USC: Academic Bulletins

Criminology and Criminal Justice

Michael R. Smith, Chair
Kathy R. Smiling, Director of Academic Programs

Professor
Geoffrey P. Alpert, Ph.D., Washington State University, 1975
Michael Smith, Ph.D., Arizona State University, 1996, J.D., University of South Carolina, 1993

Associate Professors
John D. Burrow, Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1998, J.D., University of Wisconsin, 2001
Barbara A. Koons-Witt, Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2000
Michael R. Smith, Ph.D., Arizona State University, 1996, J.D., University of South Carolina, 1993, Chair

Assistant Professors
Abigail Fagan, Ph.D., University of Colorado, 2001
Robert Kaminski, Ph.D., State University of New York at Albany, 2002
Jeffrey Rojek, Ph.D., University of Missouri-St. Louis, 2005
Eric Sevigny, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2006
Hayden P. Smith, Ph.D., University of Central Florida, 2007
Benjamin Steiner, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati, 2008
Emily Wright, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati, 2008

Lecturers
Danny E. Baker, M.Ed., University of South Carolina, 1976

Overview

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice offers a program of study leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. This degree program provides students with a strong foundation in the liberal arts and the social sciences. The department fosters a program of study that has a strong research emphasis and encourages public service. Courses offered through the department focus on problem-solving and critical thinking, which provide students with the skills necessary to understand and interpret the scientific literature, access emerging technologies in the field, and understand emerging issues in criminology and criminal justice. For additional information, visit our Web site at www.cas.sc.edu/crju.

Degree Offered

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice offers a four-year program of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in criminology and criminal justice. The degree requirements are based upon a strong foundation in the liberal arts and the social sciences. An array of professional criminal justice courses is offered to support the particular interests of various students. Students also are encouraged to participate in community service activities. Pursuant to this, the department provides information on opportunities for volunteer work and involvement in the criminal justice field.

Criminology and criminal justice majors who have completed 90 hours with a GPA of 3.50 are eligible for the accelerated degree program. Students in the accelerated program may take up to 9 hours of credit at the 700 level which will count toward both their undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Entrance Requirements

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice follows the general admission policies of the University. Should there be more applicants for the degree program than the number of spaces available, admission decisions will be competitive and may take into account the applicant's grade point average as well as other factors deemed indicative of the student's potential for success in the program.

Transfer Students. Transfer students from other institutions, other USC campuses, or other degree programs must have a cumulative GPA of 2.25 and a semester GPA of 2.00 on the last semester enrolled. Official transcripts of all academic work must be sent to the admissions office. These transcripts will be evaluated by the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice for possible transfer credits. Only collegiate courses completed at accredited institutions will be considered, and credit transfer will be approved only where an analysis of the course level and content indicates that the work is appropriate for inclusion in a program of study offered by the department.

Progression Requirements

Students in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice are expected to make orderly progress toward a baccalaureate degree. To facilitate this, the department's undergraduate program is divided into upper and lower divisions.

1. Lower-division students are those who have earned fewer than 60 semester hours toward the degree or who do not meet admission requirements to the upper division. Lower-division students may not enroll in upper-division criminal justice (CRJU) courses, which include all CRJU courses numbered 300 and above.

2. Admission to the upper division is based upon a minimum 2.00 cumulative USC GPA; completion of CRJU 101, 201, 202, and 203 with grades of C or higher; completion of 60 hours or more toward the degree, including all general education requirements necessary to satisfy all University core requirements; and formal approval of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Office of Academic Programs.

3. Criminal justice courses in which majors make less than a grade of C must be repeated.

Degree Requirements

(120 hours)

The department's Office of Academic Programs will make every effort to assist students in maximizing their academic and professional potential through advisement. However, the ultimate responsibility for meeting all requirements for the degree rests solely with the individual student.

The following are the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in criminology and criminal justice:

1. General Education Requirements (56-65 hours)

For an outline of general education requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree, see "College of Arts and Sciences, Curriculum Section I."

CRJU 101 (3 hours) must be completed for a major in criminology and criminal justice. CRJU 101 may be used to satisfy a social science or elective requirement.

2. Major Requirements

A total of 33 hours of courses is required for the major beyond CRJU 101.

