Graduate School of Public Affairs

Criminal Justice

C J 5000-3. Law and Social Control.

A general introduction to the nature of law, legal institutions, and legal processes as one among multiple systems of social control; consideration of various theories of interpretation, application, and enforcement of law; the structure and function of legal institutions. Meets with SOC 594.

C J 5100-3. Administration of Criminal Justice.

Analysis of the policies and practices of agencies involved in the criminal justice process from detection of crime and arrest of suspects through prosecution, adjudication, sentencing, and imprisonment to release. The patterns of decision and practices are reviewed in the context of the entire criminal justice system.

C J 5110-3. Criminal Justice Planning and Evaluation.

Techniques for assessing the probability and desirability of future possible states of society, and particularly of social control systems, will be considered in relation to the goals of the criminal justice system.

C J 5120-3. Nature and Causes of Crime.

Survey of theories of crime causation ranging through biological, psychological, sociological, cultural, and political theories. Close attention to the problems inherent in approaching the study of crime from a cause of crime perspective. Meets with SOC 595.

C J 5320-3. Police Administration.

The role of the police in a rapidly changing society, relationship between police services, the courts, and correctional administration.

C J 5321-3. Research Methods in Criminal Justice.

Provides an assessment of research strategies in criminal justice through an examination of applied research designs and analytical models. The logic and rationale of these various strategies are contrasted, and their relative merits are critiqued. Selected research problems in the criminal justice system are utilized to illustrate the application and interpretation of alternative strategies.

C J 5361-3. Advanced Seminar in Criminal Justice.

Designed to assist students in synthesizing what they have learned in the program, applying their knowledge and skills to a particular problem of interest. Students conduct an independent project, enabling them to explore an issue in depth. This course is taken in the final semester of the student’s program. Meets with P AD 5361.

C J 5510-3. Contemporary Law Enforcement.

Strategies for implementing new programs directed at social control and crime prevention. Experiences in programmatic innovations and revolutionary interventions in law enforcement administration; case histories of past efforts at radical change and experimentation, emphasis on implementation strategy and consequences of innovation.

C J 5520-3. Corrections.

Contemporary correctional practice and its evolution, development of correctional programs; alternatives to incarceration, probation, jails, prisons, and parole. Meets with SOC 599 and SOC 442.

C J 5530-3. Administration of Community-Based Corrections.

Theory and practice of probation and parole; examination of efforts to create mixtures of institutional settings and normal community life.

C J 5540-3. Juvenile Justice Administration.

Covers the policies and practices of agencies in processing young persons through the juvenile court system; trends in juvenile justice; examination of disposition of cases by probation, foster home placement, training schools, and transfer to adult correction programs.

C J 5550-3. Criminal Justice Policy Analysis.

Deals with crime as a national political issue and examines how conflicting political philosophies influence criminal justice policy. Case studies will be made of significant criminal justice policy changes in both the federal and state levels.

C J 5551-3. Judicial Administration.

An analysis of judicial organization, court administration, and criminal court judges as participants in the operation of the criminal justice process; attention to the prosecutor and public defender systems.

C J 5552-3. Criminal Justice Ethics.

This seminar offers a normative framework within which to explore ways to increase sensitivity to the demands of ethical behavior among criminal justice personnel. The application of a normative perspective enhances the possibility that moral problems will be better understood, more carefully analyzed and rendered more tractable. Applied ethics forces a reflection not just on ethics, but also on the nature and operation of the criminal justice system itself.

C J 5553-3. Women and Criminal Justice.

This seminar explores issues surrounding women as offenders, victims, and criminal justice professionals. Investigates explanations for the involvement of women in illegal activities. Analyzes the plight of battered women, rape victims and other female victims. Examines the participation of women in law enforcement, judicial processes, corrections and lawmaking.

C J 5554-3. Criminal Justice Reform.

This seminar provides an overview of reform efforts in the criminal justice system. Selected theoretical approaches and policies are examined and assessed in light of their assumptions and programmatic applications. The rationales and processes underlying selected reform strategies are explored. The implications of the effects of reform in criminal justice policymaking and decision-making are analyzed.

C J 5560-3. Comparative Criminal Justice.

