Graduate Education in Criminal Justice:
A STATE-BY-STATE GUIDE
[Doctoral Programs][Master's
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If you have a half-decent grade point average (generally, no lower than 2.5; the higher the better), an average or above-average score on the GRE, and can get good letters of recommendation, you should consider applying to graduate school in criminal justice or criminology (criminal justice and criminology are pretty much interchangeable at the graduate level). There's a real shortage of people with graduate degrees in this field. Remember the application deadline for most places is January, or March at the latest. The main thing is to sign up to take the GRE (Click on the GRE initials and register NOW if you haven't already). This web page is primarily about traditional, residential programs in criminal justice, and if you are dead-set interested in something else, the following OTHER kinds of graduate education are listed in this table along with informative links:
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Online Criminal Justice |
Law School | Forensic Science |
|
CJDLC Distance Ed in CJ MegaLinks ELearners.com Peterson's Guide |
Directory of Legal Academia Law School Admission Council MegaGuide to Law Schools So You Wanna be a Lawyer |
AAFS ABC SPCP Forensic Psychology |
Well, now that that's over, let me give you some plain and simple advice about graduate education in criminal justice. If you do it right, a masters degree in CJ takes less time to complete than a Bachelor's degree (and a doctorate even less time, if you don't drop out and go ABD - which stands for All But Dissertation). Graduate education is also cheaper in cost (at most places), and you are at no time more prepared than now, at the end of your undergraduate education. I strongly urge you to consider enrolling somewhere NOW, and not waiting until you're a non-traditional, older student. Personally, I worked in the real world for at least five years between each of my degrees, and I didn't regret it, but it was an uphill battle against the hidden discrimination against non-traditionals and those with real-world experience (which doesn't matter in academia). You'll find that the more common (and respected) pattern, especially among the senior faculty and administrators at most schools is to be a whiz kid, and get your Ph.D. by the time you're 27 years old, or younger. At least, that's what professor families expect of their kids. To succeed, the main thing you'll need, besides smarts, is willpower, staying power, and the ability to get along with difficult people, particularly professor-type people. You must aspire to that advanced degree with all your heart and be willing to persevere no matter what. It's nearly impossible to hide out in a graduate program, and hope nobody notices your character flaws as long as you get good grades. This is especially true of doctoral programs, and the reason is because they are credentialing you for the teaching profession, and they take their gatekeeper role quite seriously. Expect to be challenged like it's psychic warfare on fronts you never imagined. A word of advice, don't even think about going to grad school and holding down a job or raising a family at the same time. It won't work. You have to devote 110% of attention to your studies. Further, if you are so desparate for money (which you will be), that at some point half-way or more in your graduate studies, you think you qualify to answer one of those 650 ads for criminal justice professors needed every year, don't do it. Stay with the program and finish it. Don't become one of those thousands of half-finished 50-year old professors in our field stuck in some dead-end position somewhere as an adjunct or permanently untenured, "visiting" assistant something-or-other. If you are one of these "stuck" professors, do yourself and everybody else a favor and go back somewhere to finish it up, this time in the "right" field.
Now, let me be even more blunt and give you some pointed advice. Pay careful attention to what you are getting your degree in. What appears on the transcript is what matters. The top of the transcript (when you graduate) will clearly indicate what you are got your degree in, and the coursework on your transcript will have a prefix code. Those prefix codes should read something like CJ, CRJ, CJS, JUS, JPS or CRIM. If you have those (or similar) codes on more than 80% of your coursework, congratulations, you received exactly the right kind of credits to be credentialed to teach in criminal justice. However, if those codes read something like SOC, POL, LS, or PSY, then sorry, you're credentialed in another field, and the best you can hope for is to be an "interloper" who takes a teaching job away from someone who better deserves your position. A long, long time ago, it used to be that other fields like Sociology and Political Science "adopted" us, but thank you now, criminal justice has grown into it's own and you can step aside. You'll discover a variety of names for criminal justice programs, and many will have "hybrid" names like the Department of Sociology, Social Work, Geography, and Criminal Justice, or "two-discipline" names like Sociology and Criminal Justice, Political Science and Criminal Justice, Social Work and Criminal Justice, Education and Human Services, or Justice and Public Policy. Then, you'll find plain old Sociology departments and the like offering what they call a "concentration" or "specialization" in Criminal Justice. Please remember that a concentration is not a major, and it's not even a minor, and minors are practically worthless. Imagine how worthless, then, is a "concentration" or "specialization." Those kind of degrees are designed for people who work in unique job positions, not for teaching. Finally, there are one-department programs that are true Criminal Justice programs, but they go under a different name, like Social Ecology, Justice Studies, Criminology, and a small number that are called Legal Studies or even Social Justice. The bitter truth is that 60% of the criminal justice discipline is "captivated" like this in the "wrong" academic department, and it's "wrong" for the following reasons: (a) the administrators there are capitalizing on the growing enrollments and popularity of criminal justice to make up for declining enrollments in other fields; (b) the instructors in such programs "think" they're qualified simply because part of their dissertation, comp exams, or study touched on something to do with crime and justice; (c) they once worked in law enforcement, courts, or corrections, and "think" this experience counts, or should count as equally as true academic credits in the "right" field. Shame on you if you are an interloper. Your days are numbered as soon as the criminal justice field gets its act together. In fact, I am interested in hearing from anyone wishing to join my "Oust the Interlopers" movement. I've already heard from dozens of Ph.D.s in my field with the most horrible stories of academic abuse at the hands of JDs and those with Master's degrees who are "hiding out" in our field.
THE DANGER OF COMPARING SCHOOLS
I get a lot of requests from people who want a ranking of the grad schools in terms of reputation, quality, or prestige. I also get a lot of emails asking me to help someone decide between this school and that school. Be advised that I don't provide information on either matter. This is a highly controversial area plagued with conceptualization and measurement problems, and it's my policy not to respond to such requests. Besides, I don't think I could do it in an unbiased fashion. All graduate schools which are set up the right way in this field have about the same attrition rate (high), the same difficulty level (high), the same egos involved (enormous), and the same chances of employment when you graduate (it depends on the market that year). Programs rapidly shift from year to year in response to curriculum reviews, reaccreditations, university politics, and faculty turnover. It is probably more important to consider the cost of living, quality of life, political climate and other factors such as Professor Salaries in deciding which state and which school to select.
Like my links below may help with, you need to do some research, and find out the average number of students in residence, the number of graduates per year, and what those graduates are writing their theses and dissertations on. Chances are you'll be joining some "cohort" of others who have applied that year, and get in touch with them, if you can. Find out as much as you can about each department's emphasis (if any) and each professor's specialty (paying careful attention to their age, sabbatical and retirement plans, as well as where they're at on the tenure clock). Some schools, however, have a well-known emphasis. John Jay and Eastern Kentucky, for example, are known for their law enforcement emphasis, and Sam Houston State is known for its corrections emphasis, but often, these reputations as well as curricula change over the years.
Utilize printed resources in addition to what you find on the web, which may be misleading. Peterson's Guide, Barron's Guide, and Arco's Guide are three of the most well-known catalogs and are easily found in any library or bookstore. For CJ specifically, see if your local library or career center has a copy of "Guide to Graduate Programs in Criminal Justice and Criminology" which details programs at more than 1000 institutions nationwide. The publisher is ACJS and for the last five years, they've been sold out of the book. They also publish a document called "Minimum Standards for CJ Education." Another association you might want to look into is ASC.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FACULTY EGOS
Don't apply to a grad program if there is only one professor there who specializes
in your interest, no matter if it seems like a perfect match. He or she may move, get
sick, or take a sabbatical during your stay, and you will have trouble putting together a
thesis or dissertation committee. The rule of thumb is to find a critical mass of
dependable faculty (at least three) with some overlap in specialties and then choose a common topic but one
that none of them feels too strongly about. Your thesis or dissertation is going to
eventually revolve around THEIR interests, not yours, but all the ideas up front are
going to have to come from you. Expect revisions for revision's sake. They're testing you.
You need to know if your prospective committee members are compatible with one another and
will protect you from department politics. The best way to find this out is through
observation or hearsay, but you might be able to garner some impression by visiting
faculty web pages or those of the universities
themselves. There is also a special web site set up by the ASC (American Society of
Criminology) for its student members called the E-mail Mentoring
Directory, which allows you to contact professors who have volunteered to provide
thoughtful advice to struggling grad students or grad student wannabes. Use this list to find and ask questions
from somebody in a particular specialty. At least get to know our two professional
associations: the American Society of Criminology
and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences,
and attend a meeting, if nearby.
ONLINE SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Why not go all the way to the doctorate? Criminal Justice is a growth area; over 100 new Ph.D.s are needed every year, and the supply simply doesn't meet the demand. If you apply to places supporting both the master's and doctoral degree, and are planning to enter into full-time residency, you will find your progress towards the master's is nothing less than phenomenal (two years or less, in what is called a "fast track"). You can then stay at that same school (without reapplying) and pursue the Ph.D. there (which will normally take only another two or three years). Warning: doctoral programs are quite harder than master's programs, requiring comp exams, strong quantitative skills (a conceptual and practical understanding of advanced statistics), strong writing skills (you may have to turn out two to three 20-page term papers per course per semester), strong verbal presentation skills, and in most cases, translation of a foreign language or learning of a computer programming language, and then there's the typical 400 page dissertation that has to be groundbreaking. I don't mean to scare you, but many lives have been ruined with one or more of these requirements, especially the comp exams (which are a closed book, two or three day affair). The most common reason for bombing out, however, is floundering on the dissertation. This usually happens when you get desperate for a job near the end of your doctoral program, and you go ABD (All But Dissertation) on the job market. Then, you end up teaching a whole lot of courses somewhere with no time to finish your dissertation. There are no online or easy ways to get a doctorate in CJ. It's just plain hard, and you better have all of your life affairs in order.
THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS OFFER THE PH.D. IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE:
American University, School of Public Affairs, Washington, DC 20016, 202-885-6000
Arizona State University, School of
Justice Studies, Tempe, AZ 85287, 602-965-7684
Univ. of California-Irvine, Program in Social
Ecology, Irvine, CA 92717, 714-856-6094
University of Cincinnati,
Dept. of Criminal Justice, Cincinnati, OH 45221, 513-556-5827
Claremont Graduate School, Center for Politics and Public Policy, Claremont, CA 91711, 714-521-1148
Florida State University, School of Criminology, Tallahassee, FL 32306, 904-644-4050
George Mason University,
Justice, Law and Crime Policy, Arlington, VA 22201, 703-993-8315
University of Illinois-Chicago,
Dept. of CJ, 1007 W. Harrison, Chicago, IL 60607, 312-996-5262
Indiana University, Dept. of CJ, Bloomington, IN 47405, 812-855-9325
Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania, Dept. of Criminology, Indiana, PA 15705, 412-357-2720
John Jay College of CJ (CUNY), 899 Tenth Ave., New York, NY 10019, 212-237-8695
University of Delaware, Dept. of Sociology and CJ, Newark, DE 19716 302-451-2581
University of Maryland, Dept.
