Online Master's in Criminal Justice Ranked Among Nation's Best
02/09/2024
by Buffy Lockette
Jacksonville State's Online Master’s in Criminal Justice has jumped up 23 slots to No. 36 in the nation in the annual US News rankings of Best Online Programs. This places the program second in Alabama and among the top ten in the Southeast.
According to US News, highly ranked programs like JSU’s have strong traditional academic foundations based on student-instructor access, graduation rates and instructor credentials. They also excel at educating distance learners while offering robust career and financial support.
The JSU Department of Criminal Justice and Forensic Investigation offers a Master of Science in criminal justice both in-person and 100 percent online. It will soon add a GIS concentration to the degree. The program also supports the concentration in criminal justice within the university’s Master of Public Administration.
Department head Dr. Dean Buttram said the addition of two new tenure track faculty positions in the past year have helped the department bring the degree program to the next level.
“They brought fresh perspectives to our degree, and their addition to our existing faculty has culminated into a revamping of the degree with new courses, innovative perspectives on existing courses and new approaches to handling the thesis option,” Buttram said. “I am so proud of our faculty and the recognition given to us by the annual US News ranking.”
Applications to the master's program are due Aprl 1 for Summer 2024 and July 1 for Fall 2024.