Program Description | Admission | Degree Requirements | Courses
Program Description
The Master of Arts degree is designed to prepare graduate students to conduct
research and actively participate in the development of knowledge in the areas
of criminological theory, crime control, and correctional and police
administration. The curriculum is broad enough to satisfy these various
interests. Students who are planning careers in law enforcement, corrections or
rehabilitation, or who wish a deeper understanding of crime and the criminal
justice system should confer with the Graduate Program Advisor to develop a
combination of elective courses which will support their particular career
interests.
Admission
Admission to the Master of Arts program is based on the Admissions Committee's assessment of the applicant's scores on the Graduate Record Examination, the undergraduate academic record, and letters of recommendation from undergraduate professors. In some instances a personal interview will also be requested. Admission considerations include the following: (1) that the applicant has, or will soon have, an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution in an allied field; (2) official transcripts of all academic work previously undertaken; (3) test scores from the Graduate Record Examination; (4) at least two letters of recommendation from undergraduate professors; (5) an original essay of the applicant’s career goals and aspirations, and (6) foreign students are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language. A minimum score of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), or 79 (internet-based) is required.
A holistic review of each student's application file will be completed on a competitive basis.
The deadline for submitting applications to the Master of Arts program is February 1 for the fall semester and September 1 for the spring semester. The Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology is a 36-hour degree which includes a thesis. No minor is required.
Degree Requirements
Plan 1 - MA in Criminal Justice and Criminology (Thesis)
|
Item
|
Requirement |
Options |
Hours Required |
| 1 | Specified Courses |
Choose all from: CJ 530 <CRIJ 5330> Critical Analysis of Justice Administration CJ 532 <CRIJ 5332> Perspectives in Criminology CJ 593 <CRIJ 5393> Legal Aspects of the Criminal Justice System CJ 592 <CRIJ 5392> Survey of Research Methods CJ 685 <CRIJ 6385> Statistics for Criminal Justice Research |
15 |
| 2 | Electives | Choose five from: Graduate courses in CRIJ1 |
15 |
| 3 | Thesis | Choose all from: CJ 698 <CRIJ 6398> Thesis Practicum CJ 699 <CRIJ 6399> Thesis2 |
6 |
TOTAL |
36 |
||
| Notes: |
| 1 | No more than three hours of CJ 693 <CRIJ 6393> Special Readings in Criminal Justice may be used as elective course work. |
| 2 | Once enrolled in CJ 699 <CRIJ 6399> Thesis, students must enroll in this course in every semester until graduation. |