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Program
Rationale:
The
master
of
science
degree
is
designed
to
provide
students
with the
knowledge
and
skills
required
for
leadership
positions
in the
criminal
justice
system
and
continued
study at
the
doctoral
level.
The
criminal
justice graduate
program
strongly
emphasizes
the
application
of
theory
and
research
in
executive
decision-making,
policy
development
and
analysis,
and the
treatment
of
offenders.
Program
Learning
Outcomes:
Our goal
is that
upon
completion
of this
program
students
will
have
skills
and
abilities
consistent
with the
following
objectives:
•
collect
and
analyze
data to
evaluate
criminal
justice
policies
and
programs;
•
present
research
proposals
and
findings
to
criminal
justice
professionals;
•
analyze
functions
and
relations
between
diverse
criminal
justice
systems;
and
• apply
social
and
psychological
models
of crime
and
intervention
to
relevant
offender
populations.
Core
courses
are
designed
to help
students:
•
understand
the
purpose
and
function
of
criminal
justice
agencies
organized
under
the
rubrics
of
police,
courts,
and
corrections;
•
critically
analyze
the
organizational
effectiveness
of
criminal
justice
agencies;
•
understand
how
society
comes to
define
certain
behaviors
as
criminal
and how
these
definitions
can be
effected
by the
race,
gender,
and
socio-economic
status
of the
lawmaker,
as well
as the
lawbreaker;
• assess
the
effectiveness
of
criminal
justice
policies
and
programs
through
the
application
of
research
methods, statistics,
and
criminological
theory;
and
•
understand
the root
causes
of crime
and the
effects
of
social,
economic,
political,
psychological,
and
biological
factors
on crime.
Admissions
Requirements:
Admission
to the
Master
of
Science
degree
program
in
Criminal
Justice
is made
on a
competitive
basis
two
times
per
year.
Applications
for the
fall
semester
must be
completed
and
received
by May
1.
Applications
for the
spring
semester
must be
completed
and
received
by
December
1. The
number
of
students
accepted
in any
semester
is
dependent
on
available
openings
in the
program,
which
may
fluctuate
from
semester
to
semester.
Applicants
will be
notified
by May
30
(for
fall
admission)
and
December
30 (for
spring
admission)
regarding
acceptance
decisions.
Some
applicants
who are
not
accepted
into the
program
may be
put on
awaiting
list.
Applicants
on the
waiting
list may
be
admitted
as
additional
openings
in the
program
become
available.
Applicants
accepted
into the
program
will be
contacted
and
asked to
confirm
their
intentions
to enter
the
program.
In
addition
to
standard
University
graduate
admission
requirements,
the
department
requires:
1. A
minimum
grade
point
average
(GPA) of
3.00 on
a 4.00
scale
2. One
undergraduate
social
science
research
methods
course
with a
grade of
“C” or
better
3. One
undergraduate
elementary
statistics
course
with a
grade of
“C” or
better
4. A
formal
application
essay
that
focuses
on (a)
academic
and work
history,
(b)
reasons
for
pursuing
graduate
studies
in
criminal
justice,
and (c)
future
career
goals
5.
Resume
Consideration
in the
admissions
process
is given
to
selecting
applicants
from
diverse
areas of
the
criminal
justice
field
(e.g.,
law
enforcement,
corrections,
alternative
sanctions,
treatment
and
rehabilitation,
and
analysis).
Students
who do
not meet
these
requirements
may
request
consideration
for
admission
with
special
requirements.
No
students
may
register
for
graduate-level
criminal
justice
courses
without
first
being
admitted
to the
program.
Course
and
Capstone
Requirements
(30
credits):
Core
Courses:
CJ 501
Proseminar
on the
Nature
of Crime
4
CJ 510
Proseminar
on Law
and
Social
Control
3
CJ 520
Proseminar
on the
Administration
of
Justice
3
CJ 533
Research
Methods
in
Criminal
Justice
4
CJ 534
Quantitative
Analysis
in
Criminal
Justice
Research
4
Elective
Courses
(choose
three):
CRM 450
Drugs
and
Society
3
CRM 475
Controlling
Anger
and
Aggression
3
CJ 525
Program
Planning
and
Evaluation
3
CJ 530
Offender
Profiles
3
CJ 535
Correctional
Counseling
3
CJ 539
Delinquency
and
Control
3
CJ 540
Assessing
and
Developing
Performance
in
Criminal
Justice
Organizations
3
CJ 560
Sexual
Offending
3
CJ 575
Organizational
Development
and
Evaluation
of
Criminal
Justice
Organizations
3
CJ 580
Public
Policy
in the
Criminal
Justice
System 3
Elective
courses
are
designed
to allow
students
to
develop
knowledge
and
skills
in areas
that
specifically
match
their
individual
academic
and
career
interests.
Students
desiring
a
concentration
in
behavioral
sciences
and the
offender
are
encouraged
to
consider
courses
such as
CRM 450,
CRM 475,
CJ 530,
CJ 535,
CJ 539,
and CJ
560.
Students
desiring
a
concentration
in
organizational
functioning
are
encouraged
to
consider
courses
such as
CJ 525,
CJ 540,
CJ575,
and CJ
580.
Capstone
Project
(choose
one):
CJ 597
Agency
Collaborative
Project
3
CJ 599
Thesis 3
The
capstone
project
is an
original
piece of
research
conducted
by the
student
and
completed
under
the
supervision
of a
faculty
advisor.
Note: No
more
than
nine
credits
at the
400
level,
as
approved
by the
graduate
advisor,
may be
counted
toward
the
graduate planned
program
of
study.
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