The program is administered by the Office of Graduate Studies through the faculty of Criminology in the Department of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences. This program is also served by faculty in related disciplines and the School of Business.
The primary objective of the Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration program is to provide an advanced understanding of the American criminal justice system and advanced instruction in the management of the agencies and institutions which make up that system. The core of the program revolves around specific courses in research methods, social statistics, policy evaluation and administration. Designated electives focus on governmental entities which deal with problems associated with crime control, public policy, and the administration of justice. Students who are in criminal justice positions or who plan a career in criminal justice can further their career development and advancement objectives through this program. The program also prepares students for community college teaching and entry into doctoral programs.
Admission Requirements
Regular Admission Status
- Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university.
- GPA of 3.0 or better in the last 60 credit hours
- A resume
- A 3-5 page double-spaced essay explaining why they are interested in our degree, how the degree fits with their goals, and what positive changes they think they can make as a result.
Conditional Admission Status
- Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university.
- GPA below 2.99 to 2.75 in the last 60 credit hours
- A resume
- A 3-5 page double-spaced essay explaining why they are interested in our degree, how the degree fits with their goals, and what positive changes they think they can make as a result.
- OTHER EVIDENCE:
- Three years or more of employment experience, or other qualifications in the criminal justice field, including government, private, non-governmental, and non-profit organizations
Decisions concerning conditional admissions are left to the discretion of the departmental graduate admission's committee. Conditional students accepted must earn a 3.0 GPA in the first 9 hours of graduate study to remain in the program.
Options
Non-thesis degree plans will include 30 hours of required and elective coursework and a written comprehensive examination. Discussion with the academic advisor is recommended early in the development of the degree plan. Students who aspire to doctoral work are typically advised to select the thesis option.
Graduation Requirements
- All students must achieve a cumulative 3.0 GPA on all work applied to the degree.
- Non-thesis degree plans will include 30 hours of required and elective coursework and a written comprehensive examination.
Core Requirements
Students entering the program are required to have completed key prerequisite undergraduate courses in Research Methods and Statistics, and must show evidence (e.g., undergraduate coursework, work experience) of a basic understanding of the American criminal justice system. Students deficient in these areas may be admitted to the program conditionally and may be required to take appropriate undergraduate leveling courses. Evaluation of previous transcripts for prerequisite course work will be part of the admissions process. All students will complete 36 hours of graduate work as part of the degree requirements. These will include the following:
| CJAD 6301 | Crime And Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJAD 6302 | Advanced Quantitative Research Methods | 3 |
| CJAD 6303 | Advanced Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| CJAD 6304 | Public Administration In Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJAD 6310 | Public Policy | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Electives
Students can use graduate-level courses from the Departments of Social Sciences and Psychology as electives with approval from the program advisor and course professor.
| CJAD 6330 | Women and Minorities in the Administration of Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJAD 6331 | Crisis Management and Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| CJAD 6335 | Restorative Justice and Social Change | 3 |
| CJAD 6340 | Contemporary Problems & Issues Police Administration | 3 |
| CJAD 6341 | Policy and Diversity | 3 |
| CJAD 6350 | Contemporary Problems and Issues in Correctional Administration | 3 |
| CJAD 6351 | Comparative Criminal Justice Systems | 3 |
| CJAD 6360 | Contemporary Legal Issues In Criminal Justice Administration | 3 |
| CJAD 6361 | Advanced Constitutional Law | 3 |
| CJAD 6362 | Civil Liability For Criminal Justice Admin | 3 |
| CJAD 6389 | Special Topics in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| MPAL 6301 | Public Leadership And Ethics | 3 |
| MPAL 6302 | Organizational Leadership and Administration | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Accelerated Master's Program (AMP)
The Criminal Justice Administration Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) allows academically qualified students to complete their bachelor's and master's degree in an accelerated timeline, graduating sooner than in traditional consecutive programs. Qualified undergraduate students will be able to complete up to twelve hours of required graduate coursework for the Criminal Justice Administration master's degree while during the senior year of their Criminology/Criminal Justice Studies bachelor's degree program. Upon completion of all undergraduate degree requirements, the student is admitted to the criminal justice administration graduate program, where the remaining master's degree requirements will be fulfilled.
Criminal Justice AMP Requirements
(In addition to general AMP requirements)
- Before joining the program, students must meet with both their undergraduate advisor and graduate program head to determine their eligibility and discuss their options.
- Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and 3.25 in undergraduate major.
- A minimum graduate GPA of 3.0 must be maintained for continuation in the program.
- Students must complete CCJS 3302 Research Methods in Criminal Justice prior to or during the initial semester in the AMP.
- For students who show interest in the AMP an individualized plan of study will be developed by their faculty advisors during their sophomore year and will be allowed to apply to the program during their last semester of the junior year. Approval and provisional AMP admission will be pending the completion of 90 hours. Until eligible to be admitted to the AMP program, undergraduate students will follow the plan set out by their undergraduate advisor.
Criminal Justice AMP Withdrawal and Dismissal Policies
(In addition to general AMP withdrawal and dismissal policies)
- A student may withdraw from the program at any time by informing the graduate program office, office of graduate studies, and registrar in writing.
- AMP students who earn less than a B in a graduate course will be put on probation for one 8-week term. If the student earns less than a B for a second time, they will be dismissed from the program.