Introduction

Graduate Education Policies and Procedures apply to this program. Nonresident students from western states may qualify for reduced tuition through the Western Regional Graduate Program.

Program Director: Mary Dodge, PhD

The Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ) program is designed for students interested in comprehensive graduate education in criminology and criminal justice. It is intended to provide an in-depth understanding of existing structures, practices, and challenges within this field of study.

Part of an academic and professional field of study, the MCJ program prepares students to administer, analyze, evaluate, and facilitate improvements in the rationality and responsiveness of the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Research design capability is emphasized alongside skills required for analyzing empirical data and innovating in crime control and prevention. Students who advance through the program acquire strategies and skills necessary for promoting individual, organizational, and social change.

To learn more about our renowned faculty, please view their bios on the School of Public Affairs website.

Program Delivery

• Courses are offered on campus, online, and hybrid formats.

Program Requirements

1. Students must successfully complete 36 semester hours of approved coursework.
2. Students who have not had at least one year of professional work experience in criminal justice must complete an internship through a 3-semester-hour course, which will count as one elective course.
3. Students must maintain at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA in this program.
4. Students must earn at least a B- in all coursework to be accepted for graduate credit towards the degree.
5. No more than 6 semester hours of Independent Study may be applied toward the degree.
6. This program must be completed within 7 years.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Required Core Courses
CRJU 5001	Crime and Public Policy	3
CRJU 5002	Criminological Theory	3
CRJU 5003	Research Methods	3
CRJU 5004	Statistics for Criminal Justice	3
CRJU 5005	Law & Society	3
Required Elective Courses		18
Students must complete six graduate level criminal justice elective courses, including the internship course.
CRJU 6910	Internship in Criminal Justice 1
Capstone		3
Select one of the following:
CRJU 5361	Capstone Seminar (during the final semester)
CRJU 6950	Master's Thesis 2
Total Hours		36

¹

Students who have not had one year of criminal justice experience following the awarding of their bachelor's degree will be required to complete CRJU 6910 Internship in Criminal Justice. A minimum of 240 hours of supervised work is required to earn 3 hours of credit. The internship requirement may only be waived with the permission of the MCJ Program Director. If required, the internship will count for 1 of the 6 elective courses. Students must complete 18 credit hours of MCJ coursework with at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA prior to enrolling in the internship course.

²

With approval by and in consultation with the program director prior to enrolling in the course. Credit hours for thesis work range from 3 to 6 hours.