Essay Instructions: Review the BSCJA Program below and write a letter (275 words or less) to a prospective employer (field of private security) , detailing specifically how your learning satisfied the BSCJA program objectives through your studies at University of Phoenix. Your letter should include a separate sentence or paragraph for each course detailing what you learned in that course and how you expect that learning will assist you in your chosen criminal justice profession. Your letter should conclude with addressing the following program-specific goals, how and in what manner these goals were satisfied, and what benefits this will offer the prospective employer:
Communication
Knowledge of the discipline
Integration of knowledge and practice
Education, training, and self-development
Conduct, professionalism, and ethics
Research and analysis
Organizational participation
Analytical and problem-solving skills
Vision and agents of change
Your letter should be long enough to convey the information requested above, but succinct enough so as not to place undue demands on the prospective employer's time reviewing your letter.
TERMINAL OBJECTIVES
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Upon graduation, professional adult learners within the BSCJA Program will be able to demonstrate competency of the following knowledge areas:
? Communication: Identify and develop individual and group communication strategies and skills to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
? Knowledge of the Discipline: Identify the different components of the criminal justice system and the complex interactions among them (e.g., law and policy making, law enforcement agencies, legal system, corrections agencies). Understand how the American criminal justice system is shaped by criminal justice theory and social science perspectives (e.g., political, social, economic, religious, and philosophical factors).
? Integration of Knowledge and Practice: Apply in practical settings and situations the knowledge of criminal justice administration, social science perspectives of human behavior, policy analysis, and criminal justice theory.
? Education, Training, and Self-Development: Identify areas for self-improvement, pursue educational/training resources, and share knowledge with others.
? Conduct, Professionalism, and Ethics: Gain an appreciation of moral and ethical dilemmas associated with criminal justice professions.
? Research and Analysis: Develop the conceptual and research skills needed to undertake basic analyses of the criminal justice system.
? Organizational Participation: Apply knowledge and experience to an organization and
? Analytical and Problem Solving Skills: Develop skills to critically evaluate criminal justice issues and become effective problem-solving professionals within the discipline.
? Vision and Agents of Change: Examine the current state of the criminal justice field and anticipate future changes. Develop skills needed to adapt to upcoming changes, advance fresh perspectives, and act as agents of social change.
BSCJA COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
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CJA 300 Organized Crime
This course is a survey of the origins and development of organized crime in the United States. It examines the structure and activities of organized criminal enterprises, considers different models that have been employed to describe organized crime groups, and explores theories that have been advanced to explain the phenomenon. Major investigations of organized crime and legal strategies that have been developed to combat it are also considered.
CJA 310 Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice
This course explores: minorities, crime, and social policy (e.g., hate crimes), women in the criminal justice system, mental health, substance abuse and crime, workplace and school violence, cyber crime, terrorism, guns, crime, and gun control legislation, the future of criminality?s (e.g., Advances in DNA analysis and high technology surveillance).
CJA 320 Introductions to Criminal Justice
A survey of the criminal justice system, including the agencies and processes involved and processes involved in administration of criminal justice. This course provides an overview of police, prosecution, courts, and the correctional system. The problems of the administration of justice in a democratic society are discussed.
CJA 330 Criminology
An introductory course in the study of crime and criminal behavior, focusing on the various theories of crime causation. This course highlights the causes of criminal behavior systems, societal reaction to crime, and criminological methods of inquiry.
CJA 340 Criminal Law
This course focuses on the goals, objectives, principles, and doctrines of criminal law and procedure. Special attention is paid to the law of search and seizure and the law of interrogation and confessions. Pretrial motions and proceedings and trial by jury are also examined.
CJA 350 Criminal Procedures
This course explores basic investigative principles; search of crime or accident scenes; questioning witnesses, suspects, and victims of crimes; collecting and preserving evidence; information sources and research methods; surveillance techniques; safe handling of hazardous materials; rules of evidence governing admissibility of physical evidence; and testifying in court.
