The mission of the Department of Criminal Justice is to equip Master of Science students with the competence and conscience needed to: (a) function and/or advance professionally in criminal justice agencies or (b) pursue further graduate work in criminal justice or related fields.
The Master of Science program in Criminal Justice is designed for those persons who are interested in studying the theory and practice of criminal justice in law enforcement, courts, corrections, and the private sector.
The Master of Science program in Criminal Justice places an emphasis on criminal justice administration. Today, there is an ever increasing demand for highly qualified criminal justice administrators in public and private sector organizations to keep them running efficiently and effectively. The primary job of a criminal justice administrator is to provide oversight and supervision in matters related to crime and justice.
The program is geared toward students whose goal is to become criminal justice administrators at the middle and upper management level. Accordingly, an emphasis is placed on students learning management skills such as public relations, accounting and finance, human resources, policy formulation, budgeting, human interaction, crisis strategies, organizational behavior, and writing skills.
The program is designed for working professionals seeking career advancement, those preparing entrance into the field, and those interested in acquiring management skills and knowledge about the problems and practices within the criminal justice system.
The degree is designed for the busy working professional. Thus, courses are offered in an online or an online blended format where students will have face-to-face time with the instructor on certain selected weekends (Friday evenings and Saturday) during the semester. Full-time students can complete the degree in one year. Part-time students can complete the degree in two years.
The degree of Master of Science with a major of Criminal Justice will be conferred only to candidates who have successfully completed 30 credit hours – this includes research requirements. A comprehensive written exam on the general field of criminal justice, based on the required courses, is required at the conclusion of the program. Also, an overall graduate level grade point average of 2.800 must be attained.
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