Master of Arts in Criminal Justice
Goals and Objectives
The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice program provides students with comprehensive knowledge of all components of the criminal justice system. This program is designed to be rigorous and challenging academically, but flexible to meet individual student interests. The program is open to individuals with undergraduate degrees in any field of study. Thirty (30) credits are required to graduate from the program, which may be completed on a part-time or full-time basis. Students must complete 12 credits of required courses plus an additional 18 elective credits. Students may also choose a 12-credit concentration of their own design. Examples of concentrations in management and national security are shown. The program also awards life-experience credit to eligible students. Up to 6 credits can be earned by students demonstrating substantial experience that is relevant to the educational program. Students are also required to prepare a thesis. The thesis is a 3-credit course and is part of the overall 30-credit requirement. In lieu of the thesis requirement, students may opt for the comprehensive exam plus one additional elective course.
Admission Requirements
Although applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, the University has a priority deadline of March 1 for fall admittance and November 1 for spring admittance for financial aid considerations. A Bachelor of Arts or Science with a minimum GPA of 3.0 from a four-year accredited institution and official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended are required. Two letters of recommendations and a personal statement, plus the completed graduate application and application fee are also required.
Degree Requirements
Required Courses (12 credits)
| CJ 500 | Foundations of Criminal Law & Procedure | 3 |
| CJ 501 | Theories & Analysis of Crime Causation & Deviance | 3 |
| CJ 502 | Critical Issues in the Administration & Management of the Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| CJ 581 | Methods of Research Design & Statistical Analysis | 3 |
Elective Courses (18 credits)
The program offers a variety of courses covering all aspects of the criminal justice system. Choose six:
| CJ 503 | Law, Society, & Ethics | 3 |
| CJ 504 | Issues in the Administration of the Adult & Juvenile Correctional Systems | 3 |
| CJ 505 | Criminal Law | 3 |
| CJ 506 | Victimology | 3 |
| CJ 507 | Organizational Procedures | 3 |
| CJ 508 | Capital Punishment | 3 |
| CJ 509 | Criminal Behavior & the Family | 3 |
| CJ 510 | Criminal Profiling | 3 |
| CJ 511 | Emergency Management | 3 |
| CJ 513 | Issues in National Security | 3 |
| CJ 514 | Domestic & International Terrorism | 3 |
| CJ 515 | Budgetary Planning in Public Agencies | 3 |
| CJ 581 | Methods of Research Design & Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| CJ 601 | Internship/Practicum Experience in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 650 | Criminal Justice Thesis | 3 |
Concentration in National Security (12 credits)
| CJ 510 | Criminal Profiling | 3 |
| CJ 511 | Emergency Management | 3 |
| CJ 513 | Issues in National Security | 3 |
| CJ 514 | Domestic & International Terrorism | 3 |
Concentration in Criminal Justice Management (12 credits)
| CJ 507 | Organizational Procedures | 3 |
| CJ 511 | Emergency Management | 3 |
| CJ 515 | Budgetary Planning in Public Agencies | 3 |
| CJ 601 | Internship/Practicum Experience in Criminal Justice | 3 |