Required Courses Include
CRJU 202, CRJU 203, and CRJU 341
Total 9 hours

Additional Major Courses
Three from the following: CRJU 311, CRJU 312, CRJU 313, CRJU 314, and CRJU 351
Total 9 hours

Additional Major Courses
Three from the following: CRJU 311; CRJU 312; CRJU 313; CRJU 314; CRJU 351
Total 9 hours

Five courses from: CRJU 321, CRJU 322, CRJU 421; CRJU 422; CRJU 426; CRJU 485; CRJU 491; CRJU 494; CRJU 554; CRJU 563; CRJU 577; CRJU 582; CRJU 585; CRJU 591
Total 15 hours

All course work for the major must be passed with a grade C or better.

3. Cognate or Minor (12-18 hours)

See "College of Arts and Sciences, Curriculum Section I."

4. Electives

See "College of Arts and Sciences, Curriculum Section I."

Course Descriptions (CRJU)

101 -- American Criminal Justice System. (3) Survey of crime and societal responses to crime, including law enforcement, courts, corrections, and the juvenile justice system.
202 -- Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice. (3) Introduction to the practice of social research in criminology and criminal justice settings.
203 -- Criminal Procedure. (3) Overview of the constitutional restraints on the investigation, detention, prosecution and adjudication of criminal defendants. Coverage of Supreme Court decisions involving the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
311 -- Policing. (3) Current and historical perspectives on American policing.
312 -- Corrections. (3) Current and historical perspectives on incarceration and its alternatives.
313 -- Criminal Courts. (3) Structure and organization of the federal and state criminal court systems and personnel.
314 -- Criminal Law. (3) Origin and development of criminal law in America. Basic elements of crimes and defenses.
322 -- Drugs and Crime. (3) Overview of criminal justice system responses to illegal substances. Relationship between substance abuse and crime.
323 -- Violence in America. (3) Historical overview of violence in American society, including theoretical perspectives on the causes and prevention of violence.
341 -- Sociology of Crime. {=SOCY 353} (3) Social factors in the development, identification, and treatment of criminals.
351 -- Juvenile Delinquency and Justice. {=SOCY 350} (3) Social factors in the development, identification, and treatment of delinquents.
399 -- Independent Study. (1-6) (Prereq: consent of instructor) Contract approved by instructor, advisor, and Office of Academic Programs is required for undergraduate students.
421 -- Victimization. (3) Causes and consequences of criminal victimization and public policy responses to victimization issues.
422 -- Alternatives to Incarceration. (3) Correctional alternatives to imprisonment including probation, parole, and various community correctional programs.
423 -- Street Gangs: Structure, Activity, and Response. (3) Course covers the theoretical and empirical work on gangs, gang members, and gang activity along with insight on these issues from a practitioner perspective. It then examines the variety of policy responses from government and community organizations.
424 -- Criminal Justice Intelligence. (3) An investigation of the motivations to commit crime. The course presents profiles of the targets of crimes and provides strategic and tactical assessments of police investigations and intelligence.
425 -- Hate Crimes. (3) An examination of the causes and responses to hate crimes. The course also provide a foundation for understanding crimes motivated by racial, gender, religious, disability, and sexual orientation biases.
426 -- Criminal Justice and Mental Health. (3) Interface between the mental health sciences and the criminal justice system.
485 -- Selected Topics in Criminal Justice Policy. (3) Public policy responses to crime, its formation, and its impact on society. Individual topics to be announced with suffix and title. May be repeated with consent of advisor.
491 -- Special Topics. (3) Topics in criminology and criminal justice. Individual topics to be announced with suffix and title. May be repeated once with consent of advisor.
494 -- Internship. (3) (Prereq: consent of instructor) A supervised experiential course in a criminal justice agency. Contract approved by instructor, advisor, and Office of Academic Programs is required for undergraduate students.
510 -- Critical Incident Management for Criminal Justice. (3) Leadership and management strategies for criminal justice agencies during critical incidents and disasters including multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional response.
512 -- Information-Based Management in Criminal Justice. (3) The collection and use of information and data-driven analysis in criminal justice organizations.
554 -- Women and Crime. {=WOST 554} (3) Impact of gender-based relations on crime and the criminal justice system.
563 -- Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice. (3) An historical overview of the intersection between issues of race, crime, and justice. The impact of the criminal justice system on minority groups.
577 -- Law and Criminal Justice Policy. (3) (Prereq: CRJU 313 or 314) Legal and policy responses to crime and criminal justice issues.
582 -- Computer Applications in Criminal Justice. (3) Computing, database systems, and software applications in research and professional practice.
591 -- Selected Topics in Criminal Justice. (3) A seminar for advanced students. Individual topics to be announced with suffix and title. May be repeated once with the consent of the advisor.