CRJU 482
Criminal Justice Theory and Research in Practice
1. Catalog Entry
CRJU 482
Criminal Justice Theory and Research in Practice
Prerequisite: CRJU 385 and permission of instructor
Credit hours (3)
This course is designed to expose students to materials and experiences that demonstrate
the application of criminal justice theory and research in professional settings,
particularly outside of the classroom and within the professional environment of agencies
and organizations. Interactions with criminal justice professionals will be contrasted
with scholarly representations of theory and research found in academic research.
This course is presented as an immersion experience for students.
2. Detailed Description of Course
Directed interactions with practitioners and agencies will give the student a unique perspective into the experiences and nature of work in the field and place the theory and research reviewed in this course within the professional context of the broader field of criminal justice.
3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
The course will be held entirely in an off campus environment/location with visits to local law enforcement, court, correctional, offender reentry, and victim response agencies and organizations. This experience will provide students with an opportunity to see the research and theory in criminal justice in action in the field. Students will read specifically selected research studies about criminal justice issues prior to the visits with agencies in the immersion location. These experiences will give students an opportunity to observe the unique nature of criminal justice in a setting very different than anything we could offer locally and outside the classroom.
Following the immersion off campus experience, students will complete an online portfolio
of written evaluations and critical analyses of the agencies visits to apply the theoretical
and research materials to those experiences.
4. Goals and Objectives of the Course
Students who complete this course will be able to:
1) Gain insight about the operations and duties of criminal justice professionals
a. Visits to organizations and agencies will allow for a wide range of perspectives
on different professions within criminal justice
2) Experience direct contact and interaction with criminal justice professionals
a. Inquiries about daily operations, responsibilities and opinions may be
answered by various professionals
b. Issues discussed in academia may be put into an applied context by direct
interaction with professionals during each visit to an agency
3) Examine the role of theory and research in the professional agencies
a. Students will read research literature for each site visit and examine
the application of these findings and principles to the field work performed by personnel
b. Written reflections on the role of research in the field is a major component
of the course as well as the development of a portfolio that reflects on and
analyzes the educational experience of this course
5. Assessment Measures
1) Online presentations
2) Discussions – online and face-to-face Written assignments
3) Research procurement and analysis Group participation
6. Other Course Information
None
Review and Approval
June 20, 2015