Our criminal justice program emphasizes both academic and real world perspectives on crime: its causation, prevention and control. In an effort to give our students the full understanding of the criminal justice process, the curriculum covers a wide variety of interests within the criminal justice field, including delinquency, law enforcement, criminology, juvenile justice, criminal procedure and corrections.
Our alumnae have pursued careers in a wide range of fields, such as law enforcement at the state and federal level, offender supervision, legal counsel, and counselors for at-risk youth.
CJUS 101 Criminal LawThis course examines the substantive criminal law that defines criminal behavior. The general principles of criminal liability including defenses, parties to crime, and the elements of specific crimes are examined from a broad perspective. Decisions of English and American courts are analyzed to interpret the rules and doctrines of criminal law.
3 credits
Prerequisites: NoneCJUS 206 Juvenile JusticeJuvenile Justice examines status offenses and other crimes committed by juveniles. The course will further examine the social and legal history, definition and explanation of delinquency, assess delinquency prevention and correctional programs, and emphasize the application of philosophical and legal principles to the problems of juvenile justice.
3 creditsCJUS 303 Inequality, Discrimination, and Gender in Criminal JusticeRace, 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 crimes and the treatment of minorities by various components of the criminal justice system. Formerly CJUS 303 - Women and Minorities in CJ.
3 creditsCJUS 307 Criminal ProceduresThis course reviews procedural aspects of criminal law governing the acts of law enforcement personnel, with a special emphasis on the constitutional rights of the accused. This study includes arrest, search and seizure, confessions, right to counsel, and similar topics.
3 credits
Prerequisite: CJUS 101CJUS 309 EvidenceIn this course the students learn the definitions of evidence and proof and their relationship to each other. The roles of the prosecutor and defense counsel in trial proceedings will also be explored. Students study different types of evidence, such as real vs. testimonial, direct vs. circumstantial, and the rules regarding of hearsay and opinion testimony. Students also study the admissibility of evidence and constitutional concepts such as the exclusionary rule, search and seizure, confession, and discovery, and students learn to read and brief criminal case law.
3 credits
Prerequisites: CJUS 101CJUS 366 Criminal InvestigationsStudents examine the importance and legal significance of evidence, demonstrating how the investigative process works from crime scene preservation to case preparation and courtroom presentation. This course examines various techniques used during criminal investigations such as photography, interviewing, evidence handling, interrogation, and scene reconstruction, including how each applies to specific types of crimes.
3 creditsCJUS 410 Theories of Crime and DevianceThis course examines various explanations of crime and deviance from a variety of perspectives: Biological, Psychological, Sociological, Feminist, and Conflict, among others.
3 credits
Prerequisites: CJUS 205
Trinity is an official university partner with the U.S. Marshals Service in their Centralized Student Career Experience Program, which allows students to participate in paid internships with the agency while in college and, if successful, to convert to full-time positions as Deputy U.S. Marshals. Our students have also interned at the U.S. District Court, the Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia, the Campaign for Youth Justice and various police departments throughout the Washington metropolitan area.
Our criminal justice program emphasizes both academic and real world perspectives on crime: its causation, prevention and control. In an effort to give our students the full understanding of the criminal justice process, the curriculum covers a wide variety of interests within the criminal justice field, including delinquency, law enforcement, criminology, juvenile justice, criminal procedure and corrections.
