Department of History, Political Science and Philosophy

Introduction to the operation of the U.S. criminal justice system including an overview of law enforcement, the judiciary and corrections.

Examination of the role of the judiciary in the criminal justice system. Topics include the structure of the American court system, prosecution, pretrial procedures, grand jury process, adjudication process, types and rules of evidence, and sentencing concepts. Prerequisite: CRIJ 1301.

Study of criminal law, its philosophical and historical development, major definitions and concepts, classifications and elements of crime, penalties using Texas statutes as illustrations and criminal responsibility. Prerequisite: CRIJ 1301.

Introductory overview of the juvenile justice system in the United States, to include common law roots, case law and evolution of juvenile courts and corrections. Prerequisite: CRIJ 1301.

Introductory overview of modern corrections including its history and current correctional issues and practices. Prerequisite: CRIJ 1301.

Investigative theory; collection and preservation of evidence; sources of information; interview and interrogation; uses of forensic sciences; case and trial preparation as they apply to the field of criminal justice. Prerequisite: CRIJ 1301.

A study of the procedural rules for judicial enforcement of the substantive criminal law and analysis of constitutional law as it relates to the criminal justice system. Prerequisite: CRIJ 1301.

Introductory overview of the U.S. system of policing including its history, development and methods of policing. Prerequisite: CRIJ 1301.

Examination of various research, planning and evaluation methods as they apply to the field of criminal justice. Prerequisites: CRIJ 1301 and 6 hours of Criminal Justice.

Application of forensic behavioral sciences and mental health concepts relating to the practice of criminal justice, including civil commitment of sex offenders, review of criminal defendants' competence to stand trial, and defenses to culpability based upon mental disorder, behavioral profiling, and offender diagnosis and treatment. Prerequisites: Junior standing and completion of either the social/behavioral component or CRIJ 1301.

Survey of the origins and subfields of criminology/criminal justice, how crime is defined and measured, issues affecting victims of crime and leading theories that attempt to explain crime. Prerequisites: CRIJ 1301 and 6 hours of Criminal Justice.

An examination of the philosophical ideals of ethics that arise in the criminal justice context. Prerequisites: CRIJ 1301 and 6 hours of Criminal Justice.

Overview of the various management and organization theories as applied to the criminal justice context. Prerequisites: CRIJ 1301 and 6 hours of Criminal Justice.

Intensive seminar in Criminal Justice, culminating in the production of a significant research paper. Prerequisites: Six hours of CRIJ and PSYC 3381 or SOCI 3381.

In-depth examination of law and society through the philosophy and evolution of legal systems and legal institutions. The major functions of law as agents of social control, dispute resolution and societal engineering are addressed. Prerequisites: POLS 2304 or SOCI 1301 and 3 semester hours of Criminal Justice, Criminology or Sociology. (Credit may not be obtained in more than one of CRIJ 4320, CRIM 4320 and SOCI 4320.)

Survey of American constitutional law, using leading cases, both historic and contemporary, of the Supreme Court of the United States. Establishment of the federal political system for which the Constitution provided and the judicial allocations of political and economic power within that system. Prerequisites: 6 semester hours of Political Science. (Credit may not be obtained in more than one of CRIJ 4331, POLS 4331 and CRIM 4331.)

Survey of American constitutional law using leading cases, both historic and contemporary, of the Supreme Court of the United States. Matters of rights and liberties, their recognition and definition, policies of rights developed by the Supreme Court of the United States. Prerequisites: 6 semester hours of Political Science. (Credit may not be obtained in more than one of CRIJ 4332, POLS 4332 and CRIM 4332.)

Federal judicial system in terms of structure, function and process with stress on court interaction at both intracourt and intersystem levels. Prerequisites: 6 semester hours of Political Science. (Credit may not be obtained in more than one of CRIJ 4333, POLS 4333 and CRIM 4333.)

Focused study of an issue in Criminal Justice. May be repeated for credit when the topic changes. Prerequisite: 6 hrs. of Criminal Justice.

Examination of the historical role of crime victims, nature of victimization in modern society, the victimization process, solutions to victimization and victim's rights. Emphasis given to the social, legal, psychological and societal aspects of victimization. Victim-offender interaction and societal response to victimization will also be treated. Prerequisites: 6 semester hours of social science. (Credit may not be obtained in both CRIJ 4345 and CRIM 4345.)

Experiential learning of criminal justice in real-life conditions providing an arena for the application of classroom principles within the context of the day to day reality of the criminal justice system. The internship includes, but is not limited to, field supervision and/or observation. Prerequisites: Junior or Senior status, approval by Program Director, acceptance by Appropriate Organization. May be repeated for a maximum of nine semester hours toward degree.

