Criminal Justice (Graduate)
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Department of Criminal Justice
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
The Department of Criminal Justice offers a program leading to the M.S. degree. The primary purpose of the program is to provide the criminal justice student with a broad knowledge base and specialized technical training in criminal justice. Course work in the program is designed to increase individual competency, develop analytical thought processes and facilitate the development of abilities and skills. Course work focuses on examination of contemporary issues in the administration of justice, counseling, crime control and delinquency prevention, research and management problems in the fields of criminal justice and correctional education. Through the advanced study of theoretical and applied issues, the Master of Science degree student will be prepared to assume leadership positions in the field of criminal justice.
For the Master of Science degree, areas of specialization include administration, correctional counseling, crime control and delinquency prevention, and criminal justice planning and research. Students enrolled in the criminal justice program may pursue studies on a full-time or part-time basis in either a degree or non-degree capacity. A student desiring to work toward either of the degrees must confer with the department chairperson for initial advisement and for the assignment of a faculty advisor.
With the written approval of the department chairperson, a non-degree seeking student may register for criminal justice courses while acceptance to a degree program is pending. No more than twenty-one (21) credit hours completed as a non-degree-seeking student may be applied toward either the M.S. or M.Ed. degree.
Students interested in obtaining graduate certificates may enroll in either Investigative Sciences or Policing Strategies. Both certificate programs requires completion of 18 credit hours each.
Upon completion of the program, a criminal justice graduate will be able to:
- Possess excellent written and oral communication skills
- Be able to apply criminological theories, logic and quantitative analysis to criminal justice problems and policies
- Be socially and self-aware of the myriad of factors that comprise the criminal justice field
- Positively contribute to the criminal justice field in either law enforcement, courts or corrections