Full Course Description List:

CRJS 8000 Level Courses

(3 credits) 

Students in this course are introduced to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. Students work toward building a foundation for academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. They assess the relationship of mission and vision to professional goals and develop a program of study and strategies for online success. Students also explore resources used throughout the program, such as the online Walden University Library. Students engage in course assignments focused on the practical application of professional writing, critical-thinking skills, and the promotion of professional and academic excellence as they relate to practice in public policy and administration.

(5 credits)

Students in this course examine the theories and concepts underpinning contemporary emergency management and how to understand the phenomena of natural and human-caused disasters. Students examine the historical context of emergency management, the general process of risk assessment, the emergency management cycle, communications within emergency management and crisis planning, and the general policy and legal framework surrounding the process of emergency management in the United States with a focus on the National Incident Management System (NIMS.). Case studies of major catastrophes are used to explore contemporary and practical hazard management. Students can complete the FEMA Emergency Management Institute courses IS-100.b - Introduction to Incident Command System and either IS-800.b - National Response Framework: An Introduction or IS700.a - National Incident Management System as part of this course. Nationally recognized certificates are awarded for successful completion of FEMA courses.

5 credits

Doctoral students use theory in the foundation of their capstone project. Scholars in the field of criminal justice have several theories they may use as the lens through which they view criminal justice or as the foundation of their own research. This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to understand, evaluate, and apply criminal justice theories to research and practice. Students practice these skills throughout the course and solidify the process of applying a theory to a criminal justice research topic in the Final Project.

(5 credits)

The prospectus is a brief paper, typically 5–10 pages in length, that helps students organize, delineate, and make decisions regarding their doctoral study and appropriate research methodology. Students create a prospectus to establish the background for the problem statement; the problem statement itself; a survey of the relevant literature (typically 25–75 references); and a research, implementation, and evaluation plan for the solution of the problem. Students in this 5-credit course focus specifically on the process of writing the dissertation prospectus. They employ their preliminary research plan to develop a problem statement for their dissertation. Students further refine the problem statement and carry out the planning and the library research that lends to the formulation of a dissertation prospectus.

Prerequisites

• RSCH 8110
• RSCH 8210
• RSCH 8310

5 credits

The course is designed to identify and analyze assessment instruments associated with affective and predatory violence. Students will examine assessment areas and procedures related to psychopathy, capital punishment, juvenile offenders, child custody cases, and school shootings. For the final project, students choose a targeted school violence (TSV) offender and analyze the case. Additionally, this course explores how race, gender, and cultural issues are explored in the field of forensic psychology.

(5 credits)

Students in this course are introduced to contemporary views and theories of maladaptive and criminal behavior. They examine a broad conceptualization of criminal behavior from an interdisciplinary perspective as well as theories and application of criminal profiling. Students also explore specific views of criminal behavior germane to groups, such as psychopaths, serial offenders, and sexually violent predators. At the end of this course, students will have an understanding of the theories and practices that are the foundations of the field of criminology.

5 credits

Historic advancements, globalization, and other 21st-century dynamics have altered the way in which professionals within the field of criminal justice perform their duties to create positive social change.  In this course, students can develop awareness and skills to sustain and advance the communities in which they live by using an interdisciplinary lens to consider civic engagement and ethical responsibility. Students engage in assignments that emphasize problem solving in contemporary society. They explore the history of social responsibility and ethical issues related to criminal justice, public safety, social change, and civic engagement.

(5 credits)

To understand adult learning, one must ask and answer complex questions: Who is the adult learner? What is the social context of learning? What motivates adult learners? In this course, education professionals explore the theories and frameworks that inform the field of adult learning today. They identify, compare, and contrast foundational and emerging perspectives on adult learning with the aim of transforming theory into practice. They engage in an integrative course project through which they synthesize and apply various theories to real-world situations, including their own development; summarize how the idea of wisdom impacts their experiences as adult learners; interview an adult learner; and assess various perspectives in regard to educating diverse learners.

