MPA/MSCJS Dual Degree Archive 2020-2021

3.00

This introductory graduate-level course provides an overview of public administration and service and serves as a basis for further advanced studies in the MPA program. This course covers the structure, functions, and process of public service organizations at various levels, including governments and nonprofit organizations. Students explore historical trends, ethical considerations, and political rationale for the present operations of public service.

3.00

This course introduces the fundamentals of budgeting, financial management, and revenue systems. Course goals include a heightened awareness of the democratic ideals and values that must inform budgeting and financial management decisions, including a commitment to ethics, transparency and accountability; an understanding of the budget process and the distinctive features of budgetary decision making; an understanding of the critical linkage between budgeting and financial management systems and the capacity of an organization to achieve its strategic goals; the ability to use the budget and financial reports as planning and management tools; knowledge of the basic principles of taxation as well as the structures and functions of federal, state, and local revenue systems. The course emphasizes knowledge and skills essential to the full range of public service careers.

3.00

This course will explore complex issues in public and non-profit human resource management (HRM) by examining policies and practices that support and enhance the value and contribution of individuals in these organizations.

3.00

Students explore small groups and organization operations, practices, behaviors, and structures. They develop techniques for maximizing efficiency and/or effectiveness; evaluation analysis; concepts and applications of Classicists; leadership; organizational development, and result-oriented management; as well as elements of reorganization, innovation and change.

3.00

Leadership is a critical ingredient of successful communities and organizations. This course develops a diagnostic framework as well as strategies and tactics to mobilize adaptive work; engage multiple government, non-profit, and business stakeholders; and build awareness and momentum for actions at all levels of government and community organizations. It introduces the catalytic model of leadership and applies it to the ethical handling of societal and organizational problems. Students' leadership competencies are reviewed and improved. This course is designed for people from diverse backgrounds with various experience in leadership roles.

Restricted to students that have completed 30 credits.

3.00

Students will integrate the substance of previous courses in order to develop a capacity for strategic management based on a personal perspective of the role of the professional manager in the policy making process. This holistic perspective is expressed in an extensive research paper that describes the leadership role of the professional manager and defines a basis for ethical action. The course features the review of research articles, the discussion of case studies, and a consideration of future trends in public and non-profit management.

3.00

Students with no public administration work experience will be required to take PAD 859 (Internship) at admission. This is a 3-credit course that requires both class attendance and a 300-hour work requirement. If you are required to take PAD 859, it will count as one of your PAD elective. If you are interested in a career change, and you are not required to take the internship at admission, you may take PAD 859 as an elective.

3.00

Core required course for Master of Science in Crime and Justice Program. This course will examine the relationship among crime, criminal justice and the community as well as the impact of crime on local neighborhoods and community institutions. The role of the community in the criminal justice system and processes of social control are also examined. Topics covered include: local measurement of crime statistics; community policing; prevention and early intervention strategies; community corrections and intermediate sanctions. Strategies for empowering local communities to address the quality of life in the urban environment are also explored.

3.00

Core required course for Master of Science in Crime and Justice Studies. A sociological investigation of the relationship between crime and justice in contemporary American society. The possibilities and limits of traditional approaches to crime control are examined in the context of our search for harmony, justice and social change. Problems in evaluating the techniques, goals, and effectiveness of criminal justice agencies and organizations are considered as well as models for rethinking the scope and nature of our responses to crime.

3.00

Core required course for Master of Science in Crime and Justice Studies. This course provides students with the fundamental tools for evaluating, designing and implementing basic and applied empirical research in criminal justice. The association between theories and research methods used in the study of criminal justice is explored through a variety of related data sources. Topics covered include: the principles of research design; issues in measurement; modes of observation; basic methods of data analysis; and ethical concerns. Students will obtain hands-on experience in project design through the development of their own research proposal.

3.00

Core required course for Master of Science in Crime and Justice Studies. This course introduces students to the foundations of statistical analysis. Topics include: measures of central tendency; dispersion; probability; sampling distributions; hypothesis testing; correlations; and regression. Using SPSS software, students will be required to apply statistical concepts to existing data resulting in a completed research project.

3.00

This course will examine the major issues in the adult correctional system. Traditional incarceration as well as pretrial and post-conviction alternatives will be explored. Covered topics may include: prison and jail overcrowding; issues in classification; mental health and incarceration; substance abuse treatment within the prison setting; prison security and disturbances; vocational and educational programming within prisons; ethics and corrections.

3.00

This course examines the array of issues concerned with the administration and operation of the juvenile justice system. The historical, philosophical, and legal foundations of the juvenile justice system will be examined along with the legal and philosophical changes within the system in the contemporary period. Special attention will be given to Massachusetts' model of juvenile corrections and treatment.

3.00

This course examines the administration of justice in the community courts. Topics include the role of the judge; relationships between prosecutors, defense lawyers, and the courts; the relationship between the courts and the police; the pros and cons of plea bargaining the goals of sentencing; and the clash between victim's rights and defendant's rights. Difficult kinds of cases will be addressed, such as cases of domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and crime relating to substance abuse. Questions concerning judicial accountability and the role of judges in the community will also be raised.

3.00

Restorative justice is a philosophical framework which poses an alternative to our current way of thinking about crime and justice. Through restorative justice, all the stakeholders to crime - victims, offenders, families, the wider community and the state - are active in response to crime. This course examines both the theoretical foundation of restorative justice rooted in a variety of legal and religious traditions; and the array of practices associated with restorative justice from around the world. Restorative justice philosophy and practice has impacted all areas of the criminal justice system including policing, probation, courts and the correctional programming for juvenile and adult offenders. Students will be afforded a hands-on experience through role-playing, guest speakers and field trips in the application of restorative values to contemporary justice system. Students will examine the meaning of justice in their own experiences, and be challenged to envision a community-based restorative response to crime and violence.

3.00

This seminar focuses on two interrelated types of violence, battering and sexual assault. Both of these crimes have been the subject of intense political organizing, cultural controversy, and criminal justice reform over the past 25 years. Together these issues currently account for a significant portion of the work of the police and courts. The research literature on these topics has increased dramatically in recent years. There are now many studies of women victimized by batterings and rape, and of men who commit these crimes. There is a growing body of research on institutional responses to such violence, particularly criminal justice responses. There is new literature on the racial and class dimensions of this violence, on trauma and recovery, and on battering in lesbian and gay relationships. This course examines these crimes from psychological, sociological, and criminal justice perspectives.

3.00

This course will focus on the policy implications of various sociological theories of crime and punishment. Focus will be on the analysis of various alternative policies within the criminal justice system both within the U.S. and in Europe. Attention will be given to the politics of crime control and to the role of the media, citizen groups and other interest groups in shaping criminal justice policy.

3.00

In recent years, public attention to victims of crime has grown enormously. The reasons for this are complex. They include the effects of political organizing by crime victims; increased media attention to crime (often driven by crime stories as entertainment and advertising vehicles); the exploitation of crime victims by politicians; and long-standing community frustrations with the criminal legal system. This course will examine the rise of public attention to crime, the variety of social movements addressing victims of crime, the response of the criminal justice system to victims, and the problems and possibilities regarding new developments concerning crime victims. The course takes the perspective of a critical victimology in that the course materials question official definitions of crime, popular definitions of victims and offenders, and traditional beliefs about justice. Rather than seeing victims and offenders as entirely separate categories, a number of the books address individuals who are both victims and offenders. New developments in 'restorative justice' will be presented as an emerging alternative to current problems that victims have reported with the criminal legal system.

3.00

Fall 2020 - Crime and Justice as Seen through "The Wire" Thematic investigations of problems and topics in criminal justice. Special topics include but are not limited to the areas of domestic violence and sexual assault; children and crime; crime; justice and popular culture; restorative justice; community policing; drugs and the law, drug policy, crime mapping, counterterrorism policy, female offenders and criminalistics.

3.00

There are many different ways that communities have responded to violence against women. Both in the United States and around the world, the most common methods have involved either punishment for offenders, efforts to create safety for victims, or attempts to reform offenders. A new set of antiviolence approaches are being developed that go beyond the goals of punishment, safety, and reform. These new approaches, which are loosely grouped together as 'community-based responses,' seek to mobilizing specific communities against violence; organize women across communities of color; and challenge the theories, practices, and politics of existing antiviolence efforts. These new approaches are the focus of this course.

