Criminal Justice

• MET CJ 101: Principles of Criminal Justice
  This course provides a comprehensive overview of the criminal justice system (law enforcement, the courts, and corrections) while developing students' critical thinking skills. In addition to class lectures, the course provides multiple venues for learning, to include web-based study via Blackboard, group activities, guest lectures, a prison tour, and carefully selected films that highlight some of the most contentious issues in criminal justice today.
• MET CJ 251: Police and Society
  This course examines the policies, strategies, procedures, and mechanics of policing in the environment of the 21st century American urban polity. The police function, duties, and responsibilities will be surveyed, explicated, and critically analyzed through the prism of successful and innovative strategies that have won praise and commendation as well as through institutional and individual failures that have resulted in criticism and condemnation.
• MET CJ 271: Corrections: Concepts, Systems, and Issues
  This course provides an overview of models of punishment and rehabilitation from the perspectives of the humanities and social sciences, including a review of correctional practices and procedures, institutional treatment, probation, parole, prison conditions, programs for juveniles, and comparative systems. Correction administration topics are covered including personnel, legal, operating practices, overcrowding, and planning.
• MET CJ 351: Criminal Law
  Theory and practice of criminal law, including sanctions, individual liability, limitations on state action, criminal and victim rights, evidence, defense, deterrence, mandatory sentencing, decriminalization, intent, entrapment, vagueness, and capital punishment. Case studies of recent court decisions.
• MET CJ 352: Courts, Society, and Criminal Procedure
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: MET CJ 351; or consent of instructor.
  Federal, state, and local criminal courts and their relationship to contemporary social and political issues. Historical background of the current criminal court system. Institutional functions of the courts. Role of the courts in reducing crime. Judicial process and criminal procedure, case studies and court decisions.
• MET CJ 420: Directed Study
  Independent study in criminal justice under faculty guidance. Prior approval by program director required.
• MET CJ 510: Special Topics in Criminal Justice
  CJ510 is the designation for "Special Topics in Criminal Justice". The subject matter for CJ510 courses changes from semester to semester, and more than one CJ510 can be offered in a given semester. For course descriptions, please contact the Department or the Graduate Student Advisor, Professor Cronin, at swcronin@bu.edu.
• MET CJ 601: History of Criminal Justice
  Graduate Prerequisites: upper-level or graduate standing.
  This course examines the evolution of the criminal justice system in America, emphasizing the period from the 18th century to contemporary forms of social control. An appreciation of the historical antecedents of crime and justice will deepen students? understanding of the modern-day institutions of law enforcement, courts, and corrections. 4 cr.
• MET CJ 602: Criminology
  This course will expand students' understanding of criminal deviant behavior and the major theories of social and institutional control. It also addresses the effectiveness of social control methods and the policy implications associated with deterring deviant behavior.
• MET CJ 610: Special Topics in Criminal Justice: Cybercrime
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Previous criminal justice or related course, or consent of instructor.
  This course is designed to help students understand and apply the nature of computer crime in the criminal justice field. Several theories (both micro-level and macro-level) will be presented and will be analyzed in depth and applied to computer crime cases both past and present. Students will see how major theories have been re-developed to be applied to computer crime, and by using these theories, students will both develop and explore different strategies for future law enforcement. Students will be presented with common types of fraudulent schemes, as well as several laws that have been enacted and developed specifically for computer crime. In addition, causes, victimization, legal issues, control strategies, and societal costs regarding the "computer-crime" problem will be explored and evaluated. [ 4 cr.]
• MET CJ 625: Victimology
  The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the discipline of victimology, an emerging area of specialization in the field of criminology. Emphasis will focus on crime victims and their plight, the relationships between crime victims and other social groups and institutions, such as the media, business, politicians, special interest groups, and social movements. The issues of Justice and Redress from the perspective of the victim as well as general society will be stressed. An overview of victim prevention programs and victim assistance programs will be presented. Topics such as the Restorative Justice Model, Victim Repayment, and Victim/Offender Mediation will be included in the course content. While the course follows an interdisciplinary approach and is designed for general interest and appeal, it has particular relevance for students drawn from disciplinary interests in the fields of criminal justice, psychology, sociology, education, health care administration, and political science.
