This is a sophomore/junior level class dealing with theories of crime. In other words, the course content represents social scientists' best efforts to answer the question, "Why did he, she, or they do it?" Criminologists also must address differences in crime rates across different groups, asking questions like, "Why does the United States have higher homicide rates than other industrialized countries?" Because criminal behavior (and human behavior generally) is a complex phenomenon, the class covers biological, psychological and sociological theories of crime. Emphasis is placed on:

• Understanding the different theoretical explanations of crime and their history
• Understanding the social context of criminological theories
• Empirically judging theories of crime
• Gleaning the policy implications of specific criminological theories

Cullen, F.T., and R. Agnew. (2006). Criminological Theory: Past to Present. Third Edition. Los Angeles: Roxbury.

Individuals who have any disability, either permanent or temporary, which might affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to inform the instructor at the start of the semester. Adaptation of methods, materials or testing may be made as required to provide for equitable participation. It is your responsibility to contact the Access Center for advice regarding adaptations.

Cheating on exams or assignments will be dealt with in accordance with University policies. Anyone caught cheating on an exam will receive a zero for that exam. Plagiarism refers to presenting another's words or ideas as if they were your own. It is cheating and thus an academic offense. The penalty for plagiarism is failure for that particular assignment. I encourage you to work together, but you must turn in your own work. If you use ideas or words from the texts or outside readings, you must cite the work. See the assignment guidelines for instruction on proper citation format.

I do not take attendance and there is no formal penalty for missing class (no points will be deducted from your score based solely on attendance). However, past experience with teaching this class suggests that a student's attendance is strongly related to his or her exam performance. Some of the material we cover is very complex, and the lectures are designed to help you organize and comprehend the readings. Further, most of the exam questions stem directly from class discussions.

All students are expected to take the exams on the scheduled date. If you have a legitimate excuse, you must notify me before the exam. Anyone missing an exam without prior notification will receive a zero for that exam.

Given that attendance is not mandatory, I expect that students who attend class will pay attention to the lecture, and not hold conversations unrelated to class, pass notes, or engage in other high school level antics. Please turn off your cell phone prior to class and refrain from making cell phone calls during class. Given the nature of our topic, there are bound to be differences of opinion. I expect that students will nevertheless treat each other (and myself) with respect at all times.

Exams: There will be three examinations. Each exam will consist of 5-7 short answer essay questions. Of these questions, you will be required to choose and answer 3-4.

Assignments: There are sixteen different assignments, posted on the online version of this syllabus (the links are in the calendar below). For each assignment there are 2-3 questions designed to help you think critically about the readings. The assignments are in Microsoft Word format. All students must complete EIGHT of these assignments before the end of the semester. These assignments must be turned in on the day they are due before class begins. Assignments turned in after we have discussed the topic in class lose two points (out of ten total) for each day they are late. The lowest score will be dropped. Please see the assignment guidelines for expectations and format.

NOTE: The assignment web page also contains links to power point presentations used in class. I encourage you to download and print these before class.

Grading Scale: (Instructor reserves right to curve final grades upward)