A survey of the United States from the era of exploration through the period of Reconstruction (1877).

A survey of the United States from the period of Reconstruction (1877) to the present.

The history of world civilizations from pre-literary times to 1500 CE. Emphasis is on the political, religious, economic and cultural characteristics of these civilizations and their contributions to the contemporary world.

The history of world civilization from 1500 to present. Emphasis is on the political, religious, economic, and cultural characteristics of these civilizations and their contributions to the contemporary world.

Procedures and methods of historical research. Introduction to types of historical data, the analysis of sources, the use of computer techniques in historical research and the methods of historical writing. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of history.

Military History course covers military history from early colonial warfare in the eighteenth century to the global war on terrorism in the twenty-first century. The purpose of this course is to lead Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadets to understanding the role military officers have played in the development of our country. (Credit may not be obtained in both HIST 3335 and ROTC 3335.)

Allows students to gain practical experience in an area of public history while earning class credit. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of History.

Different ways public history is practiced. Curatorship, research practices, docentship, and historical restoration. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of history.

Study of themes in European history focusing on the Renaissance and Reformation and religious change; expansion of state power and resistance, new scientific understandings; changing economic and gender roles; the development of Enlightenment ideas. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of History and/or Political Science.

Study of the actors and events of the French Revolution and its impact upon European history concluding with analysis of the role and significance of Napoleon and the Nopoleonic Wars. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of History and/or Political Science.

Political, social and cultural developments in Europe from the Belle Epoque through the end of the Cold War. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of History and/or Political Science.

Secession, formation of the Confederacy, military campaigns and Reconstruction. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of History and/or Political Science.

Progressivism, World War I, the 1920s, the Great Depression, and World War II. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of History and/or Political Science.

Post-war abundance, the Cold War, social and cultural changes, the Vietnam era, and the post-Nixon years. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of History and/or Political Science.

History of the Trans-Mississippi West and its influence upon political, economic, social and cultural development from the earliest habitation to the present. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours in History and/or Political Science.

Spanish background, Anglo-American settlement, the Revolution and Republic, and statehood; economic, cultural, and political development. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of History and/or Political Science.

Historical background of contemporary Latin America. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of History and/or Political Science.

Political, economic, and social history of Mexico from pre-Columbian times to the present. Emphasis on the last century. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of History and/or Political Science.

Investigation of women's historical place in global themes such as patriarchy, sexual politics, work, religion, peace, colonization and the body. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of History and/or Political Science. (Credit may not be obtained in both HIST 4360 and WGST 4360.)

Investigation of the history of the Holocaust and of other world genocides in a comparative context. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of History and/or Political Science.

Specialized topics in European History. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes. Prerequisites: 12 semester hours of history and/or political science.

Specialized topics in United States History. May be repeated for credit as topic changes. Prerequisites: 12 semester hours of history and/or political science.

Specialized topics in Latin American History. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes. Prerequisites: 12 semester hours of history and/or political science.

Specialized topics in World History. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes. Prerequisite: 12 semester hours of History and/or Political Science.

Specialized topics in Non-Western History. May be repeated for credit as the topic changes. Prerequisites: 12 semester hours of history and/or political science.

Capstone experience for history majors, focusing on one of the major fields of the department: United States, Latin American, European, Non-Western, and World. Completion of this seminar with a minimum grade of C is required of all history majors prior to graduation. May be repeated as needed. Prerequisite: 12 semester credit hours in history.

Inquiries into the nature of the self, the universe and society as they relate to various definitions of reality, truth and value with readings from major works of classical and modern philosophers.

Surveys formal methods of deductive and inductive logic with an emphasis on syllogistics, truth-functional logic and quantificational logic. Topics include Venn Diagrams, truth tables, quantifiers, rules of inference, formal proofs and probabilistic reasoning.

Introduction to contemporary moral issues: corporate responsibility, abortion, capital punishment, drug legalization, animal rights, gay marriage, economic quality, free speech, etc.

A philosophical examination of issues basic to religion, including the relation of faith to symbols and language, religious understandings of the nature of man, the traditional proofs for God's existence, the relationship of religion to philosophy, to culture, to science and to morality.

Surveys propositional and quantificational logic. Topics include translations between formal languages and English, logical consequence, formal methods of proof and elements of metatheory. Prerequisites: 3 semester hours of PHIL or MATH or consent of instructor.