CJA 360 Interpersonal Communications
This course prepares the student to communicate effectively in both written and verbal form. It covers best practices in investigative reporting, written reports and memos, and interpersonal verbal communication with victims, suspects, and civilians.
CJA 370 Introductions to Policing
This course reviews the structure and function of law enforcement agencies in the United States at the state, local, and federal levels. Differences between levels, as well as current issues and problems facing law enforcement administrators are emphasized.
CJA 380 Criminal Court Systems
An overview of American court history, including the development of state and federal courts. Court administration, the roles of professional and nonprofessional courtroom participants, and stages in the process are discussed.
CJA 390 Introductions to Corrections
An introduction to the various aspects of the corrections system. The historical development of corrections is discussed, along with the goals of criminal sentencing, jails, prisons, alternative sentencing, prisoner rights, rehabilitation, and parole and probation.
CJA 400 Juvenile Justice
A general orientation to the field of juvenile delinquency, including causation and the development of delinquent behavior. The problems facing juveniles today are addressed, and adult and juvenile justice systems are compared, including initial apprehension, referral, and preventive techniques. Specific issues examined include chemical dependency, mental illness, and compulsive and habitual offenders. Special attention is given to the problems inherent in the police handling of juveniles and the function of juvenile courts.
CJA 410 Ethics in Criminal Justice
This course explores the standards and codes of professional responsibility in criminal justice professions (e.g., Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, ABA Standards of Professional Responsibility, American Jail Association Code of Ethics for Jail Officers, and the American Correctional Association Code of Ethics) It also explores roles of professional organizations and agencies, Ethics and community relations, and civil liability in law enforcement and correctional environments.
CJA 420 Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice
This course prepares the student for conducting and managing law enforcement in a pluralistic society. It provides a basis for tolerance and better law enforcement through the understanding of the history, law and public opinion relating to conducting police operations in a multicultural environment.
CJA 430 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
Students learn and demonstrate knowledge of research methodology within the criminal justice system, and become acquainted with the range and scope of quantitative and qualitative tools available to the criminal justice researcher.
CJA 440 Organizational Behaviors and Management
This course explores the rich field of management in theory and practice, and as both a science and an art. The course also addresses the role of managers in the current world of rapid change, increased competitive forces, and increased expectations for the successful performance of employees and organizations. The focus is on some of the ways and means of achieving desired goals. The student will leave this course with a solid background in the nature and work of management and managers. Applications of concepts to criminal justice organizations will be stressed.
CJA 450 Criminal Justice Administration
This course applies management and financial principles to criminal justice organizations. Emphasis is placed on budgets, financial accounting principles and assessing the effectiveness of the activities of criminal justice organizations. Constitutional requirements, court decisions, and legislation (such as EEOC requirements) as they impact management in criminal justice organizations are discussed. Basic accounting and financial terminology, and purposes and formats of financial statements are introduced: depreciation of assets, capital budgeting, cash management, lease versus purchase, and inventory management
CJA 460 Criminal Justice Policy Analysis
This course examines the history of federal- and state-level crime control initiatives and explores the development of effective anticrime policies. The analysis of contemporary crime control policies is included.
CJA 470 Managing Criminal Justice Personnel
This course is a survey of important personnel issues inherent to organizations and, especially, to Criminal Justice organizations. Problems, procedures and solutions to common personnel issues will be explored.
CJA 480 Futures of Criminal Justice
This course examines possible criminal justice futures. Issues that police, corrections, and courts are likely to confront in the 21st century and beyond will be researched and discussed, along with established predictive techniques in the field of futures research. This is a capstone course requiring students to apply all they have learned throughout the program to the issues that will define possible criminal justice futures.
GEN 480 Interdisciplinary Capstone Course
This is the capstone course for the business, accounting and nursing undergraduate students. The course provides students with the opportunity to integrate and apply learning from their general education and professional programs of study in a comprehensive and interdisciplinary manner. They will also address the impact of their educational experiences on their ethical perspective and critical thinking. Students will reflect and evaluate their personal and professional growth, the benefits of lifelong learning, and the impact of these elements on their future
