The Criminal Justice Department offers courses leading to the Master of Science with a major in criminal justice.  The department also offers an area of concentration in criminal justice within the Master of Public Administration degree program.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants who meet the general admission requirements of the College of Graduate Studies are eligible for admission to the Master of Science with a major in criminal justice program.  A particular undergraduate major is not specified for admission to the program; however, additional courses for non-criminal justice majors may be required.  Students accepted to the Master of Science with a major in criminal justice program must meet with the graduate advisor.  An advisory committee will be selected to assist the student in developing a degree plan that satisfies University and department requirements.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE

All students in the Master of Science with a major in Criminal Justice degree program are required to complete 30 hours, including 15 hours in CJ 500, 501, 502, 505, and 521.

Non-Thesis Option:  Total of 30 semester hours.  15 hours of required criminal justice courses and 15 hours of electives, 12 of which may be taken in a related field approved by the Criminal Justice Graduate Director or the Head of the Department of criminal justice.  Students must satisfactorily complete a comprehensive written examination, which may be taken after completion of the required 15 hours in criminal justice.

Thesis Option:  Total of 30 semester hours.  15 hours of required criminal justice courses, 9 hours of criminal justice electives, and 6 hours of Thesis (CJ 599).  Prior to submission to the College of Graduate Studies, the student must satisfactorily defend the thesis.

A minimum Grade Point Average of 3.0 is required in all criminal justice graduate work.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE COURSES (CJ)

500. Seminar in Contemporary Criminal Justice Issues (3).  Overview of the criminal justice system and its various subsystems.

501. Applied Data Analysis for Criminal Justice (3).  Emphasis on the analysis of original and secondary criminal justice data.

502. Research Methods in Criminal Justice (3).  Prerequisite:  CJ 501.  Social research methods and their application to administration of justice; in-depth examination of the role of social research in analysis, interpretation, and clarification of problems in the Criminal Justice System.

503. Seminar in Law Enforcement (3).  In-depth analysis of police problems and practices.

504. Comparative Criminal Justice (3).  Critical comparative study of criminal justice systems in the U.S. with those in selected foreign countries including administration, organization, objectives, principal functions, and relationships with the people.

505. Criminal Justice Administration (3). Analysis of problems and issues confronting the administrator in a criminal justice setting.

506. Seminar in Juvenile Justice (3).  Assessment of policies and practices of agencies involved in processing juvenile offenders through the Juvenile Justice System.

507. Seminar in Legal Issues (3). In-depth study of contemporary legal issues faced by criminal justice professionals with emphasis on constitutional problems, as well as the judicial review of administrative decisions made by criminal justice organizations.

508. Seminar in Corrections (3).  Overview and critical analysis of contemporary correctional theory and practice.

509. Criminal Justice Planning, Evaluation, and Grant-Writing (3). Prerequisite:  CJ 501 and 502, or permission of the instructor.  A study of planning and evaluation in criminal justice agencies, programs, and the preparation of grant proposals.

512. Directed Study in Criminal Justice (3) (3).  Prerequisite:  Permission of the instructor and approval of the department head.  Preparation, completion, and submission of an acceptable individual project.

516. Seminar in Forensic Investigation (3).  Provinces of the court and jury; burden of proof, probability and documentary and physical evidence; expert witness and preparation of scientific exhibits for court.

521. Seminar in Criminological Theory (3).  Analysis of historical and contemporary theories and analytical models of crime causation with emphasis on classical, positivist, social defense, and critical schools of thought.

523. Seminar in Victimology (3).  Comprehensive study of victimization including victim-precipitated crimes; analysis of contemporary victim-compensation programs and victim restitution as a punitive measure.

525. International Criminality and National Security (3).  National, international, and transnational terrorism and the problems they pose for the criminal justice system; prevention and control of terrorist activities.

526. Special Topics in Criminal Justice (3) (3).  An examination of contemporary issues in Criminal and Juvenile Justice not addressed in other courses.  May be taken for a total of 6 credit hours.

527. Seminar in Criminal Behavior and Personality (3).  Prerequisite:  CJ 521 or permission of the instructor.  A study of the typologies of delinquent and criminal behavior from behavioral and psychological perspectives with particular focus on clinical behaviors frequently associated with delinquents and criminals.

528. Seminar in Correctional Counseling (3).  Prerequisite:  CJ 527 or permission of the instructor.  The study and practical application of effective correctional counseling and treatment methodologies for youthful and adult offenders.

598. Directed Reading (3) (3).  Prerequisite:  Permission of the instructor and approval of the department head.  Selected topics appropriate to student's course of study as determined by faculty adviser.

599. Thesis (3) (3). (Grade of Pass or Fail only) Prerequisite:  Approval of Application for Thesis Option.