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Certificate in Crime Analysis (Non-Degree) |
Certificate in Crime Analysis
Crime analysis is a
criminal justice occupational field that
engages in the systematic analysis of data
from a wide variety of sources in order to
provide information about the patterns and
trends of crimes in a locality, state, or
nation. The work product of a crime analyst
can be used to inform tactical and strategic
decision making, support investigative
efforts, assist in the study of resource
needs, and facilitate the development of
criminal justice policy.
A post-baccalaureate
certificate (PBC) is an educational
certificate that attests to certain advanced
graduate study in an area of concentration
beyond the baccalaureate level. It is
graduate-level coursework, but is less than
the credit hours necessary to earn a
Master’s degree. The PBC in crime analysis
is a 15-credit hour program designed to
develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities
for an entry level position as a crime
analyst or to enhance the skills of a
working analyst. It includes coursework in
environmental criminology, research methods,
statistics, crime analysis, and crime
mapping. Upon completion of the required
curriculum, the student is awarded the PBC
in Crime Analysis.
Anyone who has
completed a bachelor’s degree from an
accredited college or university, and meets
the admission standards for graduate
students in the Department of Criminal
Justice at Radford University, is eligible
to enroll. Also, graduate students currently
enrolled in a course of study at Radford
University may participate in this program.
To enroll in the
program, you must first be admitted to
Radford University as either a
degree-seeking or a non-degree seeking
graduate student. Students already enrolled
as degree-seeking graduate students at
Radford University are eligible to enroll in
the PBC in Crime Analysis program. Students
who are interested in the PBC in Crime
Analysis, but do not presently desire to
seek a Master’s degree, must first complete
an application to the Department of Criminal
Justice graduate program as a non-degree
seeking student. This application is
available on-line at the College of Graduate
and Professional Studies website.
The curriculum
includes coursework in environmental
criminology, research methods, statistics,
and crime mapping. The following
describes the 15-credit hour curriculum:
CRJU 670. Criminal
Justice Research Methods (3)
Description:
This course is a practical application of
basic research methods developed in the
field of criminal justice. The student must
conduct a research project or thesis
proposal and present their research in the
classroom forum. A review of research
methodology will be presented. Computer
applications will be emphasized where
appropriate.
CRJU 671.
Quantitative Methods in Criminal Justice
Research (3)
Description:
This course is intended to equip the
students with the ability to calculate and
conduct statistical analyses for applied
research, to ensure the ability to interpret
the results from statistical analysis, and
to apply those results to appropriate
situations.
CRJU 672.
Applications in Crime Analysis (3)
Description:
This course is an introduction to the
application of quantitative methods in the
analysis of crime trends, patterns, and
series for use in tactical, strategic and
administrative situations.
CRJU 673. Crime
Mapping (3)
Description:
This course develops basic and advanced
skills in the tactical and strategic mapping
of crime trends, patterns, and series.
CRJU 676.
Environmental Criminology (3)
Description:
This course explores the theoretical
underpinnings of the temporal and spatial
distribution of crime with attention to
prevention, intervention, order maintenance,
and policy implications.
Course delivery will be through a hybrid
on-line format. This is not a self-paced,
self-instructed curriculum. Instead students
will meet once a week in a virtual on-line
classroom using Adobe Connect to receive
lecture materials and instructions, skill
demonstrations, and to participate in
on-line discussions with their classmates.
These skill-based courses will generally use
the adult-learner “watch-follow-do” model of
instruction.
The courses will also
make use of the WebCT/Blackboard platform to
augment the course with a variety of
web-based educational materials and learning
tools. Each course will last one 14-week
semester and upon successful completion the
student will earn 3-credit hours of graduate
study. Students will complete weekly reading
and homework assignments designed to assess
their mastery of the skills being taught in
the class.
An initial
orientation session will be held to insure
that all the participating students have a
basic proficiency with the course software.
This will necessitate travel to the Roanoke
Higher Education Center in Roanoke, VA for a
Saturday class covering this material and to
meet your class mates and professor
face-to-face. After this one-day session,
the rest of the coursework can be completed
on-line from any computer with high-speed
internet access.
The PBC in Crime
Analysis will use a cohort model, starting a
group of students at the same time and
offering the courses in a sequence so that a
student will be able to complete the
certificate in five semesters. Cohorts will
begin in the fall semester.
Class size will be
limited because of the virtual class room
format. Each cohort will only enroll 15
students. Although on campus graduate
students are eligible to enroll in these
classes on a space-available basis, priority
will be given to on-line cohort students to
insure that the cohort moves through the
course sequence as a group.
Students will need to
have access to a computer with high-speed
access (DSL, cable-modem, or through a LAN)
to the internet. This computer should have
Microsoft Office software installed. In
addition, the student should have
Administrator-status on the machine to
facilitate the installation of various
programs. The student should also have the
ability to adjust or modify any firewall or
other security settings to allow full access
to the course support software (Adobe
Connect and WebCT/Blackboard). While it may
be possible to use a computer at your
workplace, the security settings on such
systems generally prohibit this.
Students enrolling in
the program should have a working knowledge
of the Desktop environment, the use of the
MS Office suite of programs, and be
comfortable operating a web browser. It will
be assumed that students are familiar with
such routine operations as opening,
modifying, saving and closing files.
Students should also be comfortable in
general file maintenance and storage on a
computer. No special computer skills are
needed, and those necessary to survive in a
contemporary office environment are
sufficient.
.
Certificate Contact:
Dr. Isaac Van Patten, Program Coordinator
Department of Criminal Justice
Phone: 540-831-6737
E-mail:
ivanpatt@radford.edu
http://crju-web.asp.radford.edu/PBC.htm
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