Graduate Programs

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Degree Offered:
M.S.

Coordinator: David Hirschel

MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

The Master of Science degree program in Criminal Justice is designed to promote broad based study of the phenomenon of crime and to enhance career opportunities in the field of criminal justice. The program utilizes the social and behavioral sciences in an interdisciplinary approach to study law, crime, and social deviance, and to examine critically the systems created in response to deviance and crime. The objectives of the program are to: (1) provide present and future criminal justice personnel with the educational background necessary to function effectively in the dynamic field of criminal justice; (2) familiarize students with the nature, methods, and functions of research, and with the existing body of knowledge on criminal justice; (3) provide the criminal justice system with qualified candidates for careers in the field; and (4) prepare students for entrance into doctoral programs. Career opportunities available in the criminal justice system include law enforcement, corrections, administration, planning and analysis, juvenile justice, and college instruction. There are also private sector careers available, including private security.

Students may enroll in the program on either a full-time or part-time basis. Classes usually are scheduled in the evening to accommodate the part-time student.

Additional Requirements for Admission into Criminal Justice. Admission to the Criminal Justice graduate program is open to students with bachelor's degrees in any discipline who meet the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, provided they meet the following requirements. Applicants must have a grade point average of at least 2.75 and a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). To ensure competence in the basic concepts of criminal justice, incoming students must demonstrate or establish proficiency with the materials offered in the following three undergraduate courses: CJUS 1100 (Introduction to Criminal Justice); CJUS 3100 (Criminal Justice Theory); and CJUS 3101 (Research Methods in Criminal Justice).

Degree Requirements. A minimum of 36 semester hours is required. Eighteen of these 36 hours must be in courses open only to graduate students (6000 level and above). All students must complete each of the following four core courses with a grade of B or above: CJUS 6100 (The Criminal Justice System); CJUS 6101 (The Nature and Theory of Crime); CJUS 6102 (Research in Criminal Justice); and CJUS 6104 (Criminal Justice and Social Control). A maximum of 12 hours may be taken outside the Criminal Justice Department, and a maximum of six hours with grades of B or above may be transferred from another institution. Transfer courses must be consistent with the program and will be accepted at the discretion of the department. At least 30 semester hours must be taken in residence. Students must complete one of the following options: (1) passing 36 semester hours of coursework and a comprehensive written examination; or (2) preparing a thesis which counts as six of the required 36 semester hours. A thesis, an extensive research project, may encompass a philosophical, theoretical, methodological, legal, or empirical approach to the study of crime or criminal justice. To enter the thesis track, a student must form a thesis committee with at least two faculty members from the Criminal Justice Department and have a thesis proposal approved by the thesis committee.

Comprehensive Examination. The comprehensive examination is offered each year in November and April. Since the examination requires integration of materials covered in all graduate courses, it is recommended that it be taken close to the completion of the degree. However, anyone who has successfully completed 21 semester hours, including passing all four core courses with B or above, is eligible to take the examination.

Assistantships. The Criminal Justice Department offers graduate assistantships which are awarded solely on the basis of academic merit.

Additional Financial Aid. In addition to the graduate assistantships, the department offers, as available, research assistantships and grant-funded opportunities for students. In addition, the competitive Dean Reep Scholarship is available for an incoming graduate student each year.

[Graduate Programs]