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Degrees and Requirements

Criminal Justice - Accelerated Program for Criminal Justice Professionals (APCJP)

To successfully complete the Accelerated Criminal Justice major, Law Enforcement Officers must have 3 years of work experience to be awarded 48 advanced standing credit (15 credits based on ACT 120 certification (A) and 33 credits of work experience (W) as indicated below.  Students may select from both on-line, classroom and blended courses. Students with an associate degree and/or academic credit from other institutions will be evaluated on an individual basis. A student’s last thirty credits must be earned at La Roche University.

The following coursework is required for the degree:

  • 33 Credits of Criminal Justice Major Requirements
  • 12 Credits of Criminal Justice Major Electives
  • 12 Credits of Skills Components
  • 33 Credits of CORE Curriculum courses
  • 30 Credits of General Electives

Academic Core Courses -- 18 Credits Required:
Accelerated Criminal Justice and Criminology students have been waived from 4 credits for La Roche Experience (4) and granted credit based on work experience for 15 credits: Human Expression (3) (W); Social Sciences (3) (W); Global Perspectives (3) (W); ISTC1010 Digital Literacy (3) (W), and SPCH1010 Oral Communication (3) (W). The following core courses are required:

  • ENGL1011 Academic Reading & Writing
  • ENGL1012 Academic Writing & Research
  • MATH1010 College Algebra
  • Breadth of Knowledge:  Natural and Physical World
  • Depth of Knowledge: Interdisciplinary Inquiry
  • Core Elective: Any Breadth of Knowledge or Depth of Knowledge course

Language Requirement – No Credits Required.
Students in the accelerated program do not have a modern language requirement.

General Electives - 30 Credits
Accelerated Criminal Justice and Criminology students have been granted 9 credits (W) from the elective component based upon work experience and prior academic/training courses.

The elective requirement may be fulfilled through a minor or certificate program. Recommended programs are: Criminalistics, Modern Languages, Computer Science, Psychology, Sociology, Accounting, Pre Law, and Management.

Criminal Justice elective courses in excess of the required credit (6) may be taken and applied to the general elective component.

Criminal Justice Major Courses: 24 credits are granted for

  • CRIM1001 Introduction to the Criminal Justice System (A) 
  • CRIM1003 Understanding the U.S. Constitution (W)
  • CRIM2011 Intelligence Analysis (A)
  • CRIM2016 Police and Society (W)
  • CRIM2018 Professional Responsibility (A)
  • CRIM3045 Criminal Investigations (A)
  • CRIM3054 Law Enforcement Communications (A)
  • CRIM4051 Internship (W)

A = Credit for ACT 120 Training
W = Credit for Work Experience

Summary of Requirements

Criminal Justice Major Electives : Select 6 credits

  • CRIM2010
    INTRODUCTION TO CORRECTIONS

    CRIM2010
    INTRODUCTION TO CORRECTIONS

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    Examines contemporary American correctional policies, and their relationship to the American criminal justice system. The nature of correctional institutions, correctional processes and policies will be presented. Current theories, trends and practices in the treatment of offenders, alternatives to traditional modes of incarceration, and problems and innovations in correctional administration will be discussed. Theories of correctional institutions as centers of rehabilitation or punishment will be examined along with public influences on correctional practices and policy development.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • CRIM3000
    CORRECTIONAL COUNSELING

    CRIM3000
    CORRECTIONAL COUNSELING

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: PSYC1021, CRIM1001, ENGL1012, ENGL1012H The evolution of prisons from punishment to rehabilitation is examined with a look at the fundamental beginnings of the penitentiary to modern day institutions with civil and legal rights. This course also examines the purpose and evolution of corrections as an agent of punishment including the death penalty and its history in relation to society. The foremost groups involved in corrections from the Quakers and early Christians to modern groups will be reviewed. The development of probation and parole as alternatives to incarceration will also be examined. The understanding of violent offenders and the utilization of prison counseling will be explored.

    PREREQUISITES:

    Junior or senior status

  • CRIM3012
    ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME: LAW, POLICY

    CRIM3012
    ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME: LAW, POLICY

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: CRIM1001 This course exposes students of Criminal Justice and Criminology to the variety of issues involved in the study of environmental crime. Environmental harms associated with the pollution of air, land, and water kill and injure more people than street crimes on an annual or daily basis. Students who complete this course will understand the complexity of environmental crime and how to use the law and investigative skills to address it.

