Criminology – CJUS 340
CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 02/01/2024
Course Description
For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.
Rationale
The purpose of this class is to expose the student to introductory concepts in the field of criminology including: classical, positivist, Marxist, sociological, and multifactor theories of crime. These ideas will be discussed within the context of a Christian worldview.
Course Assignment
Textbook readings and presentations
Course Requirements Checklist
After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.
Christian Worldview Paper Assignment
The Christian Worldview Paper is a 2-page document outlining the student’s perception of his/her own Christian worldview as it relates to criminology. In this document (completed in current APA format), the student must explain how his/her perception of criminal behavior was formed by his/her own experience and prior biblical instruction. While the student’s perception regarding criminology may change during the course, this exercise demonstrates to the instructor that the student understands how to present a paper in current APA format.
Discussions (3)
For each Discussion, the student is required to post a thread of at least 300 words. For each thread, the student must support his/her assertions with at least 2 citations in current APA format. Acceptable sources include peer-reviewed journal articles from Liberty University’s Online Library and other scholarly works to include volumes or books (as well as Scripture). The student must post 2 replies of at least 150 words each, incorporating at least 1 citation per reply.
Research Paper Assignments (2)
This assignment requires the submission of 2 distinct works: a Development Proposal Assignment and the Final Submission.
Development Proposal
Using the template provided, the student will develop his/her own research proposal based on interests or topical areas highlighted in the course. This research proposal must be in the form of a hypothesis, not a question. Complete directions are on the template. The research proposal must be submitted on the provided template for approval.
Final Submission
The Research Paper will present the hypothesis, review the literature that supports or does not support the hypothesis, and form a conclusion. It is to be at least 7–10 pages and written in current APA format.
Homework Assignments (27)
Each chapter contains problem assignments. Some contain a video to watch before answering questions while some contain websites to read through. Each problem assignment has tabs to click through when answering the questions.
Quizzes (3)
There are 3 quizzes in this course. Even though the questions are in multiple-choice format, they cannot be answered by simply looking up the answers in the readings. The student must think, reflect upon, and choose the best answer based on the readings. Quizzes are open-book/open-note, but they may not be discussed with any person. The first and second Quizzes each contain 40 multiple-choice questions and have a time limit of 3 hours. Quiz: Final contains 100 multiple-choice questions and has a time limit of 3 hours.