(5 credits)

Emerging technologies are rapidly altering the field of adult education today. Innovative technologies are removing traditional boundaries to learning and encouraging a global perspective on school, work, and communications. New developments in software, multimedia applications, Internet technologies, and mobile computing are transforming the educational landscape and empowering learners around the world. Educators and students leverage these advances to enhance the learning process and improve outcomes in today's digital information society.

(5 credits)

Risk assessment and mitigation are key components to effective emergency management and all-hazard planning and response. Students in this course focus on the methods and techniques required to assess an organization or government's risk associated with the protection of human life and capital assets. They study ways to evaluate the social vulnerabilities to disaster and the special needs of at-risk populations, and they explore methods to reduce vulnerabilities and build capacity through structural and nonstructural mitigation. Additionally, students complete the FEMA Emergency Management Institute course IS-393.a: Introduction to Hazard Mitigation as part of this course.

5 credit

This course examines the psychological and behavioral characteristics of offenders and victims of violent crime. Students explore methods of measurement of violent crimes and their impact. Intersections of biological, environmental, social, and psychological factors are examined and how these influence the formation of offender personalities and behavior. Students examine the role of personality disorders and their impact on criminal behavior. A wide spectrum of offenders is examined, including sexual offenders, extremists and hate crime offenders, intimate partner offenders, and mass murderers. Students explore the role of forensic psychology in detection, intervention, and prevention of violent crimes. The emerging role of the forensic professional as it relates to assisting our criminal justice system is also explored.

(5 credits)

What is the relationship between victims and those who commit crimes against them, and how does the criminal justice system protect and respond to victims of crime? In this course, students have the opportunity to answer such questions through a comprehensive assessment of victimology, a relatively new discipline in the field of criminal justice. Students examine victim patterns and tendencies and learn how victims interact with the police and the legal system. They also examine how factors of class, race, and sexual orientation affect the perception of the victim by different constituents, including the public, the court system, and the media. Students assess and discuss the concept of primary and secondary victims and gain practical insight on a range of services and resources available to all types of victims.

5 credits

Students in this course explore the psychological aspects of the victims and the perpetrators of crimes involving intimate partner violence, child maltreatment and abuse, and elderly abuse. Students analyze the legal and ethical issues involved in family violence. Students also identify relevant legal and programmatic intervention strategies focused on reducing and lessening the impact of family violence.

(5 credits)

In this course, students review recent events that have significantly changed how the legal system interprets the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Code, and the U.S. Patriot Act. Students analyze case studies to further explore relevant events, such as how the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, have broadened the interpretation of certain areas of the law. Students heighten their understanding of how social and historical changes have shifted perspectives and sparked debates on expanding the rights of government versus safeguarding personal civil rights and civil liberties.

(5 credits)

In consideration of modern technological innovation and the spread of knowledge through digital means, the relationship between technology and criminal activity is increasing. In this course, students explore this relationship and gain a comprehensive view of cyber crime, including current trends. They learn how law enforcement agencies use technology to track and apprehend criminals. Through real-world scenarios, students examine legal responses to cyber crime and learn different approaches and techniques for solving cyber crimes and handling related challenges. Students also have the opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of building cases and prosecuting crimes through practical exercises in identification, data mining, and the protection and gathering of evidence.

(5 credits)

A major concern of disaster response professionals is meeting basic and humanitarian needs of disaster-affected populations. In this course, students explore a range of issue, including evacuation, relocation, and tactical and strategic decisions in the immediate aftermath of an emergency episode. Students study important federal policies related to disaster response and recovery, including the National Response Framework (NRF), and they can gain an understanding of how local, state, and federal policies mesh in response and recovery efforts. Through their exploration, they study how recovery begins once the immediate threat of the emergency wanes and the focus shifts to restoring disaster-affected areas. As part of this course, students complete the FEMA Emergency Management Institute course IS208.a: State Disaster Management.

