Program Overview

The Master of Arts degