The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the major issues in the field of criminology, i.e., various approaches to criminology, concepts of crime and law, theories of crime causation, types of crime, and the criminal justice system. In other words, we are studying the what, why and how of crime and justice. The course is characterized by class discussions, presentations, mini-lectures, guest lectures, field trips, videos, and a major research project.

CILO-1: State the nature and extent of crime. CILO-2: Explain various theories of crime causation and victimization, and apply these theories in explaining different types of crimes. CILO-3: Access to data sources and measurement of crime, and compare facts on crime in the US and greater China. CILO-4: Acquire knowledge of structure and functioning of the criminal justice system through studying current critical issues.