3.00

This course examines two subjects throughout the semester: substantive criminal law (e.g. what is money laundering, the insanity defense, conspiracy?); and criminal procedure: 4th Amendment (search and seizure), 5th Amendment (due process, self-incrimination, double jeopardy, etc.), 6th Amendment (right to a lawyer, public trial, etc..), 8th Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment), 14th Amendment (due process, equal protection of law), 1st Amendment (interaction of criminal law with free expression and with religious rights), and 2nd Amendment (firearms). Unlike other similar undergraduate and graduate courses, this one emphasizes principles and case summaries, de-emphasizes actual cases and case names, and does not entail teaching how to brief (summarize) cases.

3.00

This course examines crime and justice in the context of the social inequalities of race, class, and gender. Surprisingly, this is a recent focus within criminology. And yet, without attention to the intersections of race, class, and gender, it is difficult to make sense of victimization, crime, or punishment in the United States today. The course readings include some of the most recent theoretical and empirical studies of these issues. The goals of the course are to develop an understanding of what a race, class, and gender analysis is, and why this is important for individuals working in criminal justice, mental health, and related fields.

3.00

This class explores the images of the traditional "bad" girl in films. The course examines the idea of moving beyond merely the delinquent, many images in film suggest that girls and women who break with the socially condoned role of femininity are somehow bad. Girls and women who have power or challenge authority are often portrayed in films as deviant and therefore "bad." Girls and women who are "frigid" are just as "bad" as their sexually promiscuous silver-screen opposites. This course further focuses on the impact of these images on real life social roles for girls and women as well as the symbiotic relationship between fact and fiction.

3.00

This course provides an overview of the best practices in positive youth development and juvenile programming for delinquency prevention; intervention and treatment. This seminar will explore the cutting edge of programming for youth in a wide range of community-based and institutional settings including schools, social services, and juvenile corrections.

3.00

This course provides an overview of youth gangs and their sociological underpinnings, which are rooted in poverty and racism. Theories of gang formation and individual gang membership will be examined closely. Study topics include the history of gangs, gangs and criminal behavior, socio-cultural importance of gangs, and strategies to control gang behavior as well as community responses more generally. The course will utilize current gang issues in the US generally and in Massachusetts in particular as a basis to better understand the nuances of youth gangs.

Instructor permission required.

3.00

The internship course allows students to integrate academic knowledge gained from the classroom with work experience in a career field of their choice. Students have the opportunity to explore opportunities in their profession, develop practical skills in a real-world context, and build a formal network of professionals in their field.

3.00

Students pursue an in-depth research project under the direction of a qualified member of the graduate faculty.

3.00

This introductory graduate-level course provides an overview of public administration and service and serves as a basis for further advanced studies in the MPA program. This course covers the structure, functions, and process of public service organizations at various levels, including governments and nonprofit organizations. Students explore historical trends, ethical considerations, and political rationale for the present operations of public service.

3.00

This course demonstrates how issues, problems, and questions surrounding public policies, program operations, and administrative systems can be structured as hypotheses and made amendable to resolution through the application of social science research techniques. The elements of research design such as surveys, true experiments, quasi-experiments, case studies and non-experimental studies are described, as well as sampling techniques and descriptive statistics. Ethical issues related to employment of these methods in the policy making process are also explored. The course content is presented as a way to reduce managerial uncertainty regarding alternative courses of action.

3.00

This course introduces the fundamentals of budgeting, financial management, and revenue systems. Course goals include a heightened awareness of the democratic ideals and values that must inform budgeting and financial management decisions, including a commitment to ethics, transparency and accountability; an understanding of the budget process and the distinctive features of budgetary decision making; an understanding of the critical linkage between budgeting and financial management systems and the capacity of an organization to achieve its strategic goals; the ability to use the budget and financial reports as planning and management tools; knowledge of the basic principles of taxation as well as the structures and functions of federal, state, and local revenue systems. The course emphasizes knowledge and skills essential to the full range of public service careers.

3.00

Quantitative analysis introduces basic statistical techniques used to analyze and draw conclusions from citizen and client surveys; program and policy evaluations; and performance and operations data. These techniques include chi square, lambda, gamma, correlations, and analysis of variance, t test correlations, and multivariate regression. Knowledge of these statistical techniques empowers managers by giving them the ability to evaluate the work of consultants, access the policy and management of literature, and analyze data using the analytical tools available in commonly used statistical software, such as Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

3.00

This course will explore complex issues in public and non-profit human resource management (HRM) by examining policies and practices that support and enhance the value and contribution of individuals in these organizations.