(5 credits)

Students in this course are provided with a broad perspective on the history of the U.S. Patriot Act, similar terroristic legislation and immigration laws, and their policy implications on law enforcement, governmental entities, organizations, and individuals. They receive a basic foundation upon which to build for those public administrators and public policy analysts who are charged with drafting and implementing public policy and enforcing and/or responding to potential terroristic threats, while simultaneously upholding and protecting constitutional freedoms. Material for this course is drawn from contemporary texts, websites, case studies, and material representing international, national, and local governments and organizations. Students critically review and analyze the U.S. Patriot Act and similar terroristic legislation and policies, and they participate in online discussions about these laws and their implications on U.S. constitutional freedoms.

(5 credits)

Students in this course are provided with an overview of terrorism—local, national, and international—and the need to develop a systemic approach for emergency preparedness. Topics include, but are not limited to, terrorism overview, terrorism and public health, bioterrorism, biosecurity, cyber terrorism, risk assessment, implications for public health, and components of a systemic preparedness infrastructure. Course participants begin the development and/or analysis of a terrorism preparedness infrastructure and participate in online discussions.

(5 credits)

Students in this course examine the principles of emergency planning, selection of leaders, specialized planning (e.g., schools, tourism), mutual aid, and leadership theories. Public administrators receive a basic foundation to develop a critical incident plan and also understand leadership theories. Course participants critically analyze case studies, identifying weaknesses and potential solutions.

(5 credits)

Students in this course look at the evolution of crime—from lone criminals to worldwide syndicates—using the scientific rigor built into the selected readings and discussions. Among the topics examined are the philosophy of community- and problem-oriented policing, transnational crime, terrorism, and the new nexus between them. Current and future leaders are equipped with the knowledge and depth of understanding to assess and manage the opportunities, innovations, and challenges in their profession.

(5 credits)

Criminal justice professionals must understand the various factors that influence the development of criminal justice policy, and how to evaluate whether existing policy meets its objectives. In this course, students will examine the principles of policy analysis and the role that scientific information plays in the development of criminal justice policy. Topics explored include policing, corrections, and sentencing; juvenile justice; the relationship among drugs, race, and crime; deterrence as a crime control policy; and the use of public registries. Through further analysis of criminal justice policies, students determine how these policies have changed over time, gaining insight into possible future trends of policy development and analysis.

(5 credits)

There are many challenges plaguing the criminal justice system, from economic hardship to growing threats of terrorism. Leaders in the system must be adept in problem solving, and they must possess the ability to think critically and proactively. Through this course, students are introduced to the problems that currently confront the criminal justice system administration as well as problems predicted for the future. Students prepare to lead efforts to address these challenges by engaging in practical assignments focusing on powerful models for strategic, critical, and reflective thinking. Students also engage in discussions about the major components of effective justice administration, including organizational thought and theory, leadership, human capital, policy development and implementation, and collaboration with other public safety and community organizations.

(5 credits)

There are a variety of tools available to policymakers and policy analysts to evaluate the impact of public programs. In this course, students examine these tools and work toward gaining the skills needed to develop plans for evaluation and to assess programs and planned program interventions effectively. Students engage in discussions and assignments designed to provide practical application of content on a variety of topics. These topics include selecting programs to evaluate, crafting program descriptions, identifying stakeholders and their interests, developing logic models, framing evaluation questions, using quantitative and qualitative tools to complete formative, process and summative evaluations, and providing evaluation reports and feedback to decision makers. Using concepts presented in the course, students gain hands-on experience developing an evaluation design for a public program.

(5 credits)

Public policy implementation can take place in either a public organization, a private one, a nonprofit one, or a combined or networked one. Learners engage in a collaborative study of the changing strategic context of public administration as they apply a strategic planning and management approach to the implementation of public policy. Learners are introduced to planning, management, financial management, performance management, and contracting processes in the organization whose purpose it is to implement public policy.

(5 credits)

Students in this course engage in collaborative study of the nature and methods of transformative change in the complex human systems of contemporary public organizations. Students learn a pragmatic-action learning process for learning from the experience of transformative change in complex systems. The dynamics of complex adaptive systems are studied to gain an understanding of how large-scale and highly interrelated human systems change through self-organization. Appreciative inquiry and other selected methods of transformative change are studied and applied to a positive organizational change situation of special interest to the students. Students also develop professional-action habits for pragmatic-action learning in the practice of public administration.

