Criminology Courses with Classes Overview

Criminology courses are most often found within criminal justice degree programs. Classes in criminology may be taken at the associate's, bachelor's or even graduate degree levels. Students who graduate from criminology or criminal justice degree programs may go on to become counselors, drug enforcement officials, investigative agents or probation officers. Here are just some of the courses that are typical of a criminology program.

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Introduction to Criminology Course

Criminology is the study of crime, criminal behavior patterns and the law. An introductory criminology course is taken at the onset of a student's core degree requirements. This course covers basics in criminology theories, patterns and behaviors. Students learn socioeconomic and sociocultural influences that have affected crime over the years. Topics in this course may also cover crime prevention, law enforcement, criminal justice systems and crime victims.

Juvenile Delinquency Course

A juvenile delinquency course is just one of many elective courses that may be required in a criminology degree program. Other elective courses may focus on specific culture groups or women, as an example. In this particular course, students learn about crime as it relates to children and teenagers. Topics in juvenile crime prevention, treatment and patterns are discussed. Time may also be spent on the juvenile justice system and how it differs from the adult justice system.

Criminal Justice Course

A criminal justice course focuses on criminal penalties. Students study court systems, correctional institutes, laws, judicial procedures and measurements of crime severity. This is a course that will include some type of practical training in the form of role-playing, class projects or supervised visits to criminal justice agencies. Students learn from the perspective of all sides, from police, probation officers and court officials to the criminals themselves.

Law and Sociology Course

This is a course that not only covers basic laws and crime levels but the sociological factors that affect these things. A criminal's mental history, treatment capability or age can all be factors in how they are treated within the legal system. This course provides topics on selecting juries, assessing a defendant's sanity, testimony from eye witnesses and self-representation. Time is also spent on general sociology theories and the social forces that influence American law.

Criminology and Research Course

This is a course that combines criminology theory with research. Students learn methods in research, statistics, analytics and measurement as related to crime. Specific areas of study include crime mapping, crime problems and crime analysis. This is a course that may require a large research project. Computer tools and software specific to gathering such crime information may also be covered in this course.

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