3.00

Students explore small groups and organization operations, practices, behaviors, and structures. They develop techniques for maximizing efficiency and/or effectiveness; evaluation analysis; concepts and applications of Classicists; leadership; organizational development, and result-oriented management; as well as elements of reorganization, innovation and change.

3.00

Leadership is a critical ingredient of successful communities and organizations. This course develops a diagnostic framework as well as strategies and tactics to mobilize adaptive work; engage multiple government, non-profit, and business stakeholders; and build awareness and momentum for actions at all levels of government and community organizations. It introduces the catalytic model of leadership and applies it to the ethical handling of societal and organizational problems. Students' leadership competencies are reviewed and improved. This course is designed for people from diverse backgrounds with various experience in leadership roles.

3.00

Students review the basis for administrative practice. They learn legal interpretation of statutes, regulations, and proposed legislation that impact public administration and public policy.

3.00

Instructor's signature required for registration. Students examine the interrelations among the federal executive, Congressional committees, constituency groups, and federal administrative agencies in the formulation and implementation of federal policies. Also discussed are managerial functions (e.g., personnel regulations, program evaluations, and intergovernmental design). This course includes a 3-day travel seminar to Washington D.C.

3.00

Examination of patterns of intergovernmental operations and administration. Special emphasis on changing techniques of intergovernmental management and emerging patterns of intergovernmental relations. Issues such as regionalism, program mandates, and resource management will be explored.

3.00

The primary focus will be on understanding the operational and strategic leadership aspects of managing mission driven, public service organizations. Specific emphasis will be placed on nonprofit corporations, including coursework that explores the legal, structural, and operational issues that are particular to such organizations.

3.00

This is an intensive analysis of selected public policy challenges. Using a combination of case studies, theoretical writings, and real-time intelligence and reports, students discuss and compare the substance, practices, and impacts of contemporary public policy issues. Through this examination students will consider operations and methodologies used to understand and tackle public policy systems analysis. Examples are used to demonstrate how these analytical methods can be used to make more informed policy decisions and assessments. Topics for this course will vary and students may take this course more than once as long as the topic (title) is different.

3.00

This course is built on the premise that state and local government leaders have an obligation to fully develop the human resources, network relationships and physical assets available to them so as to increase the value of their organizations to the public. Through case studies, students will explore the successes and failures of state and local government leaders and their strategies in major policy arenas, such as public safety, health and welfare, education, environment and economic development. Through readings, students will examine state and local government structures and functions, political culture, and administrative reforms.

3.00

PAD 819 covers both grant seeking and grant writing. Students, individually, or in teams work with a nonprofit or government organization to develop a project idea and prepare a Master Grant Proposal and a Grant Application to be submitted to a most-likely-to-fund grant maker. Classes focus on step-by-step grant writing & grant seeking process, and the instructor also consults with student-grant writers individually and via Blackboard.

3.00

A decision-making course focusing on applying high speed information systems to support administrative and managerial functions. PMIS incorporates organizational assessments leading to purchasing computer hardware and software, office automation, and diverse communications including electronic automation, and diverse communications including electronic mail, Internet, telecommunications, and networking. Current events, professional journals and the technology presently used will be highlighted.

3.00

An introduction to the health system, its origins, its components, and how they are organized and interrelated; determinants of health and disease; the role of professions, institutions, consumers, and government; landmark legislation, and social responses to the system.

3.00

Recessions and economic stagnation, loss of economic base, and natural disasters have significant consequences for the effectiveness of governments and nonprofits, yet during times of fiscal crisis these organizations carry more responsibility as people look to these organizations for leadership and relief from hardships. This course addresses strategies to prepare for and cope with fiscal crises. Students will learn to assess economic and financial vulnerability, develop management and budget methodologies that are adaptable to changing economic conditions, and develop strategies to ensure long-term financial viability and effectiveness of governments and nonprofits.

3.00

Students develop techniques and directives related to communication processing. Both interpersonal communication and electronic information flow will be examined. Communication skills, styles, and strategies will be stressed through use of all media. Students will also analyze the theory and practice of public service marketing in relation to the administration of multiple sectors including private, public, nonprofit and health care by looking at innovative public service products and services.