(5 credits)

In today’s complex environment, leaders engaged in shaping public policy, and government and nonprofit programs, must know how to use the emotional and intellectual power of language to motivate, inspire, and competently manage their organizations. In this course, students examine dynamic leadership techniques, such as effective communication, that affect conscious and unconscious influences on human behavior. Through discussions and individual projects, students apply theoretical and practical course content to demonstrate the necessary components for making effective human connections. Students also learn why stories, symbols, and metaphors are essential elements in the language of leadership. 

(5 credits)

Students in this course engage in a collaborative study of the changing strategic context of criminal justice management and leadership. Students will understand the strategic context for stakeholder relations needed while resolving issues in criminal justice. They engage in readings and practical assignments that emphasize management and leadership in a time of unprecedented and unpredictable change. Students also work toward being able to apply data and statistics to engage communities and to design program evaluations.

(5 credits)

Students in this course are provided with an in-depth analysis of the treatment of women and people of color as professionals, litigants, victims, and offenders in the criminal justice system. Students examine the systemic outcomes of the intersections of race, class, sexual orientation, and gender for these groups as they relate to social justice and social inequality. Through critical examination of readings and data analysis, students learn about the complexity of the historical relationship between these groups and the U.S. criminal justice system and broader social context.

(5 credits)

Public policy implementation can take place in various types of organizations. This course engages learners in a collaborative study of strategic planning, management, and leadership in the context of public and nonprofit organizations. Students in this course identify, analyze, and evaluate the intricate relationships between strategic planning, management, and leadership from an international perspective. This course connects three key institutional elements: “thinking, acting, and learning” strategically. Students apply a management systems approach as they develop, adopt, manage, and lead a strategic plan for an international public or nonprofit organization with an international focus. Students will understand the strategic context for practical decision making for international public and nonprofit organizations, emphasizing the central role of the environment in the strategic planning process. The course offers a hands-on approach that tests students’ ability to make effective and timely management and leadership decisions in complex and uncertain conditions.

(5 credits)

Effective community leaders must be familiar with a wide range of tools, strategies, and skills to create sustainable communities. In this course, students examine these elements to learn how leaders build capacity for community change; assess community needs and resources; create community visions; promote stakeholder interest and participation; analyze community problems; and carry out practices and interventions to improve sustainability in communities. They also explore sustainability frameworks and models, and they apply these and other concepts presented in the course to develop a proposal for sustainable community development, focusing on community assessment, stakeholder involvement, and development planning.

(5 credits)

Students in this course are engaged in a collaborative study of the nature and methods of transformative change in the complex human systems of contemporary public organizations. Students explore and employ a pragmatic-action-learning process for studying the experience of transformative change in complex systems. They examine the dynamics of complex adaptive systems to gain an understanding of how large-scale and highly interrelated human systems change through self-organization. Students explore and apply appreciative inquiry and other selected methods of transformative change to a positive organizational-change situation of personal interest. They also have the opportunity to develop professional-action habits for pragmatic-action learning in the practice of public administration.

(5 credits)

Students in this course are presented with an overview of instructional design, including its historical foundations, theories, and models. Students analyze learning theories in relation to instructional design theories and their philosophy toward teaching. Students critically analyze and apply taxonomies, course outcomes, learning objectives, instructional strategies, and assessment and evaluation approaches. Students also analyze challenges and future trends in instructional design for higher education and consider their role as agents of positive social change.

(5 credits)

Students in this course explore instructional design for the development of online courses. Different types of online courses and the roles of online instructors are addressed. Students analyze learning theories and approaches for promoting community in online classrooms. Students analyze criteria for developing learning objectives and online instructional strategies in relation to diverse student populations. Issues related to technology, copyright compliance, fair use, and academic integrity are explored. Students analyze assessment and evaluation approaches and explore future trends in online higher education in relation to delivery of instruction and positive social change.