    PREREQUISITES:

    CRIM1001

  • CRIM3034
    ENTERPRISE AND TRANSNATIONAL

    CRIM3034
    ENTERPRISE AND TRANSNATIONAL

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: ENGL1012 AND CRIM1001 The course addresses organized crime in the United States and internationally. It presents organized crime as criminal business ventures that meet the demand of its consumer base and/or engages in activities that provide profits both legal and illicit into the organization. International crime is introduced, demonstrating how organized crime networks transcend national borders, and how individual criminals have learned to use the ease of travel and identity falsification to operate in or conceal themselves from national law enforcement. Law enforcement strategies and their effectiveness are covered.

    PREREQUISITES:

    CRIM1001 & ENGL1012 or ENGL1012H

  • CRIM3036
    TERRORISM

    CRIM3036
    TERRORISM

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: ENGL1012 OR ENGL1012H This course addresses the historical and current-day development and spread of terrorism. The class investigates the goals of terrorism and the social, political and ideological reasons for the use of terrorism. Counter-terrorist activities and preventive measures are explored. The course will address law enforcement responses to incidents of terrorism.

    PREREQUISITES:

    ENGL1012 or ENGL1012H

  • CRIM3040
    CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION AND

    CRIM3040
    CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION AND

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: ENGL1012, CRIM1001 This course introduces the student to basic and advanced procedures employed by crime scene investigators, with the emphasis on the detection, collection, processing and presentation of physical and testimonial evidence. The course also identifies items commonly found at crime scenes and examines their significance as trace and physical evidence used to link a suspect with a crime. Many aspects of the legal and scientific processing, preserving and documenting a crime scene for court presentation will be examined. Theories of information, observation and interrogation as they relate to crime scene investigation will be examined, as well as the ethics of current investigative procedures utilized by modern law enforcement agencies.

    PREREQUISITES:

    CRIM1001

  • CRIM3041
    CSI II - CRIMINALISTICS

    CRIM3041
    CSI II - CRIMINALISTICS

    Credits (Min/Max): 4/4

    PREREQUISITE: BIOL1004, CHEM1001, CHEM1002 A comprehensive examination of the application of science to the physical evidence of a crime. Crime scene processing procedures will be linked to the laboratory analysis of physical evidence. The course will also include training in scientific report writing and courtroom testimony, to include a moot court exercise.

    PREREQUISITES:

    CRIM1001 & BIOL1004 & CHEM1002

  • CRIM3043
    COMPUTER CRIME

    CRIM3043
    COMPUTER CRIME

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: CRIM1001 A comprehensive examination of computer crime, information systems security and cyber law. The investigative process as applied to the cyber criminal will be emphasized. Statutes specific to cyber crime will be studied. Crime prevention strategies and techniques will be presented and applied using the case study method.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • CRIM3046
    SECURITY MANAGEMENT AND LOSS

    CRIM3046
    SECURITY MANAGEMENT AND LOSS

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    This course features an overview of public and private security, including history of private security and asset protection, the role of security in American society, and current industry practices. The course covers the security role in industry, business and government and includes loss prevention, control and risk management. The legal foundations of private security are covered, as is interaction with government law enforcement. Specialization and career opportunities are discussed.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • CRIM3052
    ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL

    CRIM3052
    ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    This course examines the principles of management and leadership as they relate to criminal justice organizations. Leadership, planning, and legal concepts are emphasized, and the case study method is employed as an applied learning tool.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • CRIM4057
    INDEPENDENT STUDY - CRIMINAL

    CRIM4057
    INDEPENDENT STUDY - CRIMINAL

    Credits (Min/Max): 1/3

    This course is limited to those few students who have demonstrated an unusual level of ability and an intense commitment to a particular area of study.

    PREREQUISITES:

Criminal Justice Major Requirements: 18 credits (select CRIM3030 or CRIM3042)

  • CRIM1003
    UNDERSTANDING THE U.S.

    CRIM1003
    UNDERSTANDING THE U.S.

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    This course is an introduction to the U.S. Constitution's role in American society and the philosophical, historical, and political influences on its framers. The course focuses on the structure and content of the Constitution. The course also examines the landmark Supreme Court cases that have shaped American society from 1790 to the present time. Students, through a multimedia approach, will examine those cases and the historical, social, and political factors that were a backdrop to the rulings issued by the Court. Cross-listed with POLI1003

    PREREQUISITES:

  • CRIM3005
    CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (POLI3005)

    CRIM3005
    CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (POLI3005)

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: CRIM1003 & ENGL1012 OR ENGL1012H, GRADE OF D+ OR BETTER This course will explore the difficulty in interpreting the meaning of constitutional language. The interpretive role of the U.S. Supreme Court will be studied through an examination of landmark constitutional decisions. The major schools of thought that guide interpretation will also be studied. Cross-listed with POLI3005.(Previously CRIM2005)

    PREREQUISITES:

    ENGL1012 and CRIM1003

  • CRIM3010
    CRIMINAL LAW

    CRIM3010
    CRIMINAL LAW

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: ENGL1012 OR ENGL1012H The basic principles of substantive criminal law will be illustrated. Concepts and patterns of criminal law and procedure will be discussed. The elements of specific crimes will be analyzed through case study. Public policy and the legal principles for determining criminal and civil liability will be considered.