Surveys the nature of consciousness and the mind-body problem. Topics include the question whether computers could think, dualism, functionalism, mental causation and mental representation. Prerequisite: 3 semester hours of PHIL or PSYC or consent of the instructor.

Surveys theories of knowledge and skepticism. Topics include a prior knowledge, foundationalism, coherentism, theories of perception, externalism and contextualism. Prerequisite: 3 semester hours of PHIL or consent of instructor.

Well-being, moral responsibility, ethical naturalism, innateness or morality, moral heuristics and biases, moral intuitions, emotions and sentiments, morality and evolution, egoism and altruism, moral disagreement, character and virtue,psychopathology, and moral development. (Credit may not be obtained in both PHIL 4317 and PSYC 4317.)

Surveys game theory and decision theory as tools for analysis in philosophy, political science, economics, and other fields. (Credit cannot be earned for both PHIL 4327 and POLS 4327.) Prerequisites: 3 semester hours of PHIL, POLS, ECON, or MATH, or consent of instructor.

Surveys topics such as speech acts, truth and meaning, proper names, demonstratives, propositional attitudes, conversational implicature and private languages. Prerequisite: 3 semester hours of PHIL.

Special studies in philosophy. Course may be repeated for credit, if different topic is offered.

A survey of the structures, functions and processes of the political system of the United States. Fulfills 3 semester hours of the legislative degree requirement of 6 hours.

A survey of the structures, functions and processes of the Texas political system. Fulfills 3 semester hours of the legislative degree requirements of 6 hours.

Development of political science as an academic discipline; the scientific method; major research approaches to the study of political phenomena with emphasis upon the contributions of behaviorialists, policy scientists and traditional political scientists.

Analysis of the contemporary state system and forces shaping the world in which we live. Students will be given a framework within which to analyze global political issues and international institutions and their impact on American politics and government.

The practice of political science. The construction of research designs; major research tools; methods of political analysis; political science writing. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

Formation, structure and functions of interest groups and political parties within the political system. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

Structure and functions of governmental institutions; administrative practices of state and local governments. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

A study of urban political processes and major public problems confronting urban areas. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

Causes of and U.S. responses to, nuclear proliferation in Third World regions, focusing on problem countries. Topics include the non-proliferation regime, the nuclear repentants, nuclear arms control and the threat of nuclear terrorism. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science or consent of instructor.

The theories of the major thinkers of the periods and of their development. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

Theories of the major thinkers and the related intellectual and political movements. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

A study of technology and society from the perspective of social values, ethics, sociology, social environment, politics and economics. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science and six semester hours of History.

Surveys game theory and decision theory as tools for analysis in philosophy, political science, economics, and other fields. (Credit cannot be earned for both POLS 4327 and PHIL 4327.) Prerequisites: 3 semester hours of PHIL, POLS, ECON, or MATH, or consent of instructor.

A survey of American constitutional law, using leading cases, both historic and contemporary, of the Supreme Court of the United States. Establishment of the federal political system for which the Constitution provided and the judicial allocations of political and economic power within that system. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of political science. (Credit may not be obtained in more than one of CRIJ 4331, CRIM 4331 and POLS 4331.)

A survey of American constitutional law using leading cases, both historic and contemporary, of the Supreme Court of the United States. Matters of rights and liberties, their recognition and definition, policies of rights developed by the Supreme Court of the United States. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of political science. (Credit may not be obtained in more than one of CRIJ 4332, CRIM 4332 and POLS 4332.)

The federal Judicial System in terms of structure, function and process with stress on court interaction at both intracourt and intersystem levels. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of political science. (Credit may not be obtained in more than one of CRIJ 4333, CRIM 4333 and POLS 4333.)

The underlying principles governing political relations among sovereign states and the application of these principles to contemporary international problems. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

Basic features, functions and problems of international organizations through the League of Nations, the United Nations, and its specialized agencies and other important regional organizations in the context of the world situation. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

An introduction to the study of international law. This course examines the definition, object and sources of international law as well as its relationship to domestic law and to the study of international relations. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of political science. (Credit may not be obtained in both CRIJ 4343 and POLS 4343.)

The structures, functions, and processes of selected political systems. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

The structures, functions and processes of the political systems of the nations of Central America, the Caribbean and South America. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

The structures, functions and processes of the political system of Mexico. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

The place of public administration in government; the relations of the bureaucracy to other government institutions and the public. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

Public policy and its formation through the interaction of political groups and governmental institutions in selected areas of public policy; relevant comparisons to other national systems. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science.

An intensive examination of special topics of study in political science. Course may be repeated for credit when the topic of study changes. Prerequisite: 6 semester hours of Political Science or consent of the instructor.