Requirements

The Master of Science with a major in Criminal Justice degree program is open to persons holding bachelor's degrees in a social science field from regionally accredited colleges and universities and whose undergraduate work has been of sufficient quality and scope to enable them to successfully pursue graduate study.

An undergraduate degree in criminal justice is preferred; however, if the undergraduate degree is other than criminal justice, a core of criminal justice prerequisite courses will be required. At the discretion of the SPS Director of Criminal Justice, these course prerequisites may be waived for applicants who have a significant amount of documented professional experience with a criminal justice agency.

A candidate for the master's program must have the following:

• A Bachelor of Science degree (or equivalent) with a general education component from a regionally accredited institution.
• A minimum composite undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 of a 4.0 scale.
• An official transcript showing a bachelor's degree awarded by an accredited college or university with an acceptable grade point average.

A maximum of six hours of credit from another accredited graduate program may be transferable, upon approval of the SPS dean. Graduate courses taken and applied to the Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice will not apply to the graduate program.

The Master of Science in Criminal Justice now offers three concentrations, Public Administration and Emergency Management and Forensic Psychology. All concentrations include 15 credit hours of additional requirements.

(The major area core course descriptions for this program are listed underneath the three different program option requirements.)

Criminal Justice Major Area Core (21 Credit Hours)

CRJ 503 Seminar in Law and Social Control
CRJ 513 Criminology
CRJ 523 The American System of Justice

CRJ 533 Criminal Justice Policy Formation & Analysis
CRJ 553 Applied Statistics for Criminal Justice

CRJ 563 Program Planning and Evaluation
CRJ 593 Demonstration Capstone

Public Administration Concentration (15 Credit Hours total)

CRJ 603 Theory and Practice of Public Administration
CRJ 613 Public Organizational Behavior & Human Resource Management
CRJ 623 Governmental Accounting, Finance & Budgeting
CRJ 643 Law and Public Policy
CRJ 693 Public Administration Demonstration Project

Emergency Management Concentration (15 Credit Hours total)

EM 503 Advanced Principles of Emergency Management
EM 513 Seminar in Hazard Mitigation
EM 623 Comprehensive Risk Assessment
EM 653 Managing Disaster Relief
EM 693 Emergency Management Demonstration Project

Forensic Psychology Concentration (15 Credit Hours total)

FPY 603 Theory & Practice of Forensic Psychology
FPY 613 Psychopathology
FPY 623 Evaluation & Treatment of Specialized Populations
FPY 643 Victimology
FPY 693 Forensic Psychology Demonstration Project

Law Concentration (15 Credit Hours total)

LAW 603 Advanced Employment Law

LAW 613 Criminal Procedure: Investigation and Adjudication

LAW 623 Children and the Law

CRJ 643 Law and Public Policy

LAW 693 Law Concentration Demonstration Capstone

Course Descriptions

CRJ 503 Seminar in Law and Social Control
An introduction to legal theory and the moral, practical and legal implications of law as a means of maintaining social order. The course will also examine the impact of economic and political forces on social control.

CRJ 513 Criminology
The study of the nature, extent, cause and control of criminal behavior. Students will examine the ways in which crime is measured, identify various crime typologies, and explore a wide range of crime causation theories.

CRJ 523 The American System of Justice
An examination of the core components of the criminal justice system: courts, law enforcement, and correctional agencies. Particular emphasis will be placed on the interrelationship between the various components as they attempt to meet their individual mandates.

CRJ 533 Criminal Justice Policy Formation and Analysis
A study of the methodology behind law, statute, and policy creation in the public criminal justice arena. Includes a discussion of the American political system and an evaluation of key public policies that impact the justice system.

CRJ 553 Applied Statistics for Criminal Justice
The study of data analysis as it relates to the social sciences. Topics will include inductive and descriptive analysis, sampling, and methods of evaluation. The emphasis will be on practical application of statistics to criminal justice situations.

CRJ 563 Program Planning and Evaluation
An overview of program planning and intervention principles for the public administrator. Students will review methodologies for identifying public issues, planning for them, and assessing outcomes.

Attention will also be given governmental policies as they impact program planning.

CRJ 593 Demonstration Project Capstone
An in-depth application of the concepts contained in the core courses. Under the direction of a criminal justice faculty member, the student will design, research, and complete a project that will then be formally presented to a committee of at least two full-time or adjunct professors.

CRJ 603 Theory and Practice of Public Administration

An examination of factors that impact public administration, including organizational design, political relationships, and the environment, with an emphasis on ethical behavior in the public arena.

CRJ 613 Public Organizational Behavioral and Human Resource Management

A study of the importance of organizational planning, quality decision-making and budget management.  The course will also examine the methods and procedures necessary for managing in the public arena.

CRJ 623 Governmental Accounting , Finance and Budgeting
An in-depth look at accounting, finance and budgeting practices in public administration, including fundamental concepts of accounting principles

CRJ 643 Law and Public Policy

This course provides an overview of several key legal issues faced by administrators within criminal justice public agencies.  It focuses on statutory and Constitutional public employment rights and the Constitutional limitations on these administrators' interactions with prisoners, probationers and parolees.  It also addresses core issues faced by public managers in the field of administrative law

CRJ 693 Public Administration Demonstration Project
An in-depth analysis of the concepts contained within the concentration courses.  Conducted under the direction of a criminal justice faculty member, the student will design and implement a capstone project, and then present the results to a committee of at least two full-time or adjunct professors with public administration experience.

