Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Criminological Theory (Face-to-Face)

CJ 3270-01

Course: CJ 3270-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: PSCJ
CRN: 12432

Course Description

This course offers an introduction to the theoretical frameworks relevant to the study of crime, deviance, and the criminal justice system. It surveys the causes and effects of criminal behavior from sociological, psychological, and biological perspectives, and examines the methods employed to address criminality. The primary focus is on criminological theories and their implications for criminal justice policy. Additionally, the course explores the future of evidence-based crime policy

Course Objectives and Goals 
 1)    Identify and discuss potential causes of crime – including biological, psychological, and sociological and deviance in society and society’s responses to criminal and deviant behavior. 
2)    Identify and discuss how societal and legal changes have affected crime causation and how these factors have been interconnected throughout history. 
3)    Examine and refine analytical, reasoning, and connective abilities, recognizing how theory and social variables are connected and interdependent. 
4)    Identify and discuss theoretical explanations regarding crime and crime’s role in society, including the connection between theory, programs, and policy. 

Required Texts

Bernard, Thomas J., Jeffrey B. Snipes, and Alexander L. Gerould. (2019) Vold's theoretical criminology. (8th Edition) New York: Oxford University Press.

(ISBN: 9780190940515)

Learning Outcomes

1 Civic Engagement
Students demonstrate that they possess the combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to make a difference in the civic life of their community and to promote the enhancement of the quality of life in a community through both political and non-political processes.

2.  Quantitative Literacy
Students can understand and create sophisticated arguments supported by quantitative evidence and clearly communicate those arguments in a variety of formats (using words, tables, graphs, mathematical equations, etc., as appropriate).

Course Requirements

Course Requirements and Student Evaluation 
Assignment and Discussion (50%) 
Final Presentation (50%)  || Theories into practices
Identify one real-life events (from newspapers, news, online sources, etc.) that can be analyzed using your chosen theory. Discuss how these events connect to the theory and consider what society can learn from this connection, including how it may influence future policy. Ensure that you address all the propositions within the theory and provide a clear discussion of the theoretical framework.
 * You will receive “F” if you plagiarize. *
Academic Misconduct
: A broad term that is used to describe a violation of academic integrity, including but not limited to Cheating, Complicity, Fabrication, Falsification, and Plagiarism collectively. Academic Misconduct is behavior that has the effect of causing readers, evaluators, or consumers of a work, data, or information to incorrectly believe the Student is the authentic source of the work, data, or information.
Plagiarism: The intentional or unintentional appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results, or words, without giving appropriate credit. Plagiarism includes the unattributed verbatim or nearly verbatim copying of sentences and paragraphs from another's work, which materially misleads the reader regarding the contributions of the author. It does not include the limited use of identical or nearly-identical phrases which describe a commonly-used methodology. Plagiarism is a type of Academic Misconduct.

APA Citation Requirements for Cited Information:
All submitted work must adhere to APA citation guidelines, including proper in-text citations and a reference list for all cited information.
  • No AI-Generated Content: Submissions containing AI-generated content will not be accepted.
  • Plagiarism Check: All assignments will be checked using plagiarism detection tools (e.g., CopyLeaks). Submissions with a similarity score higher than 50% will be reviewed. If flagged for potential plagiarism, students may be required to revise and resubmit their work.
  • Ensure that your work is original, properly cited, and aligns with academic integrity standards. Failure to do so may result in penalties in accordance with university policies. 
See detail information regarding plagiarism: https://www.suu.edu/policies/06/33.html

Final Presentation Template
General Requirements
Length
: 7 to 10 slides
  • Format: PowerPoint or PDF
  • Citation Style: APA (7th Edition).
  • Structure: Presentations should follow the format outlined below.
 
1. Introduction
Clearly define the problem or issue being addressed (e.g., based on news, personal experience, or criminal justice programs).
  • Provide a detailed description of the problem, supported by data, statistics, or case studies.
  • Briefly explain why the issue is significant to the field of criminal justice.
 
