WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
VIRTUAL CAMPUS
Wayland Mission Statement: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically
challenging, learning-focused, and distinctively Christian environment for professional success, and service to God
and humankind.
Course Title, Number, and Section: SOCI 4316 – VC 01 - Topics in Sociology: Serial Killers
Term: Spring 2015
Instructor: Beth Durbin, MSW, MED
Office Phone Number and WBU Email Address: Office: 907-377-4398 Home: 907-490-6023
Cell: 907-460-3226 Email: durbinb@wbu.edu
Office Hours, Building, and Location: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm (Alaska time)
Class Meeting Time and Location: Virtual Campus
Catalog Description: Selected topics/issues in sociology.
There is no prerequisite for this course
Required Textbook(s) and/or Required Material(s):
1. The Killer Book of Serial Killers (2009) by Tom Philbin & Michael Philbin. Napperville, IL:
Sourcebooks, Inc. ISBN: 978-1-4022-1385-4
2. The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations: The Grisly Business Unit (2003) by Robert Keppel &
William Birnes. London, UK: Academic Press. ISBN: 978-0-1240-4260-5
Optional Materials: optional articles will be posted on Blackboard
Course Outcome Competencies: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
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You should have an understanding of the evolution of the study of serial homicide and the social
construction of serial murder.
You should have a detailed understanding of the trends in homicides in America, and homicides that could
potentially be attributed to serial killers. In short, you should understand that serial homicide is a relatively
rare event even under the most liberal of definitions.
You should be able to discuss the various definitions of what is considered a serial killer.
You should be able to distinguish between the different typologies of serial killers.
You should be able to discuss the subdivisions of serial killers and their characteristics.
You should be able to discuss the theories of serial homicide and the specific factors which may explain
this behavior.
You should have gained a basic knowledge about the “making of a serial killer.”
You should be able to distinguish myth from fact when discussing serial killers.
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You should have a basic knowledge about the “core” serial killers in American society.
You should be able to develop a basic “profile” of various serial killers.
You should be able to discuss the nature of victimization involving serial homicide.
You should be able to discuss advances in forensic and investigative techniques as they relate to serial
homicide.
You should have an understanding of the different motivations of female versus male serial killers.
You should have an understanding of “what happens” to serial killers when they are caught and processed
by the criminal justice system.
Attendance Requirements:
Virtual Campus
Students are expected to participate in all required instructional activities in their courses. Online courses are no
different in this regard; however, participation must be defined in a different manner. Student “attendance” in an
online course is defined as active participation in the course as described in the course syllabus. Instructors in
online courses are responsible for providing students with clear instructions for how they are required to participate
in the course. Additionally, instructors are responsible for incorporating specific instructional activities within their
course and will, at a minimum, have weekly mechanisms for documenting student participation. These mechanisms
may include, but are not limited to, participating in a weekly discussion board, submitting/completing assignments
in Blackboard, or communicating with the instructor. Students aware of necessary absences must inform the
professor with as much advance notice as possible in order to make appropriate arrangements. Any student absent
25 percent or more of the online course, i.e., non-participatory during 3 or more weeks of an 11 week term, may
receive an F for that course. Instructors may also file a Report of Unsatisfactory Progress for students with
excessive non-participation. Any student who has not actively participated in an online class prior to the census
date for any given term is considered a “no-show” and will be administratively withdrawn from the class without
record. To be counted as actively participating, it is not sufficient to log in and view the course. The student must
be submitting work as described in the course syllabus. Additional attendance and participation policies for each
course, as defined by the instructor in the course syllabus, are considered a part of the university’s attendance
policy.
Disability Statement: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of
Wayland Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded from participation in,
be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity in the
university. The Coordinator of Counseling Services serves as the coordinator of students with a disability and
should be contacted concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291- 3765. Documentation of a disability must
accompany any request for accommodations.
Course Requirements and Grading Criteria:
Your grade will be based on your performance on the following:
Discussion Board: Regular attendance and participation in online discussions/activities are important and strongly
encouraged to facilitate the learning process. Assigned reading is to be completed prior to online interactive
sessions for which the reading was assigned. At least one discussion question will be assigned per week that will
require students to share their ideas and concepts with other students. Students are encouraged to share
constructive information with the instructor and fellow classmates. The students are required to comment to the
teachers’ discussion question by Wednesday at 9:00 pm (CST) and then respond to two other comments by Sunday
at 11:59 pm (CST) to receive full credit weekly.
Exams: The exams will be a midterm and a final exam. The tests will be posted on the blackboard; more
information will be under announcements when the time comes. This is NOT a proctored test.
Assignments:
Film Analysis:
Watch a movie related to a topic that is discussed in the text. Write a 2-3 page paper analysis on the movie. Here
are some examples of films: The Ted Bundy Story, The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter, Boneyard, Dear Mr. Gacy,
Speck. You can pick other films that you feel is appropriate, these are just some ideas.
