CJUS 660 - Capital Punishment Around the World

Credit Hours: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
Laboratory (or Other) Hours: 0

Prerequisite(s): CJUS 500 and CJUS 510
Corequisite(s): None
Restriction(s): Students must be enrolled in the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program

This course will explore capital punishment in the United States and abroad. Topics will include relevant Supreme Court case law on sentencing, mental illness, and wrongful convictions. On a global level, methods of execution and application of capital punishment to political crimes, terrorism, and drug trafficking will be explored. The latter part of the course will consider the role of international institutions, such as the United Nations, European Union, Catholic Church, and human rights organizations in the death penalty debate.

Student Learning Outcomes of the Course:

Summarize the methods of execution and application of capital punishment to various crimes used across the world.
Explore the role of international institutions in the death penalty debate.
Analyze the legal environment of capital punishment.
Formulate legal arguments for, and against, the use of capital punishment.
Evaluate the future of capital punishment in the United States and the world based on existing research and court decisions.