2. Theoretical Framework
Explain the causes of the problem, referencing relevant theories from the textbook.
  • Use theories to explain the causes of crime associated with the issue.
  • Incorporate at least five key concepts or terminologies from the textbook.
 
3. Crime Policy Recommendations
Propose THREE evidence-based (theory-based) crime prevention strategies or policies from textbook, lecture notes, and (or) CrimeSolutions.gov.  
    • CrimeSolutions.gov is a resource provided by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to help policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and the public identify and understand evidence-based practices and programs in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services.
    • You can find effective or promising programs or practices applicable to prevent crime similar to your selected topic issues
  • Discuss the effectiveness of these programs based on empirical evidence and how they address the identified problem.
 
4. Conclusion
Highlight the importance of addressing the issue and suggest directions for future research or policy.
  • Analyze the broader implications of your findings for the criminal justice system.
  • Discuss potential limitations or challenges in implementing your recommendations.
 
5. References
Include all cited sources in APA format.
 
Scoring Criteria Objectives
Your essay will be evaluated based on the following:

  1. Problem Identification: Clearly identifying and explaining the issue.
  2. Strategic Context: Demonstrating an understanding of the context and significance of the problem.
  3. Logical Framework: Effectively integrating theories and studies to explain the problem and justify solutions.
  4. Crime Prevention Recommendations: Proposing practical, evidence-based solutions.
  5. Evaluation of Programs: Critically analyzing programs or practices from CrimeSolutions.gov.
  6. Clarity and Organization: Ensuring the essay is well-structured, clear, and free of errors.
  7. APA Compliance: Proper use of APA format for in-text citations and references.

Course Outline

 Intro to Criminological Theory and Policy (Reading (R): Ch. 1 & 2, | Assignment (A) 1, Discussion (D) 1) 
| Understand the foundational concepts of criminological theory and its application to contemporary policy-making. |

| Classical Criminology (R: Ch. 3, A2, D2) |
| Explore the principles of rational choice and deterrence as fundamental concepts in classical criminology.  |
 
Biological Theories & Psychological Theory (R: Ch. 4 &5, A3, D3) |
| Analyze how biological and psychological factors influence criminal behavior and contribute to criminological understanding. |
 
| Anomie and Strain Theory (R: Ch. 6 & 7, A4, D4) |
| Examine the impact of societal pressures and structural inequalities on deviant behavior through anomie and strain theories.             
 
| Neighborhoods and Crime (R: Ch. 8, A5, D5) |
| Investigate the relationship between neighborhood characteristics, social organization, and crime rates.      | 
 
| Learning Theories (R: Ch. 9, A6, D6) |
| Understand how criminal behavior is learned through interactions and environmental influences.  |
 
| Control Theories (R: Ch. 10, A7, D7) |
| Evaluate the role of social bonds and self-control in preventing deviant behavior.   |
 
| Conflict Criminology (R: Ch. 11 & 12, A8, D8) |
| Explore the influence of social inequality, power dynamics, and conflict on criminal behavior and justice policies. |
 
| Developmental and Life-Course Theories (R: Ch. 14, A9, D9) |
| Assess how criminal behavior evolves over the lifespan and is influenced by life events and transitions.         |
 
| Evidence-Based Crime Policy (R: Sherman, L. W. (1998). Preventing crime: What works, what doesn't, what's promising, A9) Gain an understanding of the importance of evidence-based crime policy and learn how to effectively apply it to real-world crime prevention strategies..   
 
| Deadline for Final Presentation Submission |
Consult with the instructor to review your final presentation and receive personalized guidance to help you prepare effectively for your individual final presentation. 
| Final Presentation  
 Students present on selected events and applying to learned criminological theories.  

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

  • Assignments and discussions must be submitted on time. Late submissions will incur a 1-point deduction per day.
  • No submissions will be accepted more than one week past the due date without prior approval.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is mandatory and essential for in-class exercises. 
Missed exercises cannot be made up unless a valid excuse is provided. 

Prerequisites

Prerequisite(s): CJ 1010 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: D-

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.