Masters Degrees in Criminal Justice Management, USA

The Master of Science in criminal justice offers a multidisciplinary curriculum to give students the sophisticated working knowledge of the major systems within the field.  Students will take challenging and rigorous courses rooted in history, law, philosophy, research, psychology, management, and political science that involve critical analysis of complex issues.

Faculty provide a quality education to students who have demonstrated competence and commitment to learning and growth, who desire to make a meaningful contribution to the field of criminal justice and who share the values of idealism, honesty, integrity, justice, and fairness.

Internet scheduling and evening courses make full- or part-time graduate study at WCU convenient for anyone interested in pursuing this degree.  The program is well-suited for current or future criminal justice professionals, as well as those who plan to pursue further graduate study.

Course Content

The Department of Criminal Justice offers a strong core of required courses, enhanced by an eclectic selection of electives designed to meet the interests and needs of our students. Each course is taught by a qualified faculty member who has direct experience in the particular subject matter.

Criminal Justice is very interdisciplinary in nature. Students interested in Criminal Justice may be interested in careers such as law enforcement and investigation, criminal prosecution or defense, probation and parole, juvenile treatment, corrections victims' advocacy, crime mapping, research, and more.  The program is designed to offer flexibility so that the student can tailor course selection to professional career goals. In this regard, students work closely with advisors to select courses each semester.

Course material is constantly updated to incorporate the ever-changing base of knowledge in this quickly evolving field. We offer such diverse electives as:  Victimology, crime Mapping, White Collar Crime, Terrorism, Environmental Crime, Organized Crime, Criminal Investigations, Interviewing and Assessing the Offender, Animal Cruelty,Evidence and Advocacy, Contemporary Legal Issues, and Justice Studies. 

Curriculum

• Required modules (15 semester hours)
CRJ 505, 507, 508, 509, and 600

• Optional Thesis* (3 semester hours)

• Electives (12-15 semester hours)
Chosen from among the following: CRJ 500, 503, 504, 506, 522, 524, 526, 530, 535, 555, 560, 566, 570, 582, 590, 599, *610 with departmental approval, and 999 (All courses listed are three semester hours unless otherwise noted.)

Please see the website for more information about these modules:

http://catalog.wcupa.edu/graduate/business-public-management/criminal-justice/#coursestext

Philadelphia Campus

The M.S. in Criminal Justice is also offered at the Philadelphia campus.

Curriculums for programs offered at the alternative PASSHE Center City satellite campus in Philadelphia are equivalent to those found on WCU’s main campus. With state-of-the-art classrooms, the Center City location serves the needs of degree completers and/or adult learners who are balancing work and family obligations.

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The M.S. in Criminal Justice trains individuals through an interdisciplinary focus in an online environment. The program prepares students through the core curriculum and allows for specialty training through various concentrations.

This facilitates choice for students and fosters the development of specialized expertise. Students will complete the thirty hour program that includes core courses, specialty concentrations, and electives.

Proudly Offering the Valor Award 20% Scholarship for Law Enforcement, Veterans, Military, and First Responders

This program is designed for individuals looking for careers in or as:

• Police Officer
• County Sheriff / Deputy Sheriff
• State Trooper / Highway Patrol Officer
• Game Warden / Conservation Officer
• Detective
• Canine Officer / K9 Handler
• Animal Cruelty Investigator
• Park Ranger
• FBI Special Agent
• DEA Agent
• Secret Service Special Agent
• ICE Special Agent
• Federal Air Marshal
• Correctional Officer
• Correctional Counselor
• Parole Officer
• Legal Assistant or Legal Researcher
• Bailiff
• Pre-trial Officer
• Loss Prevention Officer - Loss Prevention Manager
• Bounty Hunter - Bail Enforcement Agent
• Public Safety Officer
• Community Liaison Officer

To see a complete list of possible career options, click here.

