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The Master of Science in Administration of Justice is dedicated to the creation of a pool of scholarly practitioners who are poised to pursue careers or enhance their current positions in a variety of criminal justice professions. Graduates are provided the necessary skills to succeed in both the public and private sectors as upper-level management decision-makers. The program provides the theoretical, methodological, and practical knowledge needed to pursue a degree beyond the master’s level. The degree has been developed in close consultation with the professional practitioners in the field and weaves the themes of scholarship, professional experience, ethics, and technology into the courses to meet the goals and objectives of the program.
Program Design
The Master of Science in Administration of Justice is designed to meet the educational needs of emerging managers and scholars who will be challenged by the many complex issues in criminal justice and private sector settings in the future. Emphasis is placed on producing scholarly practitioners who have the theoretical, operational, and practical educational foundation to be successful in their professional fields. The concentrations in Leadership and Administration, Criminal Behavior, and Homeland Security provide the opportunity for specialized studies. There is also a more general approach for those with other interests.
The core of the program is anchored in the identified disciplines of research, theory, and ethics. This core will provide the student with the academic quality and rigor required as a base from which to build, according to individual interests and needs. Elective course offerings provide the students with the flexibility to choose from topics that will best prepare them to meet their own goals and aspirations. Faculty provides individual attention which gives each student the opportunity to design a personal plan of study within the program. Courses have been carefully selected and designed in consultation with professional practitioners to ensure that the most current issues and topics are included in the curriculum. The faculty is carefully recruited from the field to ensure that the class presentations are as current as the events in the profession that day.
Additionally, the program has a built-in flexibility that respects the professional and personal commitments and responsibilities that today’s learners have while pursuing their goal of advanced academic studies. The MAJ program offers classes in semester, block, and weekend modular formats. These formats can be scheduled as face-to-face, hybrid, or Online Learning. The program can be completed using a variety of formats to conveniently fit the busy schedules of our students. This program is designed to be completed in two years of continuous study but may be accelerated by some students. Students will build a personalized schedule in consultation with their individual faculty advisor.
Program Competencies
Program Requirements
The Master of Science in Administration of Justice requires 36 credit hours. All students must satisfactorily complete five core courses. A total of four courses may be chosen from an area of specialized concentration. The remaining three courses are taken as electives from any of the courses offered in the program. Students who do not declare a concentration will take a total of seven courses from any of the offerings in the Master of Science in Administration of Justice program. Students must maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA in order to graduate.
NOTE: A master’s thesis is not required; however, students who plan to continue studies in a doctoral program are encouraged to write a master’s thesis, which is offered as a three-credit elective. Thesis supervision will be arranged through individual application to the Program Chair. Quantitative Applications in Criminal Justice (MAJ 6632) is a prerequisite to Thesis Supervision (MAJ 6900).
The Master of Science in Administration of Justice is intended to provide students with the academic capital needed for successful careers in teaching and research. The degree also provides a sound foundation for entry into other professional endeavors and/or the opportunity to meet an intellectual interest in this very challenging field of study.
All students must satisfactorily complete the following core courses:
Criminological Theory
Criminal Justice Ethics
Managing Diversity
Technology for Modern Policing
Research Methods in Criminal Justice
Students who have not declared a concentration will select seven courses from any of the courses offered in the program to complete their degree.
This concentration focuses upon the skills and knowledge that are necessary for criminal justice practitioners in the client-oriented professions that include probation, parole, community correction, and the judicial referral of offenders. Students will broaden their understanding of the concepts associated with criminal behavior as they apply to working with a specialized population.
Five courses as listed above
Violent Crime
Mental Health and the Law
Addiction Studies
Therapeutic Strategies for Criminal Justice Offenders
Select any three courses offered in the program.
This concentration focuses on gaining an understanding and a working knowledge of major issues in Homeland Security. Students will broaden their base of knowledge through examination of current topics in Homeland Security with an emphasis on modern terrorism, risk assessment and management, as well as the practical legal implications involved.
Contemporary Issues in Homeland Security
Terrorism
Legal Aspects of Homeland Security
Risk Assessment and Management
Typologies of Crime
Supervision and Management
Workplace Law and Liability
Police Executive Leadership
White Collar Crime
Victimology
Drugs and Society
Judicial Procedures
Forensic Behavior Analysis
Quantitative Applications in Criminal Justice
Leadership through Films
Thesis Supervision
Graduate Practicum
New electives and special topics are added based upon changes in the discipline and the identified needs and interests of the students.
This concentration focuses primarily upon the identified leadership and administrative skills that are necessary for the successful criminal justice practitioner in today’s challenging environment. Students will broaden their understanding of the management function and the administrative process as it relates to criminal justice organizations.
Crisis Management
Qualifications for Degree
To qualify for the Master of Science in Administration of Justice degree, a student must satisfy the fully admitted requirements and complete a minimum of 36 credit hours, maintaining a grade point average of 3.0. The program must be completed within five years. Students may transfer up to twelve credits from accredited graduate programs completed before matriculation at Â鶹ÊÓƵ. This may include graduate studies completed as part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy, Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command, and similar accredited programs based upon transcript review and the approval of the Program Chair.
This information applies to students who enter this degree program during the 2024-2025 Academic Year. If you entered this degree program before the Fall 2023 semester, please refer to the academic catalog for the year you began your degree program.
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