Behavioral-Based Program

By choosing to study at Cedar Crest College, you will examine the growing field of criminal justice from a unique point of view that is not offered at many other institutions. Here, the focus of our curriculum is on the prevention of harmful behavior, rather than the response to crimes that have already occurred. Today’s communities demand a prevention-focused effort by criminal justice agencies, and our curriculum will prepare you to be a part of that solution.

Our curriculum was designed by Cedar Crest professor Scott Hoke. It includes both the standard fundamental theories of criminal justice and additional courses that Professor Hoke created to fill gaps that he has witnessed in the real world of criminal justice. As a result, you will find that studying criminal justice at Cedar Crest will provide you with a more well-rounded education in both crime response and prevention, thereby better preparing you for success in your chosen field.

Unique Course Offerings

In order to understand how to prevent crimes, it is essential to examine what influences human behavior. For that reason, your coursework will provide you with a thorough understanding of the psychological, sociological and environmental causes behind criminal behavior. To that end, our program offers courses you will not find at other institutions, including:

Addictions, Psychopathology and Crime (CRJ 201): The primary objective of this course is to identify the influence substance use, abuse, and addiction has on behavior. Specific content areas compare and contrast the behaviors observed in children, adolescents, and adults; misconceptions of substance abuse; the challenges associated with the measurement of substance use and abuse; and the classifications of drugs.

Corrections (CRJ 306): The American corrections system is currently incarcerating individuals at unprecedented rates, despite the fact that crime has decreased over the past decade. With over 13 million Americans admitted to the nation’s jails and prisons each year, the effect on society is significant. This course, taught from an environmental criminology perspective, examines how incarceration influences behavior, and identifies the most effective methods to control inmate behavior. Content areas include how architecture, expectations, conditions of confinement, classification, and situational crime prevention measures impact inmate behavior.

Crime and Place (CRJ 311): This course focuses on the social ecology of crime in that it examines the relationship between crime, victimization and the environment. Ecological theory examines spatial and temporal patterns of criminal conduct and victimization. This course also examines community and environmental strategies which have been developed to reduce the likelihood of criminal behavior.

View additional course descriptions here»