Program Codes:
MSCJA
Master of Science
Availability: online
Introduction
The Criminal Justice Administration (CJA) program’s philosophy is to provide students with knowledge, skills, and abilities that will allow them to effectively lead criminal justice and social service agencies. The CJA program prepares students to have a solid foundation in criminological theory, social science research, and criminal justice policy. Competency in these areas allows our students to become educated, sensitive, and ethical leaders who want to make a positive difference in the criminal justice and social service fields. This program is fully online.
The CJA program is a completely online, 30 credit, thesis optional, graduate program. Our extensive curriculum covers many significant criminal justice issues, including victimology, women and crime, crime prevention, and crime policy. The core content of the program emphasizes developing research and critical thinking skills through courses on quantitative and qualitative analysis, research methods, and professional ethics. Additionally, students are also introduced to management courses in administration; organizational and interpersonal dynamics; and planning and program evaluation.
Mission Statement
The Criminal Justice Administration program is dedicated to developing critical thinking, diversity appreciation, civic responsibility, and leadership in our students. We prepare students for careers in the helping professions, for leadership in criminal justice and community affairs, and for the pursuit of advanced degrees. Engaging students in sustained and civil conversations about the relationship between individual and community well-being is both an objective and a means for realizing other objectives.
Admission Requirements
Prospective applicants for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration must fulfill the following admission requirements:
International students from countries where English is not a native language must submit an official score report from the TOEFL or IELTS examination Completed applications are reviewed and the admissions decision is based on the “whole student profile.” Strong emphasis is placed on the applicant’s reading, writing, and research skills. At the discretion of the director of the criminal justice administration graduate program, acceptance may be granted to applicants who have not fulfilled all the admission requirements provided they agree to the conditions of the acceptance prescribed by the director.
Entry Points
Students may begin the program in the fall or in the spring semesters. Students can register for part time or full time study. The Criminal Justice Administration graduate program has a preferred admission deadline of August 1st. After August 1st, applications will be considered until the class is full. International students should submit their applications by July 1st
Upon completion of the Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration, the graduate will possess knowledge, skills and abilities in the following competencies:
The minimum requirements for the award of a master’s degree are:
The department shall conduct an annual review of the academic progress of all students enrolled in the program. Students whose GPA falls below a 3.0 or who might otherwise exhibit behavior that is not conducive to ensuring employment in this field will be placed on probation or dismissed from the program, depending on the outcome of the review.
To obtain a master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration, the student must complete 30 graduate hours of study, including six core courses and four electives. Two elective courses may be taken in lieu of the thesis.
This course deals with scientific research methodology applicable to the field of criminal justice. The course will focus upon formulation, model construction, research designs and data gathering strategies including survey sampling, data analysis, proposal writing and data presentation. Completion of the course will provide the student with basic skills necessary to undertake supervised thesis work and independent research in the area of criminal justice systems.
The objective of this course is to focus on developing new projects from inception to completion. It deals with establishing priorities, securing funding, administering programs, and designing and implementing evaluative criteria. It incorporates empirical data evaluation, including parametric and nonparametric techniques, and the use of computers in evaluation.
Emphasis in this course is placed on primary areas of personnel and fiscal administration. Personnel areas such as labor/management relations, motivation, planning, control, recruitment, selection, training and evaluation are covered. In addition, students explore basic accounting principles and procedures including budgeting, financial statements, short- and long-term sources and the uses of capital, grantsmanship and managerial control models.
This is an applied statistics graduate course that emphasizes data description and analysis using statistics software. Students learn statistical methods and concepts through hands-on experience with real data. Specifically, the course is designed to provide students with practical answers to the following questions: a) what statistical tests should be used for certain types of data? b) how should the data be set up for analysis? c) what parameters should be specified when ordering the test? and d) how should the results be interpreted? The course covers the statistical functions most frequently used in scientific publications, such as descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation, regression, chi-square, etc.
12 credits are required
Course Code : CJA 503
Course Description :
This course focuses on the structure, function and operation of modern correctional administration, both institutional and community based. Target issues relevant to inherent systematic problems are explored in detail.
Short Title : Hist & Comparative Crjs
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : CJA 511
Course Description : This course is a survey of the origins and development of the criminal justice system in the United States. Emphasis is placed on studying the evolution of the law enforcement and corrections components of this system. Comparisons are drawn with the British and some continental European criminal justice systems.
Short Title : Sem:Org&White Collar Crime
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : CJA 515
Course Description :
This course examines corporate, occupational, professional and organized crime, the biggest growth area of crime and law enforcement activity today. Through analysis of cases, students explore recent legal developments and literature and emerging trends in the criminal justice system's reaction to these types of crimes
Short Title : Seminar: Victimology
Active Term : Fall / Even
Course Code : CJA 519
Course Description :
This course focuses upon a recent and rapidly developing branch of criminology which is designed to study the crime victim. Included will be victim vulnerability the susceptibility of certain groups of people to victimization and culpability the actions on the part of individuals which, under certain circumstances, suggest victims may be partly responsible for their own victimization. Recently enacted laws pertaining to the rights of victims will be examined, as well as programs that aid victims in their plight.
Short Title : Issues In Crim Justice
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : CJA 520
Course Description :
This course offers a concentrated study of selected critical issues in the criminal justice system. The issues are timely and of concern to both academicians and practitioners of law enforcement and corrections.
Course Code : CJA 550
Course Description :
This seminar studies the ideological, theoretical, and conceptual perspectives of social organization, criminality, public policy, and the mechanics of social control.Topics include the use of power and position in the development of criminal justice policies and the rhetoric and symbolic aspects of crime control. The seminar also covers public perceptions and reactions to crime and criminal justice issues.
Short Title : Seminar: Women & Crime
Active Term : Fall / Odd
Course Code : CJA 595
Course Description : This seminar provides a study of the female offender with emphasis on the different treatment received by male and female offenders. Attention is given to female criminality, special problems in supervising female offenders and women in prison. Through a critique of contemporary research and literature, the myths surrounding women and crime are examined.
Course Code : CJA 610
Course Description :
Through the examination and critique of sociological studies, this seminar features various theoretical, empirical and legal approaches to understanding the relationship between law and society. This is not only a study of the legal system,but an attempt to understand the nature of social order through a study of law.
Short Title : Issues In Juvenile Justice
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : CJA 616
Course Description : The majority of serious adult criminals begin their deviant careers as juveniles, therefore an investigation of the origins of juvenile delinquency is simultaneously an examination of many of the origins of crime and deviance generally. Students explore juvenile crime from a variety of perspectives and contemporary theoretical approaches to the origins of delinquent youth. This entails a critical examination of the contemporary juvenile justice system and discussion of current efforts to reform the system. The seminar also includes discussions of the connections among child abuse, drug abuse, gang involvement, familial and social factors and juvenile crime.
Short Title : Sem: Adv Criminology
Active Term : Spring / Even
Course Code : CJA 621
Course Description : The purpose of this seminar is to provide access to most of the significant current research and literature in the field of criminology. Through the examination and critique of contemporary works, the nexus of theory and method is addressed. Major consideration is given to typologies such as criminal behavior systems.
Course Code : CJA 628
Course Description :
This integrated lecture and application course emphasizes practical skills and the use of computerized tools; designed to develop both basic and advanced skills in criminal analysis.
Short Title : Sem: Drugs, Crime&Culture
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : CJA 629
Course Description : This seminar focuses on critical issues at the nexus between drug use and the American criminal justice system. Topics include examining drug use in America from the historical, sociological and biopsychological perspectives. This seminar also reviews the American criminal justice policy as related to drug use. A variety of approaches to the problem of drug use and the treatment of drug use will be explored.
Short Title : Sem: Poli Crime & Terrorism
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : CJA 631
Course Description :
This seminar examines ideological crimes both by and against governments including human rights violations, secret police activities, genocide and crimes by police. Students also explore domestic and international terrorism, protest, assassinations and espionage.
Short Title : Criminology & Crime Policy
Active Term : Spring / Odd
Course Code : CJA 634
Course Description : The seminar incorporates an academic review of prevailing criminological theories and a critique of crime policies. Conceptual and ideological perspectives are used to examine assumptions and objectives of public policy responses to crime. Seminar themes include the use of empirical information in policy decision-making the social construction of crime, and the limits of crime policy.
Course Code : CJA 637
Course Description :
Independent study and directed reading course is designed for second-year students with the approval of the graduate director. This course is for preliminary thesis research.
Short Title : Superv Crim Just Adm Rdng
Active Term : Randomly / Randomly
Course Code : CJA 650
Course Description :
This individualized course is designed to meet the students' special interests in an area of criminal justice administration. The course may include readings, projects, special seminars or lectures, which relate to the students' learning goals. Students are expected to meet with their professor at least 15 hours to discuss, review and evaluate their progress. No student may enroll in this course without filing a learning plan for approval by the graduate program director.
Short Title : Crim Justice Admin Thesis
Active Term : Fall/Spring / All
Course Code : CJA 675
Course Description :
The thesis should be planned research on a unique topic related to criminal justice administration. In the completed thesis, the student must demonstrate a knowledge of the relevant literature. The research project is executed and evaluated through a written document and an oral presentation. Thesis topics must be approved by the program director and the thesis advisor prior to beginning the research.
Students who elect a six-credit thesis take only two criminal justice administration electives. The thesis substitutes for the third and fourth elective courses.