3.00

Participants in this course will examine a variety of innovations that attempt to reap the benefits of diverse engagement by bringing together varied parties to forge new solutions to public service challenges. Across a variety of policy areas, practitioners have developed innovative policies and practices that engage citizens in public problem-solving, giving power to groups made up of citizens and public employees, and holding them accountable for producing and measuring results. Citizens play a critical and increasingly influential role in government decision-making and performance. As a result, leaders must understand the complexity of citizen participation and build skills for effective citizen engagement.

3.00

Students examine disability issues of health, mental health, substance abuse, special education, long-term illnesses including HIV/AIDS, sensory impairments, and early-life and end-of-life issues, including genetics.

3.00

In this course, students study the ethical, moral, and legal dilemmas in public and private managerial operations. The gray areas of decision-making provide case studies for exploration of effective ethical practices. Management approaches to deter fraud, waste, abuse, and corrupt practices are identified as are the tools and strategies to strengthen the organizational ethic and culture in business and government. Ethical management strategies designed to improve productivity within organizations are explored.

3.00

Students learn effective approaches to leadership by examining leadership models, styles, and strategies. Emphasis is placed on the values and ethics of successful managerial leadership in public, private, and nonprofit sectors

3.00

Workplace and labor law affects every manager's ability to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. Ignorance of the relevant statutes and case law leads to misunderstanding, mismanagement, and substantial legal costs and controversies. This course reviews some of the more significant legal requirements associated with recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, discipline, wages and benefits, etc. Teaching method includes lecture and case analysis.

3.00

This course is designed to build financial management skills for students who wish to start or advance nonprofit management careers and for students who are likely to interact with nonprofits, through grants, contracts, or partnerships. The course focuses on the effective allocation of resources to programs which, in turn, have been designed to achieve the strategic goals of a nonprofit organization. From this point of view, financial management is not a disconnected management function, but an integral part of what managers do to fulfill as nonprofit organization's mission. Basic financial management knowledge and skills - including financial analysis, budgeting, full-cost accounting, pricing services, performance measurement, control of operations and financial reporting are taught within the context of the organization's strategic goals.

3.00

This course provides a practical framework for understanding the legal and ethical challenges continually faced by nonprofit human and social service organizations. Students learn about the various levels of legal influence, including federal, state, and city, as well as the "internal" laws of the corporation, and will explore the impact these laws can have on the day-to-day operation of the nonprofit organization. Students develop a methodology for identifying issues that can trigger a legal response and processes for best protecting their organizations, their clients, and themselves.

3.00

This course provides an in-depth look at today's philanthropic trends, patterns, and best practices in fundraising techniques.

3.00

Students with no public administration work experience will be required to take PAD 859 (Internship) at admission. This is a 3-credit course that requires both class attendance and a 300-hour work requirement. If you are required to take PAD 859, it will count as one of your PAD elective. If you are interested in a career change, and you are not required to take the internship at admission, you may take PAD 859 as an elective.

3.00

Regardless of your interest or field, data is essential to public managers on a daily basis. Through readings, lectures, casework, guest speakers, and field visits, students will be immersed in both the successes and limitations of this pioneering tool that has reshaped public policy. Through course work students will mine and manipulate data to propose public policy changes that can affect a program, a community, a state, or a country of their choosing. This relevant course is designed to prepare students to be effective leaders in an ever changing world.

3.00

Linda Melconian served as a Massachusetts State Senator from 1983 to 2005 and was appointed the first woman Majority Floor Leader of the Massachusetts Senate in 1999. Previously, she served as Assistant Counsel to U.S. Speaker of the House Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. She brings years-worth of experience and immense wisdom into all of her courses. Professor Melconian will use her years of experience working on Beacon Hill and getting things done to give students an inside look at how politics & government work at the state level. This incredibly relevant course is designed to give students the tools, connections, and knowledge they need to navigate state government in whatever career they choose.

Restricted to students that have completed 30 credits.

3.00

Students will integrate the substance of previous courses in order to develop a capacity for strategic management based on a personal perspective of the role of the professional manager in the policy making process. This holistic perspective is expressed in an extensive research paper that describes the leadership role of the professional manager and defines a basis for ethical action. The course features the review of research articles, the discussion of case studies, and a consideration of future trends in public and non-profit management.

3.00

When offered this course focuses upon a special topic in the field of public administration. The course may be retaken for credit when the topics differ.

1.00- 6.00

Instructor and Dean's Approval required for registration. This elective course option involves a student- initiated proposal to a willing and appropriate faculty member for a directed study project. The faculty member and student must concur on a written proposal and final report. Approval by the Office of the Dean is necessary prior to registration.

3.00

Core required course for Master of Science in Crime and Justice Program. This course will examine the relationship among crime, criminal justice and the community as well as the impact of crime on local neighborhoods and community institutions. The role of the community in the criminal justice system and processes of social control are also examined. Topics covered include: local measurement of crime statistics; community policing; prevention and early intervention strategies; community corrections and intermediate sanctions. Strategies for empowering local communities to address the quality of life in the urban environment are also explored.

3.00

This course will examine the major issues in the adult correctional system. Traditional incarceration as well as pretrial and post-conviction alternatives will be explored. Covered topics may include: prison and jail overcrowding; issues in classification; mental health and incarceration; substance abuse treatment within the prison setting; prison security and disturbances; vocational and educational programming within prisons; ethics and corrections.

3.00

This course examines the array of issues concerned with the administration and operation of the juvenile justice system. The historical, philosophical, and legal foundations of the juvenile justice system will be examined along with the legal and philosophical changes within the system in the contemporary period. Special attention will be given to Massachusetts' model of juvenile corrections and treatment.

3.00

This course examines the administration of justice in the community courts. Topics include the role of the judge; relationships between prosecutors, defense lawyers, and the courts; the relationship between the courts and the police; the pros and cons of plea bargaining the goals of sentencing; and the clash between victim's rights and defendant's rights. Difficult kinds of cases will be addressed, such as cases of domestic violence, child sexual abuse, and crime relating to substance abuse. Questions concerning judicial accountability and the role of judges in the community will also be raised.

3.00

Restorative justice is a philosophical framework which poses an alternative to our current way of thinking about crime and justice. Through restorative justice, all the stakeholders to crime - victims, offenders, families, the wider community and the state - are active in response to crime. This course examines both the theoretical foundation of restorative justice rooted in a variety of legal and religious traditions; and the array of practices associated with restorative justice from around the world. Restorative justice philosophy and practice has impacted all areas of the criminal justice system including policing, probation, courts and the correctional programming for juvenile and adult offenders. Students will be afforded a hands-on experience through role-playing, guest speakers and field trips in the application of restorative values to contemporary justice system. Students will examine the meaning of justice in their own experiences, and be challenged to envision a community-based restorative response to crime and violence.

3.00

This seminar focuses on two interrelated types of violence, battering and sexual assault. Both of these crimes have been the subject of intense political organizing, cultural controversy, and criminal justice reform over the past 25 years. Together these issues currently account for a significant portion of the work of the police and courts. The research literature on these topics has increased dramatically in recent years. There are now many studies of women victimized by batterings and rape, and of men who commit these crimes. There is a growing body of research on institutional responses to such violence, particularly criminal justice responses. There is new literature on the racial and class dimensions of this violence, on trauma and recovery, and on battering in lesbian and gay relationships. This course examines these crimes from psychological, sociological, and criminal justice perspectives.

3.00

This course will focus on the policy implications of various sociological theories of crime and punishment. Focus will be on the analysis of various alternative policies within the criminal justice system both within the U.S. and in Europe. Attention will be given to the politics of crime control and to the role of the media, citizen groups and other interest groups in shaping criminal justice policy.

3.00

In recent years, public attention to victims of crime has grown enormously. The reasons for this are complex. They include the effects of political organizing by crime victims; increased media attention to crime (often driven by crime stories as entertainment and advertising vehicles); the exploitation of crime victims by politicians; and long-standing community frustrations with the criminal legal system. This course will examine the rise of public attention to crime, the variety of social movements addressing victims of crime, the response of the criminal justice system to victims, and the problems and possibilities regarding new developments concerning crime victims. The course takes the perspective of a critical victimology in that the course materials question official definitions of crime, popular definitions of victims and offenders, and traditional beliefs about justice. Rather than seeing victims and offenders as entirely separate categories, a number of the books address individuals who are both victims and offenders. New developments in 'restorative justice' will be presented as an emerging alternative to current problems that victims have reported with the criminal legal system.

3.00

Fall 2020 - Crime and Justice as Seen through "The Wire" Thematic investigations of problems and topics in criminal justice. Special topics include but are not limited to the areas of domestic violence and sexual assault; children and crime; crime; justice and popular culture; restorative justice; community policing; drugs and the law, drug policy, crime mapping, counterterrorism policy, female offenders and criminalistics.

