The Master of Arts degree program in Criminal Justice will provide students with skills necessary to examine and analyze the major areas of the field, focusing on the nature of crime, law and social control, and as well as the process of planning change in a complex system, and planning change in a system as complex as the criminal justice system. The program emphasizes the understanding of the ways in which theory, research, and social policy interact, and the utilization of critical thinking skills to better understand this information. Students will thus be expected to acquire knowledge of the theories and research methods necessary for analysis of issues relevant to the field. Within this general framework, students will have an opportunity to pursue special interests in criminal justice which are consistent with the philosophy of the program.
Applicants to the M.A. program must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited four-year college or university, with a major or minor in criminal justice or a closely related discipline (acceptable fields outside criminal justice to be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Graduate Admissions Committee of the Department of Criminal Justice; additional coursework in Criminological Theory may be required of students from outside the field of criminal justice.)