Sep 16, 2024  
2023-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2023-2025 Graduate Catalog

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement, M.S.


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The Department of Criminal Justice offers a program leading to the M.S. or M.Ed. 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, research and management problems in the fields of criminal justice and correctional education. Through the advanced study of theoretical and applied issues the Master’s degree student will be prepared to assume leadership positions in the field of criminal justice.

Programs of Study

For the Master of Science degree, areas of specialization include administration, correctional counseling, crime and delinquency prevention and control, and criminal justice planning and research. For the Master of Education degree, areas of specialization include correctional education, correctional counseling, and correctional administration.

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.

Program Requirements


The Department of Criminal Justice offers two options for completion of the master’s degree: comprehensive examination and thesis.

  1. Option I - Comprehensive Examination: Students choosing Option I must complete a minimum of thirty-three (33) hours of course work in the graduate curriculum, submit a completed seminar paper meeting accepted standards in the discipline and pass a comprehensive examination.
  2. Option II - Thesis: Students choosing Option II must complete thirty-three (33) hours of course work plus CRJU 583  and CRJU 584 . The final written thesis must show evidence of research rigor and meet accepted standards in the discipline. Each student is required to present an oral defense of the thesis before a faculty thesis advisor.

Field Training and Internship


Each student working toward a Master’s degree in criminal justice is encouraged to complete a minimum of three (3) credit hours in either field training or internship in a criminal justice setting related to the area of specialization. The field training/internship experience consists of a minimum of ninety (90) clock hours of field-related experience for one (1) full semester. The primary objective of the field training/internship is to enable the student to experience criminal justice system practices in action. Field training/internship involves placement in agencies that agree to provide supervised experience at a level corresponding to the student’s academic development and career goals. Because field training/internship is viewed as an opportunity to integrate concepts acquired in the classroom with the practical problems of the criminal justice field, students will normally not be approved for enrollment in the field training/internship prior to completion of a minimum of twenty-five (25) hours of graduate credit.

Core Courses (12-21 Credits)


Areas of Specialization


Recommended Electives (12 Credits)


To be selected from the following courses or any of the above courses which are not used to fulfill requirements.

Note(s)


EDUC 581  and CRJU 582  are prerequisites for CRJU 583  and CRJU 584 .

*Required Course

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