of Criminology and CJ, College Park, MD 20742 301-405-4699
Michigan State University., School of
CJ, East Lansing, MI 48824 517-355-2192
Univ. of Missouri-St. Louis, Dept. of
Crim./CJ, St. Louis, MO 63121, 314-553-5031
University of Nebraska, CJ Dept., Omaha, NE
68182, 402-554-2610
North Dakota State University, CJ/Political Sci Dept., Fargo, ND 58105, 701-231-7033
Northeastern University, College of Criminal Justice, Boston, MA 02115, 617-437-3327
Pennsylvania State Univ., Sociology/AOJ Dept., University Park, PA 16802, 814-863-0078
Portland State University, CJ Program., Portland, OR 97207, 503-229-4014
Prairie View A&M University, Juvenile Justice Program, Prairie View, TX 77446, 936-857-4938
Rutgers University, School of
CJ, Newark, NJ 07102, 201-648-5870
Sam Houston St. University, College of
Criminal Justice, Huntsville, TX 77341, 409-294-1631
University of South Florida,
Criminology Dept., Tampa, FL 33620, 813-974-2815
Univ. of Southern Mississippi, AOJ
Program,
Hattiesburg, MS 39406, 601-266-4509
State University of New York (SUNY)-Albany,
School of Criminal Justice, Albany, NY 12222, 518-442-5210
Temple University, CJ Dept., Philadelphia, PA
19122, 215-204-7918
CRIMINAL JUSTICE MASTER'S STUDY
There are less hurdles or hoops to jump thru in a master's program - for example: fewer math/statistics courses, fewer term papers, and no foreign languages to learn. Master's students normally choose between a thesis or non-thesis option. The thesis option is for those who want some preparation at what it would be like to produce the dissertation required for the Ph.D. The non-thesis option is typically for those who wish to treat their master's degree as terminal (as high as they want to go) in preparation for a specific career. The smartest thing to do is pursue the non-thesis option since doctoral programs don't really care much about whether you did a master's thesis or not and most master's programs aren't truly set up to support thesis activities even though they claim to be.
A lot of CJ master's programs (as opposed to doctoral programs) are wrongly housed in Sociology or Public Administration departments. Heck, I've even seen them in Business and Education departments. I don't list such programs here unless I think there might be a decent chance for the student to successfully pursue a CJ degree without any resultant prejudice. You'll also find a large number of JD's, or lawyers, teaching at the master's level (which shouldn't happen because one of the basic rules is you only teach to a level beneath your highest degree, and the JD is nothing more than a master's degree). I don't particularly like "interlopers" in our field, but it gives you some idea of how short-handed we are in CJ. I also don't like the fact that many criminology and criminal justice programs are held "captive" by another department or school administrator. Don't let them tell you it's for historical reasons, because that usually means the school hasn't got its faculty governance or administrative system in order, and the political games you'll find at such a place will drive you crazy. Regarding "interlopers" - I think the fairest thing to say is that you've got to take this on a case-by-case basis. People who teach in our field but are not educated in our field sometimes make good teachers, but even years of teaching experience will not change their basic inclination to see things a certain way, and in other instances, to be stubborn at times, especially as they pursue their "interloper" advantage to the detriment of what is right and true. Finally, the reader will also note that I'm fairly supportive of distance ed schools (accredited ones and those struggling toward the "right" accreditation), but my bias is toward brick-and-mortar schools. My complete coverage of the distance education schools is found on another page.
THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS OFFER THE M.A. or M.S. IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE:
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[International]
Andrew Jackson Univ., Criminal Justice Dept., Birmingham, AL 35209, 205-871-9288, a struggling distance education, proctored exam, and self-study program, a faculty of about 8, 2 with interests in Law and Policy
Auburn University, Public Safety Dept., Montgomery, AL 36117, 205-244-3691, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Corrections, Policing, and Criminal Law
Jacksonville St. Univ., College of CJ, Jacksonville, AL 36265, 205-782-5335, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Policing and Criminal Law
Troy State Univ., MCJ Program, Troy, AL 36082, 334-670-3000, a faculty of about 4 with specialties in Criminology
Univ. Of Alabama, CJ Dept., Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, 205-348-7795, a faculty of about 7 with specialties in Policing, Corrections, and Policy
Univ. of Alabama, CJ Dept., Birmingham, AL
35294, 205-934-2069, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Criminology and Policy
Univ. of North Alabama, Sociology and CJ Dept., Florence, AL 35632, a faculty of about
5 with specialties in Policing, Corrections, Criminology, Juvenile Justice, and the Courts
Univ. of Alaska, Justice Ctr.,
Anchorage, AK 99508, 907-786-4608, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Criminology
ARKANSAS
Univ. of Arkansas, CJ Dept., Little Rock, AR 72204, 501-569-3195, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Policing, Corrections, Criminology, and Law
Arizona St. Univ., School of Justice Studies, Tempe, AZ 85287, 602-965-7684, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Legal Systems, Criminal Law, and Policy
Northern Arizona Univ., Sociology, SW and CJ Dept., Flagstaff, AZ 86011, 602-523-1520, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Applied Sociology and Criminology
California St. Univ., Criminology Dept., Fresno, CA 93740, 559-278-2305, a faculty of about 15 with specialties in Criminology, Corrections, and Policing (with plans for a joint doctorate in Criminal Justice Sciences: Victimology, Forensic Behavioral Sciences, and Forensic Science options)
