Syllabus for AOJ-310
CRIMINAL LAW
This course will explore criminal law from a variety of perspectives. Students will examine the basic elements of crimes, including actus reus and mens rea; general doctrines of criminal liability, such as complicity, causation, attempt, and conspiracy; and an example of substantive crime grading (homicide). Other topics covered include inchoate crime, crimes against persons, crimes against property, and defenses that the accused might raise. Finally, students will explore current cases and jurisdictions across the country, as criminal law does not constitute a uniform body of rules across jurisdictions.
After completing this course, students should be able to:
CO 1 Discuss the purposes and goals of criminal law in the United States.
CO 2 Explain how specific intent relates to criminal statutes and charges.
CO 3 Describe the circumstances needed for a defendant to qualify under the M’Naghten rule and how defendants become exempt from criminal liability.
CO 4 Analyze the relationship between portions of the U.S. Constitution and criminal law.
CO 5 Examine crimes against a person, crimes against property, and crimes that do not fall within either of those categories.
CO 6 Discuss penalties for criminal charges at the state and federal levels.
You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.
ISBN-13: 978-1305966369
Criminal Law is a three-credit, online course consisting of six modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, take module quizzes, and complete a final paper. See below for details.
Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.
One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in About SafeAssign.
You are required to complete seven discussion forums. The discussion forums are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. A grading rubric for the discussion forums can be found in the Evaluation Rubrics folder in Moodle.
You are required to complete eight written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. A grading rubric for each of the written assignments can be found in the Evaluation Rubrics folder in Moodle.
You are required to complete six quizzes. The quizzes are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. You may take these quizzes multiple times for additional practice; the result of your most recent attempt will appear in your gradebook.
You are required to complete a final paper for which you will conduct research on a policy related to criminal law. The final paper is broken up into three different parts which will be completed at various points throughout the semester. See the Final Paper area of the course for details. Grading rubrics for Parts 2 and 3 of the final paper can be found in the Evaluation Rubrics folder. Part 1 will be graded as Approved/Needs Revision.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
A | = | 93–100 | C+ | = | 78–79 | |
A– | = | 90–92 | C | = | 73–77 | |
B+ | = | 88–89 | C– | = | 70–72 | |
B | = | 83–87 | D | = | 60–69 | |
B– | = | 80–82 | F | = | Below 60 |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings).
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.
For more, see:
Copyright © 2019 by Thomas Edison State University. All rights reserved.
