Introduction to Criminology
Earn college credit with Introduction to Criminology—a self-paced online course covering theories of crime, criminal justice systems, courts, corrections, and social factors that influence crime. Complete short lessons, quizzes, and assignments on your schedule, then finish with a proctored final exam. Ideal for general education or CJ pathways, with transcript options.
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Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to: articulate foundational concepts and definitions in criminology while describing its historical development; explain the principles of Classical and Neoclassical Criminology including their contemporary applications; define the legal characteristics and elements of crime; categorize various types of crime based on legal and social criteria, and discuss the methodologies and significance of crime measurement in criminal justice research; examine historical and contemporary crime trends in the United States; analyze demographic influences on crime and evaluate the impact of crime on communities; define victimology, explore key theories and historical context, analyze the concept and costs of victimization; trace the development of victims' rights, and identify risk factors for victimization; describe and apply Rational Choice Theory; explore the principles of the Positivist School of Criminology; identify factors and biases in Individual Trait Theory and evaluate the implications of these theories on social policy and crime; provide an overview of sociological theories of crime; examine social conflict theories; discuss developmental theories of crime; and explore various social process theories, including their applications and impacts on policy and practice in criminology.
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Learning Outcomes
Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to: articulate foundational concepts and definitions in criminology while describing its historical development; explain the principles of Classical and Neoclassical Criminology including their contemporary applications; define the legal characteristics and elements of crime; categorize various types of crime based on legal and social criteria, and discuss the methodologies and significance of crime measurement in criminal justice research; examine historical and contemporary crime trends in the United States; analyze demographic influences on crime and evaluate the impact of crime on communities; define victimology, explore key theories and historical context, analyze the concept and costs of victimization; trace the development of victims' rights, and identify risk factors for victimization; describe and apply Rational Choice Theory; explore the principles of the Positivist School of Criminology; identify factors and biases in Individual Trait Theory and evaluate the implications of these theories on social policy and crime; provide an overview of sociological theories of crime; examine social conflict theories; discuss developmental theories of crime; and explore various social process theories, including their applications and impacts on policy and practice in criminology.
Major Course Topics
Major topics include foundations of Criminology; crime classification, attributes, and components; methods of crime measurement in Criminal Justice research; crime patterns and trends; victimization within the Criminal Justice system; rational choice and trait theories in criminology; social structure and social process theories in Criminology; social conflict theories and restorative justice; developmental theories of crime; understanding violent crime; exploring types of murder; understanding sex crimes; fundamentals of property crime; economic and public order crimes; crimes of moral turpitude; political crime and terrorism; Cyber Crime; the American Criminal Justice System; Law Enforcement in America; an punishment and corrections.