Academic Catalog 2023-2024

Slippery Rock University

Criminology and Criminal Justice

Contact Info
ChairSecretaryLocationDepartment Phone
Dr. David ChampionKathleen Dombeck211 Spotts World Culture Building724-738-2084

Department Web Site URL

Graduate Coordinator
Sarah Kuehn

Faculty

David Champion
Professor
Criminology & Criminal Justice
Ph.D., Indiana University of Pennsylvania
M.A., Ball State University
B.A., State University of New York at Buffalo

Kerry Edwards
Associate Professor
Criminology & Criminal Justice
Ph.D., University of New Mexico
M.A., University of New Mexico
B.A., University of New Mexico

Sarah Kuehn
Associate Professor
Criminology & Criminal Justice
Ph.D., Simon Fraser University
M.A., Simon Fraser University

Rebecca Ridener
Associate Professor
Criminology & Criminal Justice
Ph.D., University of Cincinnati
M.S., University of Cincinnati
B.A., Emory University

Jeffrey Roth
Assistant Professor
Criminology & Criminal Justice
Ph.D., Indiana University of Pennsylvania
M.S., Tiffin University
B.A., Patrick Henry College

Youngyol Schanz
Professor
Criminology & Criminal Justice
Ph.D., Indiana University of Pennsylvania
M.A., Wichita State University
B.S., Dankook University (Korea)

Courses

CRIM 590 -  Experimental  

A unique and specifically focused course within the general purview of a department which intends to offer it on a "one time only" basis and not as a permanent part of the department's curriculum.

Credits: 1-3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered as Needed

Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Graduate.

CRIM 595 -  Workshop  

A workshop is a program which is usually of short duration, narrow in scope, often non-traditional in content and format, and on a timely topic.

Credits: 1-6

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered as Needed

Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Graduate.

CRIM 598 -  Selected Topics  

A Selected Topics course is a normal, departmental offering which is directly related to the discipline, but because of its specialized nature, may not be able to be offered on a yearly basis by the department.

Credits: 1-3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered as Needed

Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Graduate.

CRIM 602 -  Forensic Behavior:Crime and the Individual  

This course explores aspects of mental illness, cognitions, psychopathology, mental disorders and other psychological aspects of criminal behavior and their relation to theories of crime. This is a cross-listed course that will fulfill either graduate or undergraduate credit.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Summer & Winter Terms

Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Graduate.

CRIM 605 -  White Collar Crime  

This course explores the complex issues surrounding white collar crime. In terms of white collar crime, the topics addressed may include: the complexities of defining it, theoretical explanations for it, the economical, physical and social costs that result from these types of crimes, and the issues the criminal justice system faces in trying to control it.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Summer & Winter Terms

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 610 -  Administration of Justice  

This course provides an overview of criminal law and procedure, including landmark decisions, juvenile proceedings, Constitutional issues and the role of law in society.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Fall Terms

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 615 -  Advanced Criminological Theory  

This course entails a detailed examination of a wide range of criminological theories pertaining to offending and the correlates of crime.  Students are expected to assess critically the application of various paradigms to selected crime types, relying extensively an original empirical and theoretical literature.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Fall Terms

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 616 -  Community Corrections  

This course explores the origins of community corrections and its role in the American criminal justice system. Starting with pre-arrest diversion, the course covers the major issues and topics associated with community corrections and re-entry programs.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Summer Terms

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.
Enrollment limited to students in a Master of Arts degree.
Enrollment limited to students with department of Criminology & Criminal Justice.

CRIM 620 -  Critical Issues in Corrections  

This course explores the history and philosophical underpinnings of corrections and its role in the American criminal justice system. Further, it examines the implementation of legal sanctions in institutional and community corrections and how political, social, and economic issues have impacted correctional operations. The course also delves into comparative perspectives as well as current research and issues in corrections.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Fall Terms

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 622 -  Individual and Group Interventions  

Basic concepts of individual and group techniques used with offenders.  Rudimentary skills practice to prepare the student for practice in the field, and the issues and strategies most often associated with special populations. This course will review various treatment models and the rationales for their use.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offerings Vary

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 625 -  Contemporary Issues in Policing  

In this course, students will examine contemporary issues in law enforcement and delve the social, political, and cultural climate of the most compelling challenges facing policing agencies today. Learners will study issues such as police use of force, policing in a diverse society, recruitment and training, police culture, law enforcement and ethics, technology and policing, and more.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Spring Terms

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 626 -  Victimology  

This course will present the student with a detailed understanding of the scope of victimology and the extent of criminal victimization by examining specific crimes types, the impact of crime on victims and society, the role of victims within the criminal justice system, specific remedies, and victim rights and services.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Summer & Winter Terms

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 627 -  Criminal Justice and the Multicultural Community  

This course will examine current issues and social problems relating to the administration of justice in a culturally diverse society.  The focus of the course will be on the changing ethnicity of communities and related changes in social and institutional public policy.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Summer & Winter Terms

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 628 -  Transnational Crime & Justice  

This course focuses on the historical development and current status of various forms of transnational crime from the perspective of the international criminal justice community. This course explores the roots and operations of organized crime and how globalization has facilitated the emergence of transnational organized crime in the U.S. and in various regions throughout the world. Particular emphasis is given to issues of drug trafficking, illegal arms trade, money laundering, human trafficking and sex trafficking. This course also examines the current strategies for the containment and control of such activities.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Summer & Winter Terms

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 630 -  Statistical Methods in Criminal Justice  

In this course, students will learn principles of statistical techniques (both descriptive and inferential statistics) with emphasis upon their application in the criminal justice system. Students will be familiar with correlation and regression analysis, probability and sampling theory, estimating population parameters and testing hypotheses.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Fall Terms

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 635 -  Criminological Research  

In this course, students will learn different approaches and techniques for conducting criminological research.  Students will be able to interpret data from research problems and evaluate research designs and their implementation in criminal justice.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Spring Terms

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 641 -  Terrorism, Law and National Security  

This course will discuss terrorism-its structure, causes, and illegal financing and the evolution of domestic and international laws evolving to deal with terrorism and national security.

Credits: 3

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 660 -  Criminal Justice Ethics  

This course covers various schools of ethical thought and their applications to all aspects of criminal justice.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Spring Terms

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 668 -  Crime & Media  

This course will examine images of crime and criminal justice as portrayed and presented by the mass media including popular media (fictional television show, music, novels, etc.) as well as "news" programming and print media. More specifically, the course will analyze how crime and criminals, and criminal justice systems (police, courts and corrections) are portrayed by the mass media. This course will analyze the media's relationship to criminological theories as well as to criminal justice policies and practices. This course will also examine how gender, race and class are related to the way crime is depicted in the mass media.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offerings Vary

Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Graduate.

CRIM 680 -  Women & the Criminal Justice System  

This course will focus on theoretical and contemporary issues involving female practitioners, victims and offenders in the criminal justice system.Students will have the opportunity to become acquainted with and evaluate the political, legal and social issues of crime relating to women. This course will also examine diversity issues. More specifically, this course will examine how gender, race/ethnicity and class are related to the way they are treated in the criminal justice system in the U.S.

Credits: 3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offerings Vary

Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Graduate.

CRIM 690 -  Experimental  

A unique and specifically focused course within the general purview of a department which intends to offer it on a "one time only" basis and not as a permanent part of the department's curriculum.

Credits: 1-3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered as Needed

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 695 -  Workshop  

A workshop is a program which is usually of short duration, narrow in scope, often non-traditional in content and format, and on a timely topic.

Credits: 1-6

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered as Needed

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 698 -  Selected Topics  

A Selected Topics course is a normal, departmental offering which is directly related to the discipline, but because of its specialized nature, may not be able to be offered on a yearly basis by the department.

Credits: 1-3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered as Needed

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 700 -  Independent Study  

Independent Study courses give students the opportunity to pursue research and/or studies that are not part of the university's traditional course offerings. Students work one on one or in small groups with faculty guidance and are typically required to submit a final paper or project as determined by the supervising professor.

Credits: 1-3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered as Needed

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 750 -  Internship in Criminology  

This course consists of field placement in a criminal justice agency involving administrative, research, teaching, and related activities.  It will give students the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts in a practical, applied fashion by observing and contributing to the daily activities of operating agencies and organizations.

Credits: 3-6

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered Every Term

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 790 -  Experimental  

A unique and specifically focused course within the general purview of a department which intends to offer it on a "one time only" basis and not as a permanent part of the department's curriculum.

Credits: 1-3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered as Needed

Enrollment limited to students with a semester level of Graduate.

CRIM 795 -  Workshop  

A workshop is a program which is usually of short duration, narrow in scope, often non-traditional in content and format, and on a timely topic.

Credits: 1-6

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered as Needed

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 798 -  Selected Topics  

A Selected Topics course is a normal, departmental offering which is directly related to the discipline, but because of its specialized nature, may not be able to be offered on a yearly basis by the department.

Credits: 1-3

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered as Needed

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.

CRIM 800 -  Master's Thesis  

Students pursuing a thesis program should contact their academic advisor concerning research after completing about one-half of their degree coursework. The advisor will assist the student with the necessary steps (such as preliminary selection of a topic and arranging for the appointment of a committee) to proceed.

Credits: 3-6

Term(s) Typically Offered: Offered as Needed

Enrollment is limited to Graduate level students.