Criminal Justice (AA) Curriculum

This course examines a general overview of the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on decision points and administrative practices in police and other criminal justice agencies, as well as basic criminal procedures. Topics include: Causes of crime, criminal law, policing history and structure, police management and legal aspects, adjudication including the courts and sentencing, corrections drugs and crime, multinational criminal justice and the future of criminal justice.

This course examines the courts, the legal system, law and politics, judicial philosophy and policy making when rendering legal decisions. How those decisions create and further develop policy is also explored.

This course provides an overview of police issues, integrating the history, social context and theoretical understanding of policing in America. Relationships between communities, individuals and police organizations are studied. Topics include: evolution of policing, organizational structure and supervision, societal expectations and police corruption.

This course evaluates the history and progression of correctional systems. Contemporary correctional practices are analyzed and evaluated using a historical perspective with a modern emphasis on community and institutional corrections. This course balances current and past research, theories and applications and practical examples and issues. Topics include: historical perspectives, the court process, alternatives to imprisonment, correctional functions, institutional clients, rights of correctional clients, reintegration systems and the future of corrections.

This course explores the evolution of the juvenile justice system and the different approaches followed by the court and correctional authorities. Current topics in juvenile justice include youth victimization, crime prevention, treatment and various juvenile sanctions. Distinction is made between the adult and juvenile system, with emphasis placed on the roles and functions of the juvenile justice system.

This course is an overview of social science research methodology focusing on creating research designs, developing appropriate measures, creating testable hypotheses and developing research skills.

Students in this course will read a variety of judicial decisions on current issues, such as freedom of speech, and complete several assignments focusing on legal reasoning and argument. Students will also learn how to find information on legal decisions and issues.

This course introduces the student to the major theories of crime by exploring the biological, psychological, sociological and economic theories. Traditional and contemporary theories of criminology are examined to better explain patterns and root causes of crime, crimes against persons and property, white-collar and organized crime, drug abuse and crime, technology and crime, terrorism, and criminology and social policy.

This course introduces students to the University of Arkansas Grantham policies and staff, provides information about higher education funding resources, discusses important skills for success in the online learning environment, and provides information about University of Arkansas Grantham student support services. Students practice submitting assignments and navigating the Learning Management System (Blackboard). Students will be required to demonstrate fundamental skills necessary for success in the online learning environment at the University of Arkansas Grantham.

This course covers the process and method of science applied to understanding biological concepts at the molecular, cellular, organismal and community levels. The emphasis of this course is on biological diversity in major groups of living organisms and ecology. This course includes a lab.

This course stresses human systems, with applications to contemporary issues in human health and the environment. The scientific method and social applications of scientific information related to human issues are emphasized. This course includes a lab.

This introductory course provides an overview of current and traditional concerns and methods of macroeconomics. Topics that are covered include: economic growth, unemployment inflation, government deficits, monetary policy, investment and capital, the role and methods of the Federal Reserve, Keynesian and monetarist theories and comparative advantage.

This course emphasizes the writing process. Students will apply principles of good writing practice through various genre (narrative, persuasive, expository writings). Additionally, students will analyze reading material as part of the critical and creative thinking processes associated with written communication.

This course introduces students to terms, concepts, and documents related to Technical Writing (writing in the work environment). The concepts and skills presented in the course are intended to be a foundation for effective writing that combines content and format with knowledge of the target audience. Technical writing covers many document types; the course will provide an overview of documents used in the work place such as visual elements, instructions, reports, and presentations. Students will create a portfolio of technical writing documents including: a proposal, progress reports, feasibility and recommendation reports, visual elements, and descriptions of a mechanism and a process.

This course provides the fundamentals of data aptitude. Through this exploration of quantitative reasoning, emphasis will be placed on how to interpret graphs, charts, and pictorial representations of data, along with an understanding of the principles underlying statistics and financial information.

This course examines critical thinking and the analysis of arguments in terms of premises, reasons, and conclusions. Course topics include obstacles to critical thinking, diagramming arguments, belief and doubt, logical fallacies, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, inferences, and judging scientific theories.

This course is a survey of ethical systems with an examination of how such systems can be applied to business, medical, legal, environmental, and personal issues.

This course provides an introduction to American government and politics. Topics include the concept of a constitutional democracy, federalism, amendment rights and equal rights under the law. Also covered are political culture, political ideology, interest groups, lobbying, and political campaigns and elections.

This course presents an introductory overview of psychology. The course includes topics such as the history of psychology, nature vs. nurture, biological psychology, sensation, perceptions, developmental theories, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, memory, cognition, personality, health, and social psychology.

This course offers a global perspective to help students understand their own lives as well as presenting the most current research in the field of sociology. Students will explore social diversity while critically examining the issues and challenges facing society. Topics covered include the theoretical and empirical foundations of sociology, the major themes of sociological research, and the techniques employed.