You Tube Investigation of Serial Killers:
Each student will be required to “investigate” three different serial killers or three different subjects related to serial
homicide on www.youtube.com. Simply go to this website and type in the name of the serial killer or serial
homicide subject. Students will have to read video descriptions because several videos will not be pertinent or
related, disregard those. Youtube contains many video clips (e.g., news stories, actual videos, interviews, etc.)
pertaining to serial killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer, Henry Lee Lucas, Eileen Wuornos, Richard Ramirez (aka the
Night Stalker), Charlie Manson, and historical video segments from the Zodiac murders in California. This cite also
contains information on serial homicide related topics, such as the Body Farm at the University of Tennessee.
Students are required to view several pertinent videos, news clips, interviews, etc. and write a 1 page list of
bulleted points on what was learned about a particular serial killer or serial homicide related topic. Please make
sure to write your bulleted points in short, but complete, sentences.
See the syllabus timeline for due dates for those specific projects.
Power point:
You will research the historical attributes of a specific serial killer, create a PowerPoint presentation, and then
present your report on Blackboard.
You will select one serial killer from the following list or other with teacher approval:
David Berkowitz
Ian Brady
Myra Hindley
Ted Bundy
Albert Fish
John Wayne Gacy
Ed Kemper
Charles Manson
Richard Ramirez
Peter Kurten
Henry Lee Lucas
John Christie
Ed Gein
Jeffrey Dahmer
Albert Desalvo
Andrei Chikatilo
Ted Kaczynski
Mary Ann Cotton
Marybeth Tinning
Nannie Doss
Dorothea Puente
Jack the Ripper
Fritz Haarmann
Wayne Williams
Nicolas Claux
Vlad Dracula
Arthur Shawcross
H.H Holmes
Research specific questions about your serial killer:
a. What was their childhood like?
b. Were there any precursors? Did childhood behavior reflect problems?
c. What was their adult life like? Did they finish high school/college?
Did they marry? Have children? Were they loners?
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Were they ever diagnosed with a mental disorder? Did they ever receive treatment?
What was the nature of their crimes? What was the time span for their crimes? How many victims?
What was their behavior like when they were caught?
Were they found capable to withstand trial?
What were they charged with and sentenced to?
Are they still alive? Or did they die differently than their sentence? Or were they sentenced to death and
executed in prison?
Your PowerPoint needs to contain the following:
A minimum of 15 total slides.
A minimum of five photos – one of which must be the person you are researching.
Answer (in some form) the questions that you are researching.
A list of references.
Method of determining course grade:
Grade Weight: (based on 650 points possible)
Discussion Board: 50 points
Film Analysis: 100 points
You-Tube 1: 100 points
You-Tube 2: 100 points
You-Tube 3: 100 points
PowerPoint: 100 points
Mid Term: 100 points
Final Exam: 100 points
The University has a standard grade scale:
A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F= below 60, W = Withdrawal, WP = withdrew passing, WF =
withdrew failing, I = incomplete. An incomplete may be given within the last two weeks of a long term or within
the last two days of a microterm to a student who is passing, but has not completed a term paper, examination, or
other required work for reasons beyond the student’s control. A grade of “incomplete” is changed if the work
required is completed prior to the last day of the next long (10 to 15 weeks) term, unless the instructor designates an
earlier date for completion. If the work is not completed by the appropriate date, the I is converted to an F.
Student grade appeals:
Students shall have protection through orderly procedures against prejudices or capricious academic evaluation. A
student who believes that he or she has not been held to realistic academic standards, just evaluation procedures, or
appropriate grading, may appeal the final grade given in the course by using the student grade appeal process
described in the Academic Catalog. Appeals may not be made for advanced placement examinations or course
bypass examinations. Appeals limited to the final course grade, which may be upheld, raised, or lowered at any
stage of the appeal process. Any recommendation to lower a course grade must be submitted through the Executive
Vice President/Provost to the Faculty Assembly Grade Appeals Committee for review and approval. The Faculty
Assembly Grade Appeals Committee may instruct that the course grade be upheld, raised, or lowered to a more
proper evaluation.
Tentative Schedule:
Week 1 - February 23
Blackboard Introduction
Discussion Board question 1
Read Chapter 1 – 5 – Killer Book & Chap 1- Psychology of Serial Killer
Week 2 - March 2
Discussion Board question 2
Read Chapter 6-10 – Killer – Chap. 2 - Psychology
You-tube 1 due
Week 3 - March 9
Discussion Board question 3
Read Chap. 11-15 - Killer & Chap. 3 - Psychology
March 16-22 – Spring Break
Week 4 - March 23
Discussion Board question 4
Read Chap. 16-20 – Killer & Chap. 4 – Psychology
You-tube 2 due
Week 5 – March 30
Mid-term exam
Week 6 – April 6
Discussion Board question 5
Read Chap. 21-25 – Killer & Chap. 5 – Psychology
Film Analysis due
Week 7 - April 13
Discussion Board question 6
Read Chap 26-30 – Killer & Chap. 6 - Psychology
Week 8 – April 20
Discussion Board question 7
Read Chap. 31-35 – Killer & Chap. 7 – Psychology
You-tube 3 due
Week 9 - April 27
Discussion Board question 8
Read 36 – 39 – Killer & Chap. 8 - Psychology
Week 10 –May 4
Discussion Board question 9
Read Chap. 9 - Psychology
PowerPoint due
Week 11- May 11
Final Exam
Additional Information:
http://catalog.wbu.edu