California St. Univ., CJ Division, Sacramento, CA 95819, 916-278-6487, a faculty of about 25 with specialties in Administration and Policy
California St. Univ., CJ Dept, San Bernardino, CA 92407, 714-880-5506, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Policing and Corrections
California St. Univ., Public Adm Dept, San Diego, CA 92185, 619-594-1948, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Law, Criminology, and Corrections
California St. Univ., CJ Dept, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA 95382, 209-667-3408, a faculty of about 9 with specialties in Corrections, Criminology, Law, Policy, and Policing
Claremont Grad. School, Center for Politics & Policy, Claremont, CA 91711, 714-621-1148, a faculty of about 12 with specialties in Criminology, Criminal Law, and Policy
San Jose St. Univ., AOJ Dept., San Jose, CA 95192, 408-924-2940, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Policing, Corrections, and Administration
Univ. of California, Sociology Dept., Berkeley, CA 94720, a faculty of about 20, 2 with interests in Criminology and Law
Univ. of California, Program in Social Ecology, Irvine, CA 92717, a faculty of about 35 with specialties in Criminology, Law and Society
Univ. of Colorado, Sociology Dept., Boulder, CO 80309, 303-492-6427, a faculty of about 16, 3 with interests in Delinquency and Policy
Univ. of Denver, Program in Legal Administration, Denver, CO 80220, 303-871-6308, a faculty of about 3 with interests in Court Administration
Central Connecticut St. Univ, Criminology and Criminal Justice Dept., New Britain, CT 06050, 860-832-2278, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Criminology, Law, and Policy
University of New Haven, Public Mgt. and Forensic Science Program, West Haven, CT 06516, 203-932-7116, a faculty of about 9 with specialties in Criminalistics and Administration
Univ. of Delaware, Sociology and CJ Dept., Newark, DE 19716, 302-451-2581, a faculty of about 30 with specialties in Criminology, Psychology, and Police Ethics
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
American University, Justice, Law & Society Dept., Washington DC 20016, 202-885-2948, a faculty of about 19 with specialties in Criminology, Law, and Policing
George Washington Univ., CJ Dept., Washington, DC, 20052, 202-994-7319, a faculty of about 7 with specialties in Laboratory Science and Criminalistics
FLORIDA
Florida Atlantic University, CJ
Dept. Boca Raton, FL 33431, 954-236-1242, a faculty of about 6 with specialties in Public
Policy and Management
Florida International University, CJ Dept., North Miami, FL 33181, 305-940-5850, a faculty of about 7 with specialties in Criminology and Policy
Florida St. University, School of Criminology, Tallahassee, FL 32306, 904-644-4050, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Criminology, Policing, the Courts, and Corrections
University of Central Florida, CJ & Legal Studies, Orlando, FL 32816, 407-823-2603, a faculty of about 23 with specialties in Criminology, Policing, the Courts, and Corrections
University of North Florida, Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Dept., Jacksonville, FL 32224, 904-620-2850, a faculty of about 10, 2 with interests in Crime and Criminology
University of South Florida, Criminology Dept., Tampa, FL 33620, 813-974-2815, a faculty of about 12 with specialties in Criminology, Policing, and Corrections
Albany State College, CJ Dept., Albany, GA 31705, 912-430-4864, a faculty of about 7 with specialties in Policing, Corrections, and Criminology
Armstrong Atlantic State University, (MS in CJ) Dept. of Government, Savannah, GA 31419, 912-927-5296, a faculty of about 6 with specialties in Corrections, Policing, and Law
Georgia State University, CJ Dept., Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-651-3515, a faculty of about 7 with specialties in Policing, Corrections, and Criminal Law
Valdosta State College, Sociology, Anthropology and CJ Dept., Valdosta, GA 31698, 912-333-5943, a faculty of about 15 with specialties in Applied Sociology and Administration
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Sociology Dept., Honolulu, HI 96822, 808-956-7693, a faculty of about 20, 4 with interests in Crime or Criminology
Chaminade University in Honolulu, Program in Criminal Justice Administration, Honolulu, HI, 96816, 808-735-4703, a faculty of about 3 with specialties in Criminology
Boise State University, Criminal Justice Adm. Dept., Boise, ID 83725, 208-426-3407, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Policing, Courts, Corrections, and Criminology
Chicago State University, CJ Dept., Chicago, IL, 60628, 773-995-2108, a faculty of about 7 with specialties in Law, Criminology, Corrections, and Administration
Illinois State University, CJ Dept., Normal, IL 61761, 309-438-7626, a faculty of about 13 with specialties in Criminology, Corrections, Policing, and Administration
Southern Illinois Univ., Administration of Justice Dept., Carbondale, IL 62901, 618-453-5701, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Delinquency, Geography, Policing, and Corrections
University of Illinois, CJ Dept., Chicago, IL 60680, 312-996-5262, a faculty of about 15 with specialties in Policing, Policy, and Criminalistics
Western Illinois University, Law Enforcement Dept., Macomb, IL 61455, 309-298-1038, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Policing, Security, Corrections, Criminology, and Criminal Law
Indiana St. Univ., Criminology Dept., Terre Haute, IN 47809, 812-237-2190, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Corrections, Policing, and Criminal Law
Indiana University, CJ Dept., Bloomington, IN 47405, 812-855-9880, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Criminology, Criminal Law, Law and Society
Indiana University Northwest, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Gary, IN 46408, 219-980-6605, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Criminology and Administration
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5152, 317-274-4656, a faculty of about 25 with specialties in Juvenile Justice, Criminology, Corrections, and Policing with undergrad programs at Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, South Bend, Gary, and Kokomo.
