law as an outcome and instrument of social change.  Prerequisites: 201 and 290.

384/3        

INTRODUCTION TO CORRECTIONS. (Same as Sociology 384.)  Examination of the historical context, philosophical  concepts and  major and developments which  have shaped corrections in  the United States.  Various sentencing options, correctional  approaches programs, the role of  corrections in the larger criminal justice system and contemporary correctional issues are examined.  Prerequisite:  201 and 290, or consent of  instructor.  (Cannot be taken  for credit by students who have completed AJ 472.)

390/1-4    

READINGS IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.  (Maximum 4 semester hours per term) In-depth, introductory and advanced readings in areas not covered in other Administration of Justice cours­es.  The student must  submit a statement describ­ing the topic and relevant reading materials to the faculty member sponsoring the student's read­ings.  Prereq­uisite:  201, 290 and consent of instructor.

395/3-15

SUPERVISED FIELD EXPERIENCES IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.  Familiarization and direct experience in applied settings.  Under supervision of faculty and adjunct staff, the student assumes a student-participant role in the criminal justice agency.  Student must submit internship applica­tion during the first thirty days of the preceding spring or fall semes­ter.  Prerequisite:  201, 290 and 12 addi­tion­al hours of Adminis­tration of Justice courses at SIUC; minimum GPA of 2.5 overall and in AJ courses through the semester  prior to the intern­ship experi­ence;  or consent of depart­ment.  Mandatory Pass/Fail. 

408/3

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE.  An introduction to the procedural  aspects of criminal law pertaining to police powers in  connection with the laws of arrest, search and seizure, the exclu­sionary rule, civil liber­ties, eavesdropping, confes­sions and related decision-making fac­tors.  Prerequisite: 201, 290, 310 and 316, or consent of  instructor.

410/3

POLICING COMMUNITIES.  This course examines the theories underlying modern police reform, how these theories have altered practice, the challenges of implementing and sustaining police reform, and the outcomes of such efforts.  Prerequisites: 210, 290, and 316 or consent of instructor.

411/3

ASSESSMENT OF OFFENDERS. Assessment examines the theories, application, and research relevant to the identification, evaluation, and treatment planning for offenders under supervision by probation, parole, prison, and other community-based correctional organizations.  The course also reviews the evidence of effectiveness associated with classification and assessment tools.  Prerequisites: 201, 290, and 316 or consent of instructor.

415/3

PREVENTION OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY.  Multidisciplinary analysis of the functions, goals and effectiveness of  measures to forestall delinquency and crime.  Etiology of  delin­quent behaviors as related to community institu­tions such as police, courts, corrections, mental health clin­ics, schools, churches and citizen groups.  Prere­quisite: 201, 290 and 316, or consent of instructor.

418/3       

CRIMINAL VIOLENCE.  Examination of historical, comparative, cultural and social structural aspects of homicide, robbery, rape and assaults.  Course focuses on trends and patterns in criminal violence, the role of firearms, victim/offender relationships and post-arrest processing of the offender in the criminal justice system. Prerequisite:  201, 290 and 316, or consent of instructor.

460/3

WOMEN AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.  (Same as Sociology 461 and Women's Studies 476.)  Addresses the topics of women as of­fend­ers, as victims and as workers in the criminal justice system.  Prerequisite:  201, 290 and 316, or consent of in­structor.

461/3

WHITE-COLLAR CRIME.  Examines the physical and financial harm caused by wayward corporations and business employees from  both theoretical and empirical perspectives.  Emphasis is placed on ethics, theory, legal decision-making, and the regulatory monitoring and control illegal corporate activity. Prerquisite:  201, 290, and 316 or consent of instructor.

462/3

VICTIMS OF CRIME.  (Same as Sociology 462)  Examines the extent and nature of victimization, theories about the causes of  victimization, the effects of crime on victims and services available to deal with those effects, victims' experiences in the criminal justice system, the victims' rights movement, and alternative ways of defining and responding to victimization.  Satisfies CoLA Writing-Across-the-Curriculum  Requirement.  Prerequisite: 201, 290,  316 and consent of instructor.

468/3

LAW AND SOCIAL CONTROL OF WOMEN.  (Same as History 468 and Women’s Studies 468.)  An examination of the ways in which  the law effects the behavior, life changes, identities and experiences of women, from colonial times to the present.  

473/3

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY.  (Same as Sociology 473.)  Nature of theories of delinquency; analytical skills in studying  delinquent offenders; sys­tematic assess­ment of efforts at prevention, control and reha­bili­tation in light of theoretical perspectives.  Prere­quisite: 201, 290 and 316, or consent of instructor.

474/3

JUVENILE JUSTICE.  The evolving definition of juvenile mis­behavior and the legal mechanisms that have emerged to control it.  The problems and promise of juvenile justice in terms of the juvenile code and court, law enforcement, custodial and treat­ment institutions and community treatment.  Prerequisite: 201, 290 and 316, or consent of instructor; 473 or e­quiva­lent recom­mended.

480/3        

EFFECTIVE CORRECTIONAL PRACTICES.  Exploration and evaluation of correctional intervention strategies developed for the sentencing of adjudicated persons. Particular emphasis on examining empirical research literature on effective correctional practices, including programs currently implemented in institutional setting, alternatives to institutional corrections, and community based programs.  Prerequisites: 201, 290, 316, and 384, or consent of instructor.

490/1-3  

INDEPENDENT STUDY IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.  Supervised readings or independent research pro­jects in various aspects of crime control, treat­ment of offend­ers and the management of  criminal justice pro­grams and agencies.  May be re­peated up to a maximum of three credit hours.  Pre­requi­site: 201, 290, 316 and con­sent of in­structor.

492/3

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.  A forum, geared toward seniors majoring in Administration of Justice, that focuses on criminal justice issues of concern to stu­dents and faculty.  May re-enroll for a maximum of six credits.  Satisfies CoLA Writing-Across-the-Curriculuim requirement.  Prere­qui­site:  201, 290, 316 and consent of in­struc­tor.  Three sections covering a different  topic each semester.  (Past topics include:  Children and the Law, Victims of Crime, Federal Criminal  Justice Policy, Crime Analysis, Criminal Investigation of Assassination and Terrorism, White Collar Crime, and Family Violence.)

 

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Academic Advisor

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Michael S. Harbin, M.A., has experience in both post-secondary education and in the criminal justice field. Mr. Harbin has 10 years of experience as a college instructor at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Illinois, and worked for four years as a juvenile and adult probation officer with the Williamson County, Illinois Probation Department. He joined the Center in August, 1994.

Further Information About Our Undergraduate Program:

Mr. Mike Harbin-Undergraduate Program Advisor