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Course Syllabus

CJ 1330 Criminal Law

  • Division: Social and Behavioral Science
  • Department: Behavioral Science
  • Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 0
  • Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
  • Semester Approved: Spring 2024
  • Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2028
  • End Semester: Fall 2029
  • Optimum Class Size: 40
  • Maximum Class Size: 40

Course Description

This course considers several basic areas of the criminal law, including the origins of the criminal code, court structure, present elements of many various offenses, social considerations, community impact and offender consequences. This course is offered as in-class and online.

Justification

This course is required for an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice. It is designed so that it can transfer to all schools within the USHE system.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Evaluate contemporary and/or historical problems using appropriate Criminal Law research methodology.
  2. Describe and analytically compare the different social, political, economic, cultural, geographical, or historical settings and processes in Criminal Law
  3. Develop and communicate hypothetical explanations for individual human behavior within the large-scale historical or social context related to Criminal Law.
  4. Write and/or demonstrate effectively within the (appropriate) the discipline of Criminal Law, using correct disciplinary guidelines, to analyze, interpret, and communicate about social science phenomena.

Course Content

At course conclusion, students should possess a basic understand of the criminal law. They should be able to differentiate between various crimes and the elements comprising them, understand the court components and process, identify potential penalties and recognize strengths, pitfalls and perceived inequities within the criminal system. The criminal legal system disproportionately affects minority groups, so it is important that this course teaches the difficulties in social situations, investigating, sentencing, and trying people from marginalized groups so that the future criminal law process might improve.