EM 503 Advanced Principles of Emergency Management

This course prepares the emergency manager to assess, mitigate and manage emergencies that impact our communities in accordance with national standards.  Emphasis is placed on the roles of government agencies - local, state, and federal - and the facilitation of strategic plans that address unique community situations.  A global perspective for emergency management activities is stressed.

EM513 Seminar in Hazard Mitigation

the focus of this course will be to equip emergency managers to address principles of community resilience for both natural and manmade disasters, to implement formal risk assessments, and to involve private sector entities in mitigation strategies.  Particular emphasis will be placed ont eh development and facilitation of a formalized planning process in the successful mitigation of potential hazards.

EM 623 COmprehensive Risk Assessment & Vulnerability

This is a project-based course that integrated hazard, risk, and vulnerability analyses within a comprehensive disaster management strategy.  A focus will be on assisting local communities to assess their unique vulnerabilities and develop policies and processes that mitigate those hazards.  Special attention will be placed on maintaining business contingency plans and continuity of operations. 

EM 653 Managing Disaster Relief and Recovery Operations

This course is designed to develop competency in damage assessment, disaster declaration, and debris management for both natural and man-made disasters.  The focus will be on supervising programs and personnel in accordance with national standards, policies, and procedures, as well as on providing leadership for recovery solutions and future disaster mitigation.

EM 693 Emergency Management Demonstration Project

An in-depth analysis of the concepts contained within the concentration courses.  Conducted under the direction of a criminal justice faculty member and a professional emergency management specialist, the student will design and implement a capstone project, and then present the results to a committee of a least two full-time or adjunct professors, one of which has professional emergency management or first responder experience.

FPY 603 Theory & Practice of Forensic Psychology

A study of the fundamental elements encompassing the practical and research application of forensic psychology. Students will examine the variables associated to: (a) ethical issues, (b) psychological assessment, (c) police and correctional psychology, (d) child custody evaluations, (e) trial consultation procedures, (f) criminal investigative techniques, (g) eyewitness memory, and (h) insanity pleas and competency evaluations. Prerequisites:  Completion of all MSCJ core courses

FPY 613 Psychopathology

An in-depth analysis of mental illness and its association with criminal behavior, to include identification of patterns of psychopathy and sociopathy and the comparison of disparities and similarities between the two,. Various disorders will be examined and applied the causation of crime. This course will also examine the DSM-IV in relation to criminal behavior.  Prerequisite: FPY 603

FPY 623 Evaluation & Treatment of Specialized Populations

This course provides an overview of the methods and modalities utilized to assess and treat sex offenders, substance abuse offenders, juveniles, and domestic violence perpetrators. Students will concentrate on each classification and interrelationships associated to application, treatment, assessment, and evaluation of the variables accompanying each classification . Prerequisite: FPY 603

FPY 643 Victimology

This course involves the study of victims and witnesses of crime. An emphasis will be placed on the psychological and emotional detriments associated with being victimized an the classification of the types of victims. Criminological theory will be applied to address the reasons that certain victims are more attractive to offenders than others, and to examine a victim's reaction to crime. Prerequisite:  FPY 603

FPY 693 Forensic Psychology Demonstration Project

An in-depth analysis an synthesis of the concepts contained within the concentration courses. Conducted under the direction of a criminal justice faculty member the student will design and implement a capstone project, and the present the results to a committee of two full time or adjunct professors who specialize in criminal justice and/or forensic psychology.  Prerequisites:  FPR 603, FPY 613, FPY 623, and FPY 643

LAW 603 Advanced Employment Law:

An in-depth study of the legal issues that may arise as a result of the employer-employee relationship. Topics include the establishment of employment and its terms, employer’s obligation to employees, and termination of the employee relationship. The course examines federal and state statutory and case law on wage and hour issues, safety, and workplace discrimination, among other important topics.

LAW 613 Criminal Procedure: Investigation and Adjudication: This course consists of two parts. Part I covers pretrial law enforcement investigatory practices from investigation to charging, with emphasis on constitutional law as it applies to criminal procedure, criminal investigation, and acquiring evidence.  Part II of this course covers the criminal trial process and post-trial proceedings.  The course involves the study of United States Supreme Court cases to identify the current law on the topics studied as well as to identify the overarching themes in the Court’s jurisprudence.  Students will especially focus on criminal procedure issues as they pertain to the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments.

LAW 623 Children and the Law:

This course examines the issues, policies, and procedures within the criminal justice system as they pertain to children.  Topics include the interrelationship between police, probation, juvenile court, and juvenile corrections system, and how these entities work together to achieve juvenile justice and rehabilitation of the child.  The course further takes an in-depth look at the rights and protections afforded to minors under common law doctrine, federal constitutional principles, and legislative enactments.

LAW 693 Law Concentration Demonstration Capstone:

An in-depth analysis of the concepts contained within the concentration courses.  Conducted under the direction of a criminal justice faculty member, the student will design and implement a capstone project, and then present the results to a committee of at least two full-time or adjunct professors with legal experience.