Public Administration/Criminal Justice, MPA/MCJ
Master of Public Administration Program Director: Todd Ely, PhD
Master of Criminal Justice Program Director: Mary Dodge, PhD
Introduction
The fields of public administration and criminal justice may intersect and complement one another. This dual-degree program provides students with the opportunity to focus on crime and criminal justice issues while learning administrative skills necessary for success in variety of public service settings. The total number of credit hours required to earn both degrees through this program is only 12 more than the total number of credit hours required for the Master of Public Administration or the Master of Criminal Justice by itself.
Admission
Students interested in pursuing the dual-degree program must apply to and be admitted to each of the programs. Students admitted to one program may choose to apply to the other program at a later date. Learn more about how to apply for each of the programs on the School of Public Affairs website.
Program Delivery
- Courses are offered on campus, online, and in remote and hybrid formats.
Program Requirements
- Students are required to take 16 courses, or 48 semester hours, to complete the dual degree.
- Students without pre-service experience in the government or nonprofit sectors will also be required to take a three-credit internship course, bringing the total number of semester hours to 51.
- Students must earn a minimum B- grade in each required course applied to satisfy degree requirements and must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
- No more than six semester hours of Independent Study may be applied toward the degrees.
- For more detailed information about course sequencing and requirements, contact your advisor.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses | ||
| PUAD 5001 | Introduction to Public Administration and Public Service | 3 |
| PUAD 5002 | Organizational Management and Behavior | 3 |
| PUAD 5004 | Economics and Public Finance | 3 |
| or PUAD 5503 | Public Budgeting and Finance | |
| PUAD 5005 | The Policy Process and Democracy | 3 |
| PUAD 5006 | Public Service Leadership and Ethics | 3 |
| PUAD 5008 | Evidence-Based Decision-Making | 3 |
| CRJU 5001 | Criminal Justice Systems, Policies, and Practice | 3 |
| CRJU 5002 | Criminological Theory | 3 |
| CRJU 5005 | Law & Society | 3 |
| Required Elective Courses | 18 | |
Required Course | ||
| Research and Analytic Methods | ||
Additional Electives | ||
A combination of additional PUAD electives and CRJU electives must be taken for a total of five courses. 1 | ||
| Internship | 3 | |
| Internship in Criminal Justice 1 | ||
| Capstone | 3 | |
| Capstone Seminar | ||
| Total Hours | 51 | |
- 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, and this can be applied as a CRJU elective. Students who have not had at least one year of professional work experience in the public or nonprofit sectors must complete PUAD 6910 Internship, bringing the total number of credits to complete the dual-degree program to 51. One internship is required for students who are not exempt from the internship requirement.