Criminology and Criminal Justice, Master of Science (M.S.)
Dr. Judah Schept, Graduate Program Coordinator
General Information
Objectives of the graduate program are based upon the assumption that social policy, decision-making, and reform in modern society require a broad academic experience and innovative thinking, including theoretical foundations of the discipline, appropriate research methods, and principles applicable to the administration of justice.
A major focus is to demonstrate that problems of both a public and private nature associated with crime and delinquency must be viewed as social problems rather than isolated problems. It is therefore expected that graduates will be:
- conversant with the theoretical and legal principles implicit in criminology and criminal justice;
- knowledgeable of the essential research contributions in the discipline;
- capable of research and data analysis appropriate to the discipline; and
- competent to assume policy-making, research and instructional responsibilities in criminology and criminal justice.
Admission Requirements
Students seeking clear admission should (a) meet the requirements of the Graduate School, and; (b) hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning with a 3.0 grade point average (GPA). Students who have obtained a cumulative 3.0 GPA or those who have previously earned advanced degrees including, but not limited to M.S., M.A., M.B.A., J.D. or other recognized graduate degrees from an accredited university will be exempt from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) requirement. Students who do not have a cumulative 3.0 undergraduate GPA will be required to acquire a target score in three categories of the GRE: Verbal 146, Quantitative 140, and Analytical Writing 4.0.
Program Requirements
CIP Code: 43.0103
A minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate credit is required. The following courses are required of all students:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CRJ 800 | Advanced Crimi Justice Studies | 3 |
| CRJ 808 | Analysis of Crimi Justice Data | 3 |
| or CRJ 875 | Crime and Public Policy | |
| CRJ 888 | Research Methods in Crim Just | 3 |
Graduate Course Credit
All 700 level courses have undergraduate counterparts bearing the same last two digits. The 700 level courses are offered only for graduate level credit and require additional appropriate experiences for all students enrolled. Students who have previously taken the undergraduate counterpart of these courses at the 500 level will not be permitted to enroll for graduate level credit in the 700 level counterpart. Credit will not be awarded for both the 700 and 500 level of the same course.
Cross Listed Courses
Some courses are offered under different prefixes with the same course content. Students will not be awarded credit for any course for which they have previously received credit under a cross listed prefix.
Curriculum for the General Program
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| CRJ 800 | Advanced Crimi Justice Studies | 3 |
| CRJ 870 | Theories of Crime & Crim Just | 3 |
| CRJ 888 | Research Methods in Crim Just | 3 |
| CRJ 808 | Analysis of Crimi Justice Data | 3 |
| or CRJ 875 | Crime and Public Policy | |
| Electives | ||
| Choose from eight of the following electives or six electives plus Thesis: | 24 | |
| History of Criminal Justice | ||
| Violence Against Women | ||
| Advanced Police Administration | ||
| Analysis of Police Operations | ||
| Policing and Society | ||
| Policing Global Insecurity | ||
| Punishment and Society | ||
| Human Rights & Justice | ||
| Adv Issues in Criminal Law | ||
| Innocence Project Externship | ||
| Legal Issues in Crim Just Admi | ||
| Crime, Victims and Criminals | ||
| The Community Context of Crime | ||
| Social Construction of Crime | ||
| Crime, Criminal Jus & Pop Cult | ||
| Organizational Crime | ||
| Postmodernism and Justice | ||
| Ideology and Criminal Justice | ||
| Vice and Criminal Justice | ||
| Qualitative Research Methods | ||
| Topical Seminar in Crim Just | ||
| Independent Study in Crim Just 1 | ||
| Exit Requirements | ||
| Choose from one of the following: | 0 | |
| MS Crim Justice Written Comp (Non-Thesis) | ||
| MS Crim Justice Thesis Defense (Thesis) | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
- 1
Course work for CRJ 897 Independent Study in Crim Just should be arranged and no more than nine hours will be applied toward the degree.
Exit Requirements
- Thesis — A thesis is optional in this program. GRD 898C MS Crim Justice Thesis Defense required if thesis is chosen.
- Comprehensive Examination — Students in the non-thesis option are required to pass a written comprehensive examination (GRD 897B MS Crim Justice Written Comp). Students in the thesis option are required to pass an oral comprehensive examination in defense of the thesis (GRD 898C MS Crim Justice Thesis Defense).