CRIM.5710 Domestic Terrorism and Violent Extremism (3cr)
This course examines the evolution and contemporary nature of domestic terrorist threats and violent extremist movements that the U.S. has confronted over the past several decades. Special attention is focused on right-wing militias, religious extremists, racial supremacist/hate groups, and extreme environmental and animal rights groups. Students will also learn about political and socioeconomic factors that enable a terrorist group's ideological resonance, prison radicalization, the role of the Internet in mobilizing individuals toward violent behavior, and the legal and criminal justice dimensions of responses to terrorism.
CRIM.5720 Comparative Terrorism and Counterterrorism (3cr)
This course examines a broad spectrum of terrorist groups and counterterrorism responses in over a dozen countries, including Colombia, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Northern Ireland/UK, Pakistan, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Yemen. This comparative analysis will help students develop and understanding of patterns and trends within political violence (including radicalization, tactics, financing, targeting behavior, malevolent creativity, disengagement and de-radicalization) and the many different policies and strategies adopted by governments in response to terrorist threat.
Requirements:
CSCE Graduate Restrictions
CRIM.6050 Advanced Theory of Political Violence (3cr)
The course aims to provide advanced understanding of the various ways in which social scientists explain the manifestations of political violence, such as terrorism, insurgency, and political assassinations. Theories from the fields of political science, sociology, criminology, international relations, and economics will be introduced, and critically analyzed, to examine their utility in answering questions such as: How does violence differ from other types political action? When and why is violence employed in place of peaceful solutions to conflict? How is violence being rationalized? The course will force students to grapple with research from different disciplinary traditions, and with various methodologies, and in general, exercise an interdisciplinary approach.
Requirements:
PhD Students only, or Instructor Permission.
CRIM.6660 Terrorism Networks (3cr)
This course will explore the dynamics of terrorist networks and will equip students with an understanding of the drivers of terrorist network formation, development and disintegration. The course will also provide students with knowledge and understanding of how, why and when networks expand, affiliate, and occasionally splinter. And finally, students will be guided through the applicability of network theory and analysis to the design of hypothetical operational responses and contingency planning surrounding the disruption or containment of terrorist networks.
Requirements:
CSCE Graduate Restrictions
CRIM.6690 Counterterrorism Policies and Strategies (3cr)
This course examines the formulation and implementation of U.S. national strategies for combating terrorism, protecting critical infrastructure, and preventing the proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons or materials that could be used by terrorists. Students will develop an understanding of the structure and operations of key federal agencies, state and local fusion centers, and examine the political, legal, moral and ethical issues of countering modern terrorism threats.
Requirements:
CRIM.571 (CRIM 5490) Domestic Terrorism and Violence Extremism, or CRIM.572 (CRIM 5710) Comparative Terrorism and Counterterrorism. or Permission of Instructor.
CRIM.7100 Advanced Research in Terrorism (3cr)
This course focuses on describing and understanding how research and evidence-based analysis helps us to understand, explain and predict changes in terrorist behavior. The course makes use of case studies to illustrate quantitative and qualitative research methods, and to approach research questions on terrorism from multiple levels of analysis. The course will also examine successful examples of interdisciplinary research and will help students navigate the pathway from theoretically informed research on terrorism to policy and practitioner-relevant counter-terrorism.
Requirements:
PhD Students only, or Instructor Permission.