    PREREQUISITES:

    Seniors Only

  • CRIM3030
    .

    CRIM3030
    .

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: ENGL1012 An examination of the etiology and major theories of criminality, with special reference to the rational choice, routine activity, biological and psychosocial theories of deviance. This course will examine criminal deviance by analyzing both criminal and victim populations, with particular emphasis on crime typology and the analysis of criminal behavior. The responses of the Criminal Justice System and private security experts to criminal behavior from situational crime prevention techniques to correctional treatment methods are explored and discussed. Cross-listed with SOCL3030

    PREREQUISITES:

    ENGL1012 or ENGL1012H

  • CRIM3042
    APPLIED CRIMINOLOGY

    CRIM3042
    APPLIED CRIMINOLOGY

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    This course is designed to examine crime and offender typologies and the investigative and legal methods that can be applied to prevent, resolve, or solve crimes committed by career offenders. An overview of the major theories or crime causation is furnished. An emphasis is placed on choice theory, routine activities theory, routine activities theory and their applied model-situational crime prevention. The topics of crisis negotiation, interpersonal conflict resolution, crime prevention, and informant development are explored and practical exercises are employed to enhance student understanding.

    PREREQUISITES:

  • CRIM4055
    SENIOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE

    CRIM4055
    SENIOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: PSYC3011 The Senior Capstone course is the final correlating experience of the educational process for all criminal justice majors. Students will apply criminal justice theories and concepts in analyzing the published research concerning a critical issue in criminal justice and writing a comprehensive literature review of the selected issue. The student will also demonstrate, through test performance, the knowledge they have gained from the required courses of the criminal justice curriculum. Students will also participate in a variety of educational activities designed to assist them in obtaining employment in the criminal justice career field.

    PREREQUISITES:

    PSYC3011

  • PSYC3011
    RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY

    PSYC3011
    RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: ENGL2030 and MATH1040 --or--CRIM2012 This course examines the major experimental designs and methods of scientific psychology. The nature of psychology as a science, types of and evaluation of research design and conclusions, conducting of research, preparation of research papers and ethics in research in psychology are covered.

    PREREQUISITES:

    PSYC1021 & PSYC3070 or CRIM2011 & MATH1040 or CRIM2012

Criminal Justice Skills: 9 credits (Select CRIM2012 or MATH1040)

  • CRIM2012
    ANALYSIS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

    CRIM2012
    ANALYSIS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: MATH1010 This course is primarily concerned with the ways and means of understanding drawing conclusions from criminal justice data. Students will learn to develop, use and evaluate studies of criminal justice data, and use their work to evaluate the effectiveness of criminal justice activities. Covered will be policy implications of various law enforcement techniques vis-a-vis their effectiveness in both short and long term. Students will work with and critique published criminological research and explore the use of data of a more local nature.

    PREREQUISITES:

    MATH1010

  • ENGL2030
    TECHNICAL WRITING

    ENGL2030
    TECHNICAL WRITING

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: ENGL1012 OR ENGL1012H Designed to apply the basic principles of communication to technical information so that the student can learn to present complex technical messages in the clearest possible way.

    PREREQUISITES:

    ENGL1012(H)

  • ISTC2008
    INTRO TO CYBERSPACE

    ISTC2008
    INTRO TO CYBERSPACE

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: ISTC1010 This course introduces the student to the world of the Internet. The course will focus on the effective and efficient use of the Internet to find and evaluate quality resources, communicate and collaborate using appropriate tools, create HTML files, and examine issues such as privacy, security and safety.

    PREREQUISITES:

    ISTC1005

  • MATH1040
    PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS

    MATH1040
    PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    PREREQUISITE: MATH1010 The study of the fundamentals of probability theory with applications to natural and social sciences as well as to mathematics. Discrete and continuous distributions, sampling theory, linear correlation, regression, statistical inference, estimation and analysis of variance are included.

    PREREQUISITES:

    MATH1010

  • PHIL1020
    LOGIC

    PHIL1020
    LOGIC

    Credits (Min/Max): 3/3

    This course is designed to help the student understand the methods and principles necessary for correct reasoning. The correct use of reason is indispensable for written and spoken communication. The course deals with language and its uses, fallacies, propositions, syllogisms, inference, probability and scientific hypothesis.

    PREREQUISITES: