Faculty
Konia Kollehlon, Associate Professor of Sociology (Program Chair)
Roberta Goldberg, Professor of Sociology
Roxana Moayedi, Associate Professor of Sociology
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Description
Criminal justice is the scientific study of criminal behavior. It focuses generally on, among other issues, the history of the criminal justice system; theories of crime and deviance; the origin and development of criminal law; the functions and operations of criminal justice agencies in a diverse society; the violations of criminal law and society’s responses to the violations of criminal law; the nature, meaning, and purposes of criminal punishment; and the nature and impact of criminal justice policy.
The Criminal Justice major at Trinity College is offered by the Sociology Program, and emphasizes three foundational areas:
law enforcement, corrections, and juvenile justice. The Criminal Justice major prepares students for graduate school and a wide range of career opportunities in security and law enforcement, probation and parole, the court system, and corrections. Given the applied nature of
criminal justice, experiential learning is an important part of the
major. As such, all majors are required to complete an internship with a
public or private organization that is involved in some aspect of
criminal justice. The Criminal Justice major and minor are offered to
students in the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of
Professional Studies.
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Major Requirements
Required Courses (33 credits)
ALL of the following courses:
SOCY 100 Introduction to Sociology (or SOCY 105 Social Crisis & Social Policy)
SOCY 311 Research Methods for Social Scientists
SOCY 205 Criminology: An Introduction
SOCY 206 Juvenile Justice
SOCY 303 Women & Minorities in Criminal Justice
SOCY 305 Corrections/Jails & Prisons
SOCY 306 Law Enforcement
SOCY 307 Criminal Procedures & Evidence
SOCY 311 Research Methods for the Social Sciences
SOCY 410 Theories of Crime and Deviance
MATH 110 Introduction to Statistics
Three Additional credits of Internship:
SOCY 492 Internship in Criminal Justice
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Minor Requirements
Required Courses (18 credits)
SOCY 205 Criminology: An Introduction
SOCY 206 Juvenile Justice
SOCY 303 Women & Minorities in Criminal Justice
SOCY 305 Corrections/Jails & Prisons
SOCY 306 Law Enforcement
SOCY 307 Criminal Procedures & Evidence
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Program Policies
Advanced Placement: Credits earned through AP examinations do not fulfill
requirements of the Criminal Justice major.
CLEP Policy: Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of
the Criminal Justice major.
Grades in Major Courses: Students are required to earn a grade of “C” or better in all
courses counted to fulfill requirements for the major. In addition, students
must achieve a passing grade on the Senior Comprehensive portfolio.
Pass/No Pass: Courses fulfilling major requirements may not be taken pass/no pass.
Senior Assessment: Students are required to submit a Senior Comprehensive Portfolio
Assessment Project prior to graduation. Specific requirements and due
dates are distributed to seniors in the Fall semester of their graduation year.
TELL Policy: Students applying for credit in experiential learning should consult with
the program faculty.
Transfer Credits: Credits in courses equivalent to those required for the major from
a similar institution may be accepted toward a major. Students majoring in
criminal justice must take a minimum of four criminal justice courses at
Trinity College.
Credits Counted Toward Minor in Criminal Justice: Other than courses that are required for
both Sociology and Criminal Justice majors, students who major in
Sociology and
minor in Criminal Justice can not double count criminal justice courses for
sociology credits. Also, students who major in Human Relations and minor in
Criminal Justice must fulfill their Sociology requirements separately from the
minor requirements for Criminal Justice. If, however, someone is only majoring in
Human Relations, s/he may take Criminal Justice courses to meet the
Sociology
requirements for Human Relations.
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Course Descriptions
MATH 110 Introduction to Statistics
Presents the basic principles of statistics with applications to the social sciences. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability theory, normal and binomial distributions, and central limit theorem, with an introduction to the use of statistical software. Formerly MAT 110 Introduction to Statistics.
3 credits
SOCY 100 Introduction to Sociology
Introduces students to the science of sociology and prepares students for upper-level social science course work.
Formerly SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology.
3 credits
SOCY 205 Introduction to Criminology
This course will introduce students to the scientific study of crime by focusing on the definitions, history, types, trends, causes and consequences of crime; as well as the responses of the criminal justice system to crimes, criminals, and the victims of crimes. The course is a survey of both criminal justice (the more applied aspect of the field) and criminology (the more basic aspect of the field).
3 credits
SOCY 206 Juvenile Justice
Juvenile Justice examines status offenses and other crimes committed by juveniles. The course also examines the social and legal history, definition and explanations of delinquency, assesses delinquency prevention and correctional programs, and emphasizes the application of philosophical and legal principles to the problems of juvenile justice.
3 credits
SOCY 303 Women and Minorities in Criminal Justice
While minorities are generally over-represented in arrests, convictions, and incarceration (with some exceptions), they are disproportionately under-represented among criminal justice practitioners. Race, ethnicity, sex, and other characteristics may define individuals as minorities who deserve equitable treatment in the criminal justice system. This course examines the roles of racism, sexism, and homophobia in theories of crime and the treatment of minorities by various components of the criminal justice system.
3 credits
SOCY 305 Corrections/Jails and Prisons
This course studies jails and prisons as complex institutions with varied, sometimes conflicting goals. The course provides students with an overview of correctional philosophies, practices, and procedures.
3 credits
SOCY 306 Law Enforcement
This course is a survey of law enforcement concentrating on the police, with particular emphasis on its functions (enforcing the law, maintaining order, serving the public); responsibilities (preserving constitutional rights, community relations); and problems (corruption, police use of deadly force, racial profiling), among others.
3 credits
SOCY 307 Criminal Procedures and Evidence
This course introduces students to the lawful gathering and evaluation of evidence concerning criminal acts, with particular attention to the fundamentals of investigation and the knowledge and skills necessary for investigation.
3 credits
SOCY 311 Research Methods for Social Scientists
Introduces the student to various research methods used in the social sciences.
Topics include causal analysis survey, observational, and evaluating strategies;
feminist methods; database management; and statistical data analysis (SPSS).
Formerly SOC 342 Research Methods.
3 credits
Prerequisites: SOCY 100 and MATH 110
SOCY 410 Theories of Crime and Deviance
This course examines various explanations of crime and deviance from a variety of perspectives: biological, psychological, sociological, feminist, and conflict, among others.
3 credits
SOCY 492 Internship in Criminal Justice
A semester of internship that provides students the opportunity for field placement in an approved criminal justice agency, where students can integrate the theory and practice of criminal justice.
3 credits
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