3.00

There are many different ways that communities have responded to violence against women. Both in the United States and around the world, the most common methods have involved either punishment for offenders, efforts to create safety for victims, or attempts to reform offenders. A new set of antiviolence approaches are being developed that go beyond the goals of punishment, safety, and reform. These new approaches, which are loosely grouped together as 'community-based responses,' seek to mobilizing specific communities against violence; organize women across communities of color; and challenge the theories, practices, and politics of existing antiviolence efforts. These new approaches are the focus of this course.

3.00

Core required course for Master of Science in Crime and Justice Studies. A sociological investigation of the relationship between crime and justice in contemporary American society. The possibilities and limits of traditional approaches to crime control are examined in the context of our search for harmony, justice and social change. Problems in evaluating the techniques, goals, and effectiveness of criminal justice agencies and organizations are considered as well as models for rethinking the scope and nature of our responses to crime.

3.00

Core required course for Master of Science in Crime and Justice Studies. This course provides students with the fundamental tools for evaluating, designing and implementing basic and applied empirical research in criminal justice. The association between theories and research methods used in the study of criminal justice is explored through a variety of related data sources. Topics covered include: the principles of research design; issues in measurement; modes of observation; basic methods of data analysis; and ethical concerns. Students will obtain hands-on experience in project design through the development of their own research proposal.

3.00

This course examines two subjects throughout the semester: substantive criminal law (e.g. what is money laundering, the insanity defense, conspiracy?); and criminal procedure: 4th Amendment (search and seizure), 5th Amendment (due process, self-incrimination, double jeopardy, etc.), 6th Amendment (right to a lawyer, public trial, etc..), 8th Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment), 14th Amendment (due process, equal protection of law), 1st Amendment (interaction of criminal law with free expression and with religious rights), and 2nd Amendment (firearms). Unlike other similar undergraduate and graduate courses, this one emphasizes principles and case summaries, de-emphasizes actual cases and case names, and does not entail teaching how to brief (summarize) cases.

3.00

This course examines crime and justice in the context of the social inequalities of race, class, and gender. Surprisingly, this is a recent focus within criminology. And yet, without attention to the intersections of race, class, and gender, it is difficult to make sense of victimization, crime, or punishment in the United States today. The course readings include some of the most recent theoretical and empirical studies of these issues. The goals of the course are to develop an understanding of what a race, class, and gender analysis is, and why this is important for individuals working in criminal justice, mental health, and related fields.

3.00

Core required course for Master of Science in Crime and Justice Studies. This course introduces students to the foundations of statistical analysis. Topics include: measures of central tendency; dispersion; probability; sampling distributions; hypothesis testing; correlations; and regression. Using SPSS software, students will be required to apply statistical concepts to existing data resulting in a completed research project.

3.00

This class explores the images of the traditional "bad" girl in films. The course examines the idea of moving beyond merely the delinquent, many images in film suggest that girls and women who break with the socially condoned role of femininity are somehow bad. Girls and women who have power or challenge authority are often portrayed in films as deviant and therefore "bad." Girls and women who are "frigid" are just as "bad" as their sexually promiscuous silver-screen opposites. This course further focuses on the impact of these images on real life social roles for girls and women as well as the symbiotic relationship between fact and fiction.

3.00

This course provides an overview of the best practices in positive youth development and juvenile programming for delinquency prevention; intervention and treatment. This seminar will explore the cutting edge of programming for youth in a wide range of community-based and institutional settings including schools, social services, and juvenile corrections.

3.00

This course provides an overview of youth gangs and their sociological underpinnings, which are rooted in poverty and racism. Theories of gang formation and individual gang membership will be examined closely. Study topics include the history of gangs, gangs and criminal behavior, socio-cultural importance of gangs, and strategies to control gang behavior as well as community responses more generally. The course will utilize current gang issues in the US generally and in Massachusetts in particular as a basis to better understand the nuances of youth gangs.

Instructor permission required.

3.00

The internship course allows students to integrate academic knowledge gained from the classroom with work experience in a career field of their choice. Students have the opportunity to explore opportunities in their profession, develop practical skills in a real-world context, and build a formal network of professionals in their field.

3.00

Students pursue an in-depth research project under the direction of a qualified member of the graduate faculty.