• MET CJ 631: Youth Crime Problems
  Throughout this course, students will analyze the policy issues concerning juvenile justice and youth crime. Emphasis will be put on the scope and nature of youth crime and the young offender, as well as juvenile justice procedures, programs and institutional roles. Over the semester, students will also be asked to consider delinquency prevention programs, violent offenders, dispositional alternatives, and crimes against youth. 4 cr.
• MET CJ 632: White Collar Crime
  The purpose of this course is to examine the nature and extent of corporate and white-collar crime, including detection, deterrence, and criminal liability sanctions, as well as, the social and legal changes related to corporate illegality. Students will use case materials which address securities fraud, money "laundering", professional deviance, and political corruption, in addition to other topics. Students will also analyze policy responses including RICO and other laws, regulations and court processing. 4 cr.
• MET CJ 650: Terrorism
  This course will include a general introduction to the overt as well as underlying ideology, history, reasons and causes of terrorism. Both domestic and international terrorism will be discussed. Domestic hate groups will also receive particular attention. The roles of politics and the media will be discussed. Students will be exposed to the philosophies of terrorists and terrorism. Counter terrorism will also be discussed at length. Students are expected to participate actively in the course. There will be written assignments, a midterm, a class presentation, and a final paper.
• MET CJ 656: Forensic Criminal Investigation
  Forensic Criminal Investigation is an examination of the strategies, techniques, and procedures implicated in the process of conducting forensic criminal investigations, i.e. cases that will seek adjudication in the criminal court. Students will examine cold cases, concluded successful investigations, ongoing investigations as well as the perspective and worldview of the perpetrators and victims of violent crimes in an effort to deconstruct and disassemble crimes, crime scenes and the criminal mind.
• MET CJ 660: Gender and Justice
  Much recent scholarship has affirmed that women and girls are positioned within the criminal justice system in ways that are an overall detriment and disadvantage toward the interests of fairness, equity, and parity. This course will examine the myriad manifestations of sexism, misogyny, and male hegemony that are still emblematic of public representation of the criminal justice system for women. Women who are criminal justice workers, victims, arrestees and defendants, sex-workers, attorneys, and members of the client class of criminal justice consumers are routinely sexualized, objectified, and rendered waif-like and helpless, in all too familiar secondary, submissive, and subservient roles.
• MET CJ 701: Crime and Punishment: A Conceptual and Ethical Inquiry
  Graduate Prerequisites: upper-level or graduate standing.
  Assessment of the ways in which American society understands and responds to crime. Investigates acts regarded as criminal, as well as why they are so regarded, through an analysis of the ideas of harm and danger to society.
• MET CJ 702: Analytical Methods
  This course introduces students to the use of quantitative data in analyzing the criminal justice system. It serves as an introduction to the statistical methods used in applied social science research and furthers students' understanding of the role statistical analysis plays in planning and policy development.
• MET CJ 703: Research Methods
  This course introduces students to the practice, theory, and philosophy of social science research, with a special focus on criminal justice. It not only broadens students' knowledge of the ethical issues associated with research, but also introduces them to a variety of research techniques such as surveys, field research, and experimental designs. Research Methods will lay the foundation for students to become informed "consumers" of research, as well as "producers" of it.
• MET CJ 725: Forensic Behavior Analysis
  This course will examine the development of individual criminality and criminal careers, social group processes implicated in criminal activity, varieties of criminal behavior including violent, sexual and predatory crime, mental disorders, psychopathy, victimization, offender profiling, and forensic criminal investigation. The course will also explore the contribution of psychology to our contemporary understanding of crime and criminogenic behavior through the application of psychological theories in the investigation of crime.