Seminar on the different criminal justice systems in the world. Emphasis on the British and continental systems; analysis of other systems such as Scandinavia, U.S.S.R., China, and the African nations.

C J 5571-3. Social Organization of Crime.

This seminar explores the relationship of neighborhood social disorganization to the dynamics of crime from a social ecology perspective. The course examines the underlying social causes of phenomena such as criminal victimization, violent and property crime, neighborhood fear, neighborhood deterioration, and recidivism. The course will examine both social, structural and ecological characteristics of neighborhoods and communities in affecting crime.

C J 5572-3. Race, Crime and Justice.

This seminar examines the role of race in criminal justice processing. The class examines the research findings, interpretations, issues and implications in assessing the impact of race in the administration of criminal justice. Explores the policy implications concerning the nature and extent of racial disparities in the criminal justice system and lays out a research agenda to more strategically address these issues within criminal justice policy making.

C J 5573-3. Organized Crime.

This seminar examines the issues involved in understanding those economic activities by which persons involved in “organized crime” make money. Major topics include: the structure of drug trafficking; the operations of illegal gambling activities; the culture and function of loansharking; the economics of labor racketeering; and the role of criminal groups in fencing stolen goods and providing other services to highjackers and burglars.

C J 5574-3. White Collar Crime.

This seminar employs both the social science and legal approaches to examine crime committed by corporations as well as by individuals in white collar occupations. The course covers how such crimes are socially defined, who commits them, who is victimized by them, which social contexts promote them, and how society and the criminal justice system respond to them.

C J 5575-3. The Mentally Disordered Offender.

This seminar examines the offender who may be mentally disordered. A survey is made of the various phases of the criminal justice system where psychiatrists are involved, e.g., diversion, fitness, insanity, and sentencing. Dangerous sex offender legislation, “not guilty by reason of insanity” and “guilty but mentally ill” statutes, and issues concerning confidentiality, informed consent, and treatment are addressed.

C J 6600-3. Special Topics in Criminal Justice.

Analysis of specific topics relating to the criminal justice process.

C J 6910-3. Field Study in Criminal Justice.

For students who have not had practitioner experience, a full or part-time internship is required. Consent of the instructor. Prer., 12-15 hours of criminal justice coursework.

C J 9500-1 to 3. Independent Study in Criminal Justice.

Affords the student the opportunity to pursue creative activities under the individual supervision of a full-time faculty member. No more than six hours of credit for independent study may be applied toward the MCJ degree. Prer., twelve hours of criminal justice course work.

C J 9990-0. Candidate for Degree.

Public Administration

P AD 5001-3. Governance and Institutions.

It is a time of rapid change, resource limitations, and questioning of the roles of public service organizations and professionals in American society. In such a time, it is essential for practitioners and citizens to understand the history, nature, and scope of public service. This course explores the creation of American public and nonprofit institutions, the ways organizations are structured and managed, and the role of the public service practitioner in the challenging contemporary setting.

P AD 5002-3. Organizational Management and Change.

Under the pressures to increase productivity with ever diminishing resources and the constant watch of the public eye, public administrators face constant dilemmas over issues of leading and motivating subordinates, of making decisions in what are often highly political environments, of communicating effectively, and of managing the constant flow of change. This course examines these issues.

P AD 5003-3. Information and Analytic Methods.

Administrators in public, nonprofit, and criminal justice settings make use of research and data to make important decisions regarding the management of their organization. This course enables students to be informed consumers of that information and to initiate and take part in research projects in their organization as appropriate. The course covers the sequence of a research project: identification of questions/hypotheses, review of existing research, selection of designs and sampling strategies, and data collection. Data collection includes surveys, interviews, and existing data. Students are introduced to basic statistical methods, and user- friendly software is used to analyze data sets and answer questions of interest.

P AD 5004-3. Economics and Public Finance.

Uses economics to explore public and private sector roles, and the allocation of resources in the public sector. Introduces the concepts of public goods, market failure, and externalities. The effects of taxation and subsidies on consumer and firm behavior are analyzed. Also covers cost benefit analysis and national, state, and local budgeting methods.

P AD 5005-3. The Policy Process and Democracy.

This course offers a theoretical approach to understanding the public policy process in the context of a democratic system. Presents theoretical models of the policy process, and issues in public affairs will be discussed.