(5 credits)

Legal decisions and the law often have a major impact on the creation of public policy. In this course, students explore and discuss the relationship between laws and public policy and the impact that court decisions have on policy and policy leaders. They examine the role of administrative agencies in the creation and execution of law and public policy and the role of the courts in resolving challenges to agency rulemaking; they examine conflicts between executive and legislative branches of government and conflicts between and among federal, state, and local laws; and they use legal research and Bluebook citation to identify and cite administrative laws and regulations related to public policy. Students have the opportunity to sharpen their critical-thinking and research-database skills as they search for real-world examples of how fundamental legal concepts and processes affect the creation and execution of law and public policy.

(5 credits)

In this course, students explore the many print and electronic resources available for legal research. Students examine how practitioners use the law to inform the creation of public policy. They engage in assignments designed to provide practical application of content to learn how to navigate legal libraries, cite cases, and employ research to support public policy. Students also gain experience in applying legal research to case studies and contemporary issues.

(5 credits)

Major issues in the Supreme Court continue to have an impact on public policy at the national, state and local levels. In this course, students examine major past and current U.S. Supreme Court cases related to abortion, privacy, due process, personal property, and freedom of religion and speech. They also examine major cases related to state powers, government entitlement, and powers of the judicial and federal branches of government. From this assessment, students determine how outcomes of such cases affect public policy. Students also explore and discuss individual rights, property rights, administrative law, immigration law, and foreign policy as well as contemporary issues and case studies, to which they apply legal research and verdicts.

1 credit

Dissertation Seminar 1 on the Journey to the Community of Scholars gets students prepared for the dissertation process. Students are introduced to the Doctoral Degree Coach™, helpful dissertation resources, time management strategies, and potential topics relevant to their field of study. Students also examine exemplar dissertations to better understand the journey they will be undertaking. 

1 credit

Dissertation Seminar 2 on the Journey to the Community of Scholars represents the preboarding phase of the dissertation journey. Students learn how to use the library, develop doctoral-level writing strategies, and write a literature review. Students also examine how social problems drive scientific inquiry.   

1 credit

Dissertation Seminar 3 on the Journey to the Communities of Scholars has students take off into developing critical elements of a scientific study. Students distinguish the characteristics of strong quantitative and qualitative research questions and evaluate theoretical frameworks with respect to their alignment with a dissertation. Students will engage in an iterative process of developing research questions through peer review and feedback. 

1 credit

Dissertation Seminar 4 on the Journey to the Community of Scholars has students fly toward drafting all sections of their PhD prospectus form and developing methods appropriate to answer a research question as well as explain the nature and significance of a scientific study. Students evaluate how to align various elements of a dissertation and ensure ethical concerns are addressed. Students end this seminar with a solid, complete draft of their PhD prospectus.  

1 credit

Dissertation Seminar 5: Transition to Candidacy culminates your journey toward developing a prospectus. This seminar focuses on creating the final draft of your Prospectus Form. You will receive a final round of feedback from your peers and Instructor and deliver and finish out the seminar with a strengthened iteration of your prospectus. You will also deliver an asynchronous presentation of your proposed study, and work on an academic portfolio and a career plan. All these activities are designed to support your successful transition to the Dissertation Phase of your journey.

(5 credits per term for a minimum of 4 quarters until completion)

Through this course, doctoral students have the opportunity to integrate their program of study into an in-depth exploration of an interest area that includes the completion of a research study. Students complete the dissertation independently, with the guidance of a dissertation supervisory committee chair and committee members. Students complete a prospectus, proposal, Institutional Review Board application, and dissertation. Once students register for CRJS 9000, they will be registered each term until the successful completion of the dissertation.

Students take this course for a minimum of four quarters and are continuously enrolled until the completion of their dissertation with final chief academic officer (CAO) approval.

To complete a dissertation, students must obtain the academic approval of several independent evaluators including their committee and the Institutional Review Board; pass the Form and Style Review; gain approval at the oral defense stage; and gain final approval by the chief academic officer. Students must also publish their dissertations on ProQuest before their degree is conferred. Learn more about the dissertation process in the Dissertation Guidebook.