Indiana Purdue Ft. Wayne (IPFW), a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Administration.
St. Ambrose University, CJ Dept., Davenport, IA 52803, 319-333-6175, a faculty of about 3 with specialties in Administration and Policy
Washburn University, CJ Dept., Topeka, KS 66621, 785-231-1010, a faculty of about 9 with specialties in Corrections, Policy, Law, and Criminology
Wichita State Univ., CJ Dept., Wichita, KS 67208, 316-689-3710, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Administration, Policing, Corrections, and Criminology
Eastern Kentucky University, School of Law Enforcement, Richmond, KY 40475, 606-622-3565, a faculty of about 25 with specialties in Policing, Security, and Administration
University of Louisville, School of Justice Administration, Louisville, KY 40292, 502-588-6567, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Criminology, Policing and Corrections
Grambling St. Univ., CJ Dept., Grambling, LA 71245, 318-274-2746, a faculty of about 15 with specialties in Criminology and Delinquency
Loyola Univ. New Orleans, CJ Dept., New Orleans, LA 70118, 504-865-3323, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Criminology, Administration, and Policing
Northeast LA Univ., CJ Dept., Monroe, LA 71209, 318-342-4026, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Criminology, Delinquency and Corrections
Southern University, Dept. of Social Sciences, New Orleans, LA 70126, 504-286-5000, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Administration, Policing, and Corrections. This school also operates a growing Baton Rouge campus that plans to offer the Masters in CJ soon. Many people from this region put together a Ph.D. program from one of the majors at LSU in Baton Rouge
University of Baltimore, Division of Criminology, Criminal Justice & Social Policy, Baltimore, MD, 21201, 410-837-6087, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Criminology and Policy
University of Maryland, Institute of CJ and Criminology, College Park, MD 20742, 301-405-4699, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Criminology, Delinquency, and Policy
American International College, Program in Criminal Justice, Springfield, MA 01109, 800-242-3142, a faculty of about 3 with specialties in Law
Boston University, Metropolitan College Program in Criminal Justice, Dept. of Applied Social Science, Boston, MA 02215, 617-353-3025, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Criminology
Harvard University, Program in CJ Policy and Management, part of Kennedy School of Government where degree is a Masters in Public Policy supported by about ten CJ elective courses, Cambridge, MA 02138, 617-495-5188, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in crime control and community policing
Northeastern University, College of Criminal Justice, Boston, MA 02115, 617-437-3327, a faculty of about 15 with specialties in Criminology, Methods, and Criminalistics
Suffolk University, Sociology and Criminal Justice Dept., Boston, MA 02108, 617-573-8000, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Social Control and Counseling
Westfield State College, CJ Dept., Westfield, MA 01086, 413-568-3311, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Criminology and Policy
Univ. of MA at Lowell (pdf file), CJ Dept., Lowell, MA 01854, 508-934-4246, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Criminology, Policing, and Corrections
Eastern Michigan Univ., Soc., Anthro. and Criminology Dept., Ypsilanti, MI 48197, 313-487-0012, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Criminology and Applied Sociology
Michigan St. Univ., School of Criminal Justice, East Lansing, MI 48824, 517-355-2192, a faculty of about 15 with specialties in Policing and Corrections
Wayne St. University,
CJ Program, Detroit, MI 48202, 313-577-2705, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in
Criminology and Delinquency, not enough faculty to put together a doctoral program, but
students may be able to put something together with the Depts. of Political Science
or Sociology
Western Michigan Univ.,
Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology Dept., Kalamazoo, MI 49008, 616-387-5281, a
faculty of about 18 with specialties in Criminology, Applied Sociology, and Critical
Analysis. Although they are technically a sociology dept., they may have enough faculty to
support CJ studies in their sociology
Ph.D. program
St. Cloud St. University, CJ Dept., St Cloud, MN 56301, 612-255-4101, a faculty of about 12 with specialties in Corrections, Policing, and Administration
University of Southern Mississippi, CJ Dept., Hattiesburg, MS 39406, 601-266-4509, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Policing, Corrections, and Administration
Central Missouri State University, Criminal Justice Dept., Warrensburg, MO 64093, 660-5434621, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Criminology, Policing, & Corrections
Columbia College,
Criminal Justice Administration Dept., Columbia, MO 65216, 800-231-2391, a
faculty of about 3 with specialties in Forensics, Law, and Policy
University of Missouri, Sociology/AJ Dept., Kansas City, MO 64110, 816-276-1597, a
faculty of about 5 with specialties in Criminology and Corrections
Univ. of Missouri-St. Louis, Dept. of Crim./CJ, St. Louis, MO 63121, 314-553-5031, a faculty of about 7 with specialties in Criminology and Policy
Southeast Missouri St. Univ., Dept. of Criminal Justice, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701, 573-651-2000, a faculty of about 6 with specialities in Administration, Law, and Criminology
University of Nebraska, CJ Dept., Omaha, NE 68182, 402-554-2610, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Policing, Criminology, Corrections, and Policy
University of Nevada -Las Vegas, CJ Dept., 4505 Maryland Pkwy., Box 455009, Las Vegas, NV 89154, 702-895-0236, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Criminology, Policy, and Policing
College of New Jersey, Criminology & Justice Studies Dept., Ewing, NJ 08628, 609-771-2442, a faculty of about 7 with specialities in Criminology, Law, and Administration
Monmouth Univ., Criminal Justice Dept., West Long Branch, NJ 07764, 732-571-3400, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Criminology and Delinquency
Rutgers University, School of Criminal Justice, Newark, NJ 07102, 201-648-5870, a faculty of about 15 with specialties in Criminology, Criminal Law, and Administration
New Mexico St. Univ., CJ Dept., Las Cruces, NM 88003, 505-646-3316, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Criminology, Social Psychology, Corrections, and Criminal Law
Buffalo St. Univ., CJ Dept., Buffalo, NY 14222, 716-878-4000, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Criminology, Law and Administration
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CJ Dept., City University of New York, New York, NY 10019, 212-237-8695, a faculty of about 45 with specialties in Policing, Ethics, Forensic Science and Criminal Law
Long Island Univ. CW Post
Campus, Criminal Justice Dept., Brookville, NY 11548, 516-299-2900, a
faculty of about 4 with specialties in Policing and Criminology
Niagara University, CJ Dept., Niagara
University, NY 14109, 716-286-8080, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Corrections,
Policing, and Criminal Law
St. John's University, MA in Criminology and Justice Program, Jamaica, NY 11439, 718-990-6231, a faculty of about 6 with specialties in Deviance, Delinquency, and Criminology
State University of New York, School of Criminal Justice, Albany, NY 12222, 518-442-5210, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Criminology, Law and Social Control
NORTH CAROLINA
Appalachian State University.
Political Science and Criminal Justice Dept. (concentration in criminal justice), Boone,
NC 704-262-7050, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Politics, Policy, Judiciary,
and Corrections
East Carolina Univ., School of Social Work and CJ, Greenville, NC 27858, 252-328-4195, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Corrections and Law
North Carolina Central University, CJ Dept., Durham, NC 27707, 919-560-6280, a faculty of about 7 with specialties in Policing and Corrections
North Carolina State University, Political Science and Public Administration Dept. (concentration in criminal justice), Raleigh, NC 28695, 919-515-8618 a faculty of about 23 with specialties in Management and Policy
University
of North Carolina, CJ Dept. Charlotte, NC 28223, 704-547-4776, a faculty of about 15
with specialties in Corrections, International Justice, Policing, and
Administration
University of North Carolina, Sociology Dept.
(MA in Sociology with Concentration in Criminology), Greensboro, NC 27402, 336-334-5295, a faculty of about 13
with specialties in Social Deviance, Women and Minorities
Western Carolina University, Political Science and Public Affairs (concentration in criminal justice), Cullowhee, NC 28723, 828-227-7211, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Politics and Law
Minot St. Univ., Criminal Justice Dept., Minot, ND 58707, 701-858-3000, a faculty of about 4 with specialties in Policing and Criminology
North Dakota State University, Criminal Justice and Political Science Dept., Fargo, ND 58105, 701-231-7033, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Criminology, Corrections, and Management
OHIO
Bowling Green State University,
Sociology Dept., Bowling Green, OH 43403, 419-372-2791, a faculty of about 8 with 3-4 who
specialize in criminal justice, enough to put together a thesis or dissertation
committee
Kent State University, CJ Dept., Kent, OH 44242, 216-672-2775, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Criminology, Methods, Corrections, and Victimology
University of Cincinnati, CJ Dept., Cincinnati, OH 45221, 513-556-5827, a faculty of about 15 with specialties in Criminology, Methods, Corrections and Policing
University of Toledo, CJ Dept., Toledo, OH 43606, 419-530-4636, a faculty of about 13 with specialties in Policing, Penology, and Criminology
Youngstown State University, CJ Dept.,Youngstown, OH 44555, 216-742-3279, a faculty of about 6 with specialties in Corrections and Policing
Univ. of Central Oklahoma, Sociology and CJ Dept., Edmond, OK 73034, 405-341-2980, a faculty of about 12 with specialties in Administration, Policing, and Criminology
Oklahoma City University, CJ Dept., Oklahoma City, OK 73106, 405-521-5045, a faculty of about 6 with specialties in Security, Corrections and Policing
Oklahoma State University, Sociology Dept., Stillwater, OK 74078, 405-744-6105, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Criminology, Penology, and Corrections, which may be enough to support doctoral studies, even though it is technically a sociology Ph.D
Portland State University, AOJ Dept., Portland, OR 97207, 503-725-4014, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Policy, Policing and Corrections
Indiana University of PA, Criminology Dept., Indiana, PA 15705, 412-357-2720, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Criminology, Policy, Ethics, Policing and Corrections
Marywood Univ., CJ Dept., Scranton, PA 18509, 570-6211, a faculty of about 3 with specialties in Criminology
Mercyhurst College, CJ Dept., Erie, PA 16546, 814-824-2266, a faculty of about 3 with specialties in Criminology, Corrections, Policing, and Intelligence Analysis
Penn. St. University, AOJ Program, University Park, PA 16802, 814-863-0078, a faculty of about 15 with specialties in Criminology, Delinquency, Policy and Administration
Shippensburg Univ., CJ Dept., Shippensburg, PA 17257, 717-477-1558, a faculty of about 6 with specialties in Criminology, Corrections, and Policing
St.
Joseph's University, Sociology and CJ Dept., Philadelphia, PA 19131, a faculty of
about 7 with specialties in Criminology and Delinquency
Temple University, Criminal Justice Dept.,
Philadelphia, PA 19122, 215-204-7918, a faculty of about 15 with specialties in Policing
and Corrections
Villanova Univ., Criminal Justice Administration Program, Villanova, PA 19085, 610-519-4300, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Law and Administration
West
Chester Univ., CJ Dept., West Chester, PA 19383, 610-436-2647, a faculty of
about 3 with specialties in Criminology, Law, and Corrections
Widener University,
Criminal Justice Dept, Chester, PA 19013, 610-499-4521, a faculty of about 3 with
specialties in Corrections and Law
SOUTH CAROLINA
The Citadel, Dept. of
Political Science & CJ (MA of Educ in Social Sci), 171 Moultrie St., Charleston, SC
29409, 803-953-5072, a faculty of about 9 with specialties in Politics, Law, and Policy
University of South Carolina, College of Criminal Justice, Columbia, SC 29208, 803-777-7097, a faculty of about 16 with specialties in Corrections, Courts, Policing and Administration
East Tennessee St. University, CJ and Criminology Dept., Johnson City, TN 37614, 423-439-6807, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Policing, Corrections, and Criminology
Univ. of Memphis, CJ Dept., Memphis, TN 38152, 901-678-2737, a faculty of about 7 with specialties in Policing, Criminal Law and Criminology
Middle Tennessee St. University, CJ Dept., Murfreesboro, TN 37132, 615-898-2111, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Administration, Policing and Criminal Law
Tennessee St. Univ., CJ Dept., Nashville, TN 37209, 615-963-5000, a faculty of about 4 with specialties in Corrections and Law
University of Tennessee, CJ Dept., Chattanooga, TN 37403, 615-755-4135, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Policy, Criminology and Criminal Law
University of Tennessee, Dept. of Sociology, Knoxville, TN 37996, 865-974-6021, a faculty of about 12 with specialties in Criminology (MA in Sociology with Concentration in Criminology)
Prairie View A&M Univ., College of Juvenile Justice & Psychology, Prairie View, TX 77446, 936-857-4938, a faculty of about 16 with specialties in Juvenile Justice, Psychology, and Research
Sam Houston State Univ., College of Criminal Justice, Huntsville, TX 77341, 409-294-1631, a faculty of about 30 with specialties in Corrections, Administration, Criminology, Ethics and Policing
Southwest Texas St. Univ., CJ Dept., San Marcos, TX 78666, 512-245-2174, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Corrections, Policing, Criminal Law, Ethics and Delinquency
Sul Ross St. Univ., CJ Dept., Alpine, TX, 79832, 915-837-8166, a faculty of about 3 with specialties in Policing and Corrections
University of Texas at Arlington, CJ Dept., Arlington, TX 76019, 817-272-3318, a faculty of about 5 with specialties in Policing, Corrections, Administration, and Criminology
Weber St. Univ., CJ Dept., Ogden, UT 84408, 801-626-6146, a faculty of about 11 with specialties in Policing, Courts, Law, Corrections, and Forensics.
Castleton State College, M.A. in Forensic Psychology, Psych. Dept., Castleton, VT 05735, 802-468-1281, a faculty of about 2 with specialties in Policing, Law and Psychology
Old Dominion University,
Sociology and CJ Dept., Norfolk, VA 23529, 757-683-3791, a faculty of about 20 with
specialties in Criminology, Delinquency, and Corrections
Radford University, Criminal Justice Dept.,
Radford, VA 24142, 540-831-6148, a faculty of about 8 with specialties in Policing,
Forensics, Corrections, Law and Policy
Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Criminal Justice Dept., Richmond, VA 23284, 804-367-1050, a faculty of about 15 with specialties in Criminology, Policing, Forensic Science and Administration (site is slow to load at times)
Washington State University, Program in CJ, Pullman, WA 99164, 509-335-2544, a faculty of about 20 with specialties in Criminology, Policy and Administration, and it is possible to put together a doctoral program with this many faculty, although the Ph.D. would technically be in Political Science
Washington State University, CJ Program, Spokane, WA 99204, 509-456-3275, a faculty of about 18 with specialties in Criminology, Policy and Policing
Marshall University, CJ Dept., Huntington, WV 25755, 304-696-3196, a faculty of about 6 with specialties in Criminal Law, Criminology, Policing and Policy
Marquette University, Criminology and Law Dept., Milwaukee, WI 53233, 414-288-6838, a faculty of about 6 with specialties in Criminology and Corrections
University of Wisconsin, CJ Dept., Milwaukee, WI 53201, 414-229-6030, a faculty of about 10 with specialties in Criminal Law, Criminology and Corrections
Criminology HamburgInstitut für Kriminologie Uni Tübingen (Germany)
A TYPICAL GRAD SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Thirty-six (36) credit hours are usually required for a Master's in Criminal Justice. This includes 15 hours in core courses, 15 hours in a area of concentration, and 6 hours for a thesis or non-thesis independent research. Each course is usually 3 semester hours. Below is a typical "newer, practitioner-oriented" curriculum that still maintains "traditional" elements. It is what you might encounter in a recently developed program at a school which is taking the field seriously. Older and more established programs will usually have more crime-specific courses, such as "Violent Crime", "Crime in the Workplace", "White-Collar Crime", "Environmental Crime", as well as more general policy and politics courses.
FIRST YEAR
| CJ Systems | Applied Statistics | Research Methods | Police Administration | Criminology | Behavioral Change |
| CJ Administration | Management | Human Resources | CJ and the Community | Counseling | Elective |
SECOND YEAR
| Planning & Budgeting | Thesis or Elective | Classification of Offenders | Comprehensive Exams | Elective | Correctional Management |
| Thesis | Elective | Criminal Law | Advanced Criminology | Thesis | Elective |
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:
CJ 500 CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS. A foundation and overview of the criminal justice
system and process, focusing on critical decision points with emphasis on contemporary
issues, controversies, and trends. USUALLY REQUIRED
CJ 510 CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH METHODS. Methods and techniques of research in the behavioral sciences with emphasis on research designs most appropriate for data collection in criminal justice. USUALLY REQUIRED
CJ 520 CRIMINOLOGY. An overview of the nature and scope of delinquency and crime causation; considers problems of assessment and measurement; surveys available theoretical formulations concerning crime and delinquency. USUALLY REQUIRED
CJ 530 CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION: POLICY AND PRACTICE. Examination and analysis of basic management principles for criminal justice administration with emphasis on policy formulation and implementation. USUALLY REQUIRED
CJ 540 APPLIED STATISTICS. Introduction to statistical techniques as applied to criminal justice. Topics include descriptive statistics, point and interval estimation, statistical inference, measures of association for discrete variables, regression, & multivariate analysis. USUALLY REQUIRED
LAW ENFORCEMENT COURSES
CJ 600 ADVANCED POLICE ADMINISTRATION. Examination of principles and theories of administration applied to law enforcement organizations, emphasizing both external and internal environments, change, conflict, strategies, and management. These are analyzed in relation to the functions, structure, and policies of law enforcement agencies. SOMETIMES REQUIRED
CJ 605 HUMAN RESOURCE ADMINISTRATION. Study of legal, technical, and policy issues in personnel management related to: a) recruitment, selection, and promotion; b) career development, compensation, job analysis, performance appraisal, and measures of productivity; c) disciplinary systems and civil liability; and d) collective bargaining agreements and other labor-management issues. SOMETIMES REQUIRED
CJ 610 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE COMMUNITY. Advanced study of the relationship between Justice agencies and a community's crime prevention and participation resources; the community's involvement in criminal justice policy development. SOMETIMES REQUIRED
CJ 615 CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING & BUDGETING. An examination of the interactive process of planning & financial management. The development of budgeting modes in the public sector, including applications of zero-based and programmatic budgets to law enforcement agencies. The political context of criminal justice planning/budgeting as relevant to preparation, presentation, executive and legislative approval, execution, and audit. ELECTIVE USUALLY
CJ 640 CRIME PREVENTION. An examination of the basic principles of prevention (primary, secondary, tertiary), deterrence and control of crime in the United States; analysis of CPTED and target hardening programs. ELECTIVE USUALLY
CJ 645 PROGRAM EVALUATION. Systematic review of efforts to evaluate intervention programs and assess effectiveness of crime prevention schemes and methods for the treatment of offenders. SOMETIMES REQUIRED
CJ 650 ACCOUNTING COURSE (offered as Accounting 5xx or 6xx). An advanced accounting course relevant to public sector financial analysis. ELECTIVE USUALLY
CJ 655 LEGAL & ETHICAL ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION. A study of legal and ethical issues involved in the administration of a modern Justice agencies. SOMETIMES REQUIRED
CJ 660 APPLIED STUDY. First hand experience in the day to day operation of a criminal justice program under the guidance and supervision of a faculty member and a practitioner in the field placement. ELECTIVE USUALLY
CORRECTIONS COURSES
CJ 620 THEORIES OF BEHAVIOR CHANGE. An examination of theories and programs related to behavioral or attitudinal change of individuals and groups as well as their application in the criminal justice system. Crime prevention, control and treatment strategies will be evaluated. OFTEN REQUIRED
CJ 625 MANAGEMENT & ADMINISTRATION IN CORRECTIONS. Major organizational and management issues in criminal justice administration; topics include the role of professional administration in community corrections such as juvenile detention homes, house arrest, electronic monitoring, and problems of initiating reform. Includes monetary program evaluation and grants. SOMETIMES REQUIRED
CJ 630 ADVANCED COUNSELING. Major theories, principles, and techniques of individual and group processes and therapy in criminal justice. ELECTIVE USUALLY
CJ 635 CLASSIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF OFFENDERS. Techniques and methods used for appraising personality characteristics. Selection, administration, interpretation, and evaluation of test instruments. ELECTIVE USUALLY
CJ 665 ALCOHOL, DRUGS, MENTAL ILLNESS AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. Examination of the legal, ethical, and social issues involved in criminal justice agencies dealing with alcohol and drug misuse and abuse and mental illness. ELECTIVE USUALLY
CJ 670 GROUP TECHNIQUES. Major theories, principles, and techniques of group counseling in criminal justice. Examination of specific techniques for individual and group processes and therapy with delinquents and adult criminals. ELECTIVE USUALLY
CJ 675 CORRECTIONS LAW. In-depth examination of a particular area within the broader field of correctional law. ELECTIVE USUALLY
CJ 680 ADVANCED SEMINAR IN COMMUNITY BASED CORRECTIONS. Analysis of theories and practice of probation and parole. An examination of efforts to create a mixture of institutional and community setting; feasibility and effectiveness of treatment in community based settings, with emphasis on practical problems confronting probation and parole, and other community corrections officers. ELECTIVE USUALLY
CJ 685 COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS. An analysis of efforts to create admixtures of institutional settings and normal community life, examining the feasibility and effectiveness of treatment under sentence in the community and residential programs used in the rehabilitative process. ELECTIVE USUALLY
Last updated: 05/01/05
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North Carolina Wesleyan College
Rocky Mount, NC 27804