P AD 5006-3. Ethics and Leadership.

Placed as they are in the public fishbowl and surrounded by a renewed interest in right and wrong, public administrators are constantly faced with ethical questions and dilemmas. This course looks both at age old ethical problems as well as issues facing administrators in the public setting today. It builds on the ethical framework of the founding fathers to consider issues relevant to the practice of public administration today.

P AD 5007-3. Qualitative Research Methods.

This seminar focuses on qualitative research methods that incorporate field work techniques such as observation, interviews and content analysis. The main objective is to discover practicalities and limitations of ethnographic methods with a comparative methodology perspective. Students are required to conduct a research project. Prer., P AD 5003.

P AD 5110-3. Seminar on Nonprofit Management.

Covers the principles and techniques of successful nonprofit management. Topics include such issues as board selection and governance, leadership, strategic planning, marketing and public relations, business management and fund accounting, the use of consultants, personnel policies, fund raising, and resource development.

P AD 5120-3. Seminar on Nonprofits and Public Sector.

Explores the roles of nonprofits in the policy process. Topics include interest group behavior, implementation issues, policy research and advocacy, organized philanthropy, nonprofit lobbying, and the ethics of private nonprofit participation in the policy process.

P AD 5130-3. Collaboration Across Sectors.

The blurring of the three economic sectors continues to increase as more organizations partner with each other and/or contract out for the delivery of services. This course focuses on collaboration and partnerships involving public, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations as they stive to acheive public goals. Particular variables in administration and regulatory policies for each sector and how they affect procurement, contracting, grants administration, and expectations of accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness will be examined.

P AD 5140-3. Nonprofit Financial Management.

Nonprofit organizations depend on philanthropic, governmental, and fee-based funding. This course addresses the nature and the implications of these alternatives, as well as planning and budgeting for resource adequacy. The role of governmental regulation and funding for the nonprofit sector is a key focus. The course also covers the theory and practice of fund raising and development among nonprofit organizations.

P AD 5150-3. Understanding and Achieving Funding Diversity.

This class is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the range of funding sources available to nonprofit organizations (e.g. foundation and governmental grants, individual and corporate donations, entrepreneurial sources of revenue, events, and etc.), as well as detailed information on how to secure support of the various sources presented. Additionally, students are expected to gain both theoretical and practical knowledge relevant to fundraising and why it is important to diversity an organization’s revenue streams.

P AD 5160-3. Nonprofit Board of Directors and Governance.

Roles, responsibilities, processes, and powers of voluntary boards of directors. Topics include leadership and management roles of board members and executive directors, board composition, board roles in fund raising, board liability, conduct of meetings, advisory boards and committees, and board development in grass roots organizations.

P AD 5220-3. Human Resources Management.

The technical knowledge and interpersonal skills involved in managing public and nonprofit sector personnel have become extremely complex and challenging. This course probes the underlying values and techniques associated with employee recruitment, selection, motivation, training, affirmative action, compensation, benefits, performance appraisal, and related topics.

P AD 5260-3. Managing in a Multicultural Society.

Using a systems approach, diversity within organizations is examined through the construction and review of theories in private, public and nonprofit organizations. Existing modes of managing diversity are examined and analyzed.

P AD 5262-3. Leadership Workshop.

This skill building workshop focuses on issues of effective leadership in the organizational setting and enables participants to examine their own leadership style(s) and how those styles influence others. Models of effective leadership are examined and applied to the specific work settings of those participating, with distinctions between leadership and management being developed.

P AD 5270-3. Management Development.

With a focus on the balance between one’s personal and professional life, this course seeks to identify and apply principles out of which public managers can increase their effectiveness. Considering such issues as stress management, creative problem solving, time management, cooperative work strategies, effective listening, decision-making, and mechanisms for increasing power, this course has a strong focus on enabling students to personally apply the concepts considered.

P AD 5271-3. Managing Conflict and Change.

Explores the process of change in organizations, communities and society and the conflicts that arise within those organizations. Through the use of relevant case studies and role playing exercises, students are provided a practical framework for looking at change and managing conflict associated with change.

P AD 5320-3. Public Policy Analysis.

Provides training in the systematic analysis of policy and program initiatives. The course also covers benefit cost analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis and present values. Prer., ECON 101 or P AD 5004. Meets with ECON 423.

P AD 5350-3. Program Evaluation.

Program evaluation is an important part of improving the performance of public and nonprofit organizations. This course introduces models and theories of program evaluation including decision-making models, utilization-focused evaluation, theory-based approaches, participatory and empowerment evaluation, and others. Students will also gain skills in program evaluation and will plan an evaluation for an organization or agency. Emphasis is placed on exercises and simulations to build skills for conducting evaluations.

P AD 5361-3. Advanced Seminar in Public Policy and Management.

Designed to assist students in synthesizing what they have learned in the program, applying their knowledge and skills to a particular problem of interest. Students conduct an independent project, enabling them to explore an issue in depth. This course is taken in the final semester of the student’s program. Meets with C J 5361.

P AD 5370-3. Media and Public Policy.

Explores the conventions and practices of the print and electronic media in the United States. Students will better understand the place of the media in society, the way the media look at themselves, and how journalists confront conflicting values in the performance of their roles.

P AD 5380-3. Citizen Participation: Theory and Practice.

Tackles the issues of citizen participation and community involvement in theory and practice. Students will work in class on understanding the theoretical foundations that are relevent to citizen participation. Students will also engage in significant out-of-class projects to ground them in the practice of public involvement.

P AD 5410-3. Administrative Law.

This course examines the legal aspects of policy implementation, particularly the relationship between courts and administrative agencies. Students will cover standards of judicial review and agency action; administrative procedure and due process; selected special topics such as rights, liabilities, and immunities of public employees; and administrative discretion and scientific uncertainty.

P AD 5440-3. Negotiation and Conflict Resolution.

Focuses on the concepts and skills necessary to negotiate policy and management decisions and manage internal conflicts. It is designed to help students understand the dynamics that affect negotiations and to apply the principles and strategies of negotiations in a variety of decision-making and dispute resolution contexts.

P AD 5502-3. Public Financial Management and Policy.

The use of financial resources is at the heart of governing; policy decisions are meaningful only when resources are provided to implement them. This course examines American public sector finance in relation to other nations; the national government and fiscal well-being; types of budgeting systems and their uses; creation of the national budget; structure of the local government budget; and selected topics such as debt and cash management, accounting for resource use, and forecasting financial condition.

P AD 5540-3. Organization Development.

A study of the dynamics involved in managing and facilitating change in organizations by application of behavioral science knowledge. Emphasis is placed on both cognitive and experiential learning. A background in organization theory and administrative behavior is recommended.

P AD 5615-3. Health Policy.

Health is one of the more important policy issues facing America today. This course examines the nature of health policy and how it is impacted by politics, with a focus on the federal government’s major programs for purchasing health care, Medicare and Medicaid, and their evolution over time. The course also reviews the impact of sociocultural context and federalism on program structure, the effects of managed care on the health care system and the state’s role in providing health care. Attention is also given to health care issues in Colorado.

P AD 5625-3. Local Government Management.

Relates the systems, processes, and principles of public management to the local government environment. Public management concepts such as strategic planning, bureaucracy, formal and informal organizational structures, human resource planning, management control, systems theory, and administrative behavior are explored within the context of local government.

P AD 5626-3. Local Government Politics and Policy.

The perspective of politics and public policy making is essential to understanding local governance. This course focuses on local government political structures, policy analysis and formulation, political forces in administrative decision making, and relationships between professional administrations and elected officials.

P AD 5710-3. Public Sector Technology.

Introduces participants to innovative and cutting- edge technology in the public sector. Emphasizes current information technology concepts, issues and practices, systems, self-service kiosks, groupware, simulations, imaging systems, data warehousing, and the Internet/World Wide Web.

P AD 6115-3. Grant Writing.

Designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to perform one of the most critical functions for any public or nonprofit sector agency today: gaining funds through proposals. Students learn how to find a funding source among various public and private sources and how to plan and write a proposal.

P AD 6910-3. Field Study in Public Administration.

For students who have not had substantial professional experience in public or nonprofit organizations. Prer., Completion of the core courses and relevant electives.

P AD 9500-1 TO 3. Independent Study.

Independent study in Public Administration. Prer., Consent of Instructor.