The future: the only constant is change. The only certainty is uncertainty. So how do you prepare today for what might come tomorrow? In this introductory, interdisciplinary course unique to Excelsior University, you will learn through questions, not answers. You will challenge your prior assumptions, open your mind, and consider society s future dilemmas, progress, and crises. You will plan and question your own future your educational path, career trajectories, personal interests, ambitions, and mindsets. And you will build the foundational skills and flexibility of mind research and writing, critical thinking, argumentative reasoning, metacognition, and self-regulation to help you navigate the uncertainty and change of our future societies, workplaces, and selves. Note: This course must be completed with a grade of C or higher. Registration in this course is restricted to incoming students with fewer than 60 transfer credits. This course duplicates IND301 and CCS120. Credit for only one of these courses will be applied toward graduation. The Cornerstone cannot be completed in the same term as a Capstone course.

Information literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, interpret, and use information legally, ethically, and effectively. This course provides a broad overview of information literacy concepts, including the differences between academic and popular research methods, finding and evaluating sources, reading sources critically, writing with sources, and safely navigating information networks such as the internet. Students must complete information literacy within their first 13 credits at Excelsior.

This course is an introductory examination of the American criminal justice system with an understanding of its social and institutional context, unique structure, and functioning. The course provides an overview of the foundations and components of the criminal justice system, including (substantive and procedural) criminal law, police, courts, and corrections. Emphasis will be placed on the criminal justice process itself and how the various institutions of criminal justice interact. Key issues will be addressed such as individual rights versus public order, defining and measuring crime, knowledge of criminal law, and the challenges, issues, and limitations facing the police, the courts, and the rehabilitation system -- within the context of our U.S. Constitution. Different aspects and stages of this process will also be explored.

This class provides students with foundational knowledge and skills to prepare them for academic and professional writing. By analyzing the work of other writers, students will learn to approach writing from a rhetorical and genre-based perspective. They will practice sentence- and paragraph-level writing, learning to revise and correct their own work. They will also work on finding, documenting, and effectively integrating sources into a research-based essay. Both traditional (textual) and multimodal (textual and visual) composition will be addressed.

In this interdisciplinary course, students will develop the analytical skills necessary to examine ethical issues in the workplace. Students explore conventional ethical theories and principles, develop ethical decision-making, and resolve common dilemmas. Students discuss the multiple challenges faced by professionals and identify ethical practices or codes that apply to each of their own professions.

This course examines the historical evolution, roles, legal foundations, and challenges faced by contemporary law enforcement. The structure of law enforcement agencies, personnel, and administration will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on the functions, responsibilities, and public accountability of law enforcement within American society, as well as career opportunities and alternatives in the field of law enforcement.

This course helps students to develop their skill as public speakers and oral communicators. Designed to provide students with a supportive environment where they can  overcome the anxiety they may feel about public speaking, the class emphasizes techniques and practices for effective speech construction and delivery. Students will also develop critical thinking and listening skills. Students taking this course will need access to recording equipment for the purpose of creating podcasts, voiced-over PowerPoint presentations and videotaped speeches.

Free elective credit may be earned in any field of collegiate study. Please contact your academic advisor to discuss course options.

This course offers an introduction to the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, research methods, and scholarship in sociology. Sociology is the scientific study of human social behavior, and this course examines several important sociological topics, including: culture; socialization; deviance; social inequality; social institutions; and social change. This course also explores various socio-historical and socio-cultural frameworks across the world, promoting an appreciation for unique cultural identities and institutions. Students will improve their analysis, understanding and interpretation of contemporary social issues in this rapidly changing world. This course encourages the practice of "doing" sociology through exploration of students' everyday social world, and the often invisible and taken-for-granted social forces that shape it.

Free elective credit may be earned in any field of collegiate study. Please contact your academic advisor to discuss course options.

In this course, you'll apply psychological principles and theory to your everyday life.  In addition to foundational topics like psychology as a science, learning and memory, human development, and consciousness, you will learn about some more specific topics like stress and health, psychological disorders and therapy, and human sexuality. Concepts learned in this course can be applied in any career to better understand behavior, thought, and emotion. Note: This course uses lower cost interactive courseware instead of textbooks.  

Discusses the organization and functions of corrections within the criminal justice system and emphasizes the evolution of corrections for the rehabilitation of offenders. Students discuss the future of corrections with an eye toward continuing the current evolution of correctional systems in American society.

The purpose of this course is to give the student an overview of current and emerging trends in science and technology so that s/he will be able to make informed decisions and be an informed consumer. The course will introduce the scientific method and terminology used in reporting scientific results. A survey of current topical science issues will be covered as examples. This course will also prepare the student to read accounts about scientific, technological, and medical advances in the press and assess the scientific conclusions presented.

This course focuses on issues relating to the challenges presented to law enforcement officers and agencies by increasingly diverse communities and work forces. It places these complex dynamics in social and historical context and points to skills and strategies for police officers and agencies to better understand and communicate with those who are different because of gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or culture. Ultimately it is the goal of this course to present a clear understanding of the highly globalized, multicultural country we live in as well as ways to make law enforcement more cohesive among the many cultures they will encounter. This course deals with many cultural issues and at times some of the content may be sensitive to you or others based on your experiences. As criminal justice practitioners, it is important to be aware of and exposed to issues you will face in your career. In your dealings with each other, it is important to be respectful and kind. Education can be uncomfortable at times but this course will help you move from being uncomfortable to comfortable with these issues in your career.

The goal of this course is to help students develop mathematical reasoning and problem solving skills that will serve them well in their lives both in and out of school. Topics will include the important real-world applications of measurement units, managing money, statistics in the media, the mathematics of voting, and mathematics in the arts and nature. Providing correct solutions to routine problems is not the goal; more important is the ability to communicate effectively about mathematical reasoning and to solve realistic, practical problems both collaboratively with other students and individually. This is a survey course introducing the student to a variety of mathematical topics. It does not prepare a student for future courses that require a knowledge of algebra (e.g. PreCalculus or Statistics).

Provides a comprehensive review and in-depth analysis of the rules of evidence and criminal procedural law in the United States. Analyzes case law which interprets the constitutional guarantees afforded the accused by the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments, and the admissibility of evidence in court proceedings. Particular emphasis is placed upon arrest, search and seizure, confessions and admissions, the privilege against self-incrimination, the right to counsel, the exclusionary rule and its exceptions, burden of proof, and procedural due process.

This course explores the judicial processes employed in handling minor criminal offenders; those generally under the age of 18 years. These include arrest, legal guardian responsibilities, sealed court records, case adjudication, sentencing and juvenile corrections. Also covered are the biological, psychological and sociocultural aspects of delinquency and its causes, potential deterrence and rehabilitation modalities. This is an 8 - week format. If you have experienced 15-week formats, you can expect the 8-week format to be nearly double the workload of a 15-week format

Free elective credit may be earned in any field of collegiate study. Please contact your academic advisor to discuss course options.

Free elective credit may be earned in any field of collegiate study. Please contact your academic advisor to discuss course options.

Free elective credit may be earned in any field of collegiate study. Please contact your academic advisor to discuss course options.

The capstone course is designed to allow learners the opportunity to coalesce what they have learned about criminal justice throughout the program. Learners will analyze various aspects of the criminal justice system and apply their knowledge to discuss, generate and write solutions regarding technical, legal, ethical and demographic issues that may arise in this field.