Theories of Crime

Masters of Science in Criminal Justice

CJ 550

Breyer State University

Instructor: Charles "Chuck" Fields, Ph.D.

SYLLABUS

COURSE OVERVIEW: Theories of Crime, a graduate-level course in the Master of Science in Criminal Justice Degree curriculum designed to provide you with a basic understanding of why people behave they way they do. This course will build on material you discussed in earlier undergraduate criminology or criminal behavior courses (e.g., CJ 210: CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR offered at Breyer State ) you have taken previously. If you feel that you do not have an adequate background for this course, I would suggest obtaining a basic undergraduate criminology textbook and refreshing yourself in this area. It is essential that you successfully complete this course before attempting the more advanced courses (CJ 655: CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORY and CJ 675: ADVANCED CRIMINOLOGY) in the curriculum.

TIME FRAME: This is a four (4) semester hour course. The course and all exams and/or assignments must be completed within ten weeks. The first day of week one will begin the day that you register for the course or the day that you advise me that your textbooks have arrived and you are ready to begin your studies. Please be cognizant of the time frame as extensions are very rare without special circumstances. Upon successful completion of this course you will be awarded four (4) semester hours of credit. You may accelerate and finish the course prior to the ten-week mark, but not in less than five weeks. There is no mandate to accelerate; it is simply an option if you are able to devote extra time to this course.

TEXTBOOKS: There is one (1) required textbook for this course:

Book 1: Theories of Crime. Williams, F.P., III & Marilyn McShane. Prentice-Hall Publishers: ISBN # 131113879.

You can purchase this textbook at the university Bookstore

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ASSIGNMENTS: By the fifth week of class, you should have read the assigned text and be prepared for the exams. By the eighth week, you must have selected and notified me as to a topic for your paper; you may submit an outline of the paper to me for feedback if you so desire. By the tenth week, you must have completed your paper.

EXAMINATION/FINAL PAPER: There is a midterm (completed by the fifth week) and a final examination (completed during week 9). Each will consist of several (18-20) short essay questions that demonstrate your understanding of the assigned readings from the text and internet sources (if assigned). Additionally, an eight-ten (8-10) page final paper will be written in which you select one of the theories from your readings and apply it to a specific crime. You will include in your paper an in-depth summary of the theory, how others have tested it generally as well as applying it to the crime you have chosen, and your own opinion as to the validity of it as an adequate explanation.

Upon your request, I will e-mail the examinations to you and once you complete each (within one week from the time I send it to you), return it as an e-mail attachment back to me (address below). The paper is due by the tenth week of class (send to me also via e-mail attachment). Both the midterm and final examinations, and the final paper will be graded within one week of my receiving them.

GRADING: Final grades for this course will be computed as follows:

90-100%    - A
80-89%      - B
70-79%      - C
Below 70% - Fail

Midterm Exam (25% of final grade)
Final Exam      (25% of final grade)
Final Paper      (50% of final grade)

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR: In addition to teaching in the program at Breyer State University , Charles Fields is a Professor of Criminal Justice at Eastern Kentucky University where his teaching interests include penology, drug policy, and comparative and international criminal justice. He has a B.A. (Political Science, 1980) & M.A. (Political Science, 1981) from Appalachian State University and a Ph.D. (Criminal Justice Theory, 1984) from Sam Houston State University . His previous teaching posts include Saginaw Valley State University (MI), Appalachian State University (NC), California State University , San Bernardino (Department Chair of Criminal Justice), and Eastern Kentucky University (Department Chair of Correctional and Juvenile Justice Studies). He has also been a visiting lecturer at the University of Lapland and the Police College of Finland. Professor Fields is the author or co-author of four edited books, over thirty articles, book chapters and reviews, and numerous technical reports and monographs. Current research interests include international drug policy, comparative criminal justice systems, and outlaw motorcycle gangs.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: After completing this course, you will be able to:

1). Develop an understanding of the basic theories of crime causation.
2). Debate the adequacy of the three primary schools (biological, psychological, sociological) of criminology.
3). Comprehend the implications of criminological theory and research for crime prevention and social policy.
4). Gain insight into the ideas of criminality held by both classical and contemporary theorists.
5). Demonstrate the ability to apply theories of crime causation to current problems.
6). Describe the nature of crime as it relates to the individual criminal.
7). Critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary theories of crime.

INFORMATION: If you have any questions regarding this program, you may contact the instructor at chuck.fields@eku.edu.

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