Program Format

The master's program is offered entirely online. The online format allows for students to participate in courses from anywhere in the world where internet access is available. In addition, it allows for the flexibility of completing your master's degree without interrupting your career. For information on the online/residential bachelor's program, click here. For information on the online doctoral program, click here.

Master's students are provided NSU computer accounts including email and Blackboard, but must obtain their own Internet service providers, use their own computer systems and have a usable web camera. Online students use the web to access course materials, announcements, email, distance library services, subscription library databases, and other information, and for interaction with faculty and fellow students. Online, interactive learning methods are based on the use of Blackboard as a course management system. Online activities facilitate frequent student-to-faculty and student-to-student interaction. They are supported by threaded discussion boards, white boards, chat rooms, email, and multimedia presentations. In addition, Blackboard enables students to submit assignments online in multimedia formats and to receive their professors' reviews of assignments online in the same formats.

Curriculum

The Master's program is comprised of 30 credits. The core curriculum is comprised of five courses (15 credits) and one elective course (3 credits). The specialty concentrations are comprised of four courses (12 credits).

Core Courses (15 Credits)

• CJI 0510 Survey Issues in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CJI 0520 Social Administration of Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CJI 0530 Legal Issues in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CJI 0540 Program Evaluation in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CJI 0550 Investigative Processes (3 credits)

Specialty Concentrations (12 Credits)

Students must choose one concentration below and complete 12 credits within the concentration. (The concentrations remain the same)

• Concentration 1: Legal Perspective in Criminal Justice
• Concentration 2: Behavioral Science
• Concentration 3: Business Administration
• Concentration 4: Public Administration
• Concentration 5: Substance Abuse
• Concentration 6: Strategic Community Planning
• Concentration 7: Information Systems
• Concentration 8: Conflict & Crisis Management
• Concentration 9: Child Protection and Juvenile Justice
• Concentration 10: Information Security
• Concentration 11: Investigative Forensic Technology
• Concentration 12: Emergency Preparedness Leadership

Electives (3 Credits)

Students must choose one or a combination of electives below to obtain a total of 3 credit hours.

• One, three (3) credit class
• Practicum Placement (3, 6, or 9 Credit options)
• Master's Thesis (6 Credits)

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Program overview

The master of science degree in criminal justice emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to urban studies with a focus on public safety. The program stresses training in policy analysis and practice, particularly as it is relevant to community and urban issues. The program builds on a foundation of locally relevant policy research by providing students with the critical skills to carry out such work and the experience to assure success in employment or in pursuit of further graduate studies. The program provides students with a strong foundation in criminological, criminal justice theory, and social scientific research skills, thus enabling graduates to have successful careers in the policy analysis arena or to be prepared to pursue advanced study beyond the master's degree.

Plan of study

A minimum of 30 semester credit hours is required for completion of the MS in criminal justice. Students applying to the program should have a strong undergraduate foundation in criminology and research methods. Students that do not possess these skills may be required to complete additional undergraduate course work (e.g., Criminology, Theories of Crime, and Research Methods) or demonstrate that they have equivalent skills for completion of the degree.

Curriculum

Criminal justice MS degree, typical course sequence as follows:
-Professional Seminar In Criminal Justice Theory
-Statistics
-Professional Seminar in Research Methods
-Advanced Criminology
-Crime, Justice and Community
-Interventions and Change in Criminal Justice
-Electives
-Thesis in Criminal Justice (if thesis option is selected)
-Capstone in Criminal Justice (if project option is selected)

Other admission requirements

-Submit official transcripts (in English) of all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work.
-Submit two writing samples, one of which is a personal statement.
-Complete a personal interview.
-Have completed a statistics course (students may be required to take a data analysis or a statistics course if not taken previously).
-Submit two letters of recommendation (letters should be from faculty familiar with the applicant's academic work).
-Submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
-Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), and complete a graduate application.
-International applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Minimum scores of 570 (paper-based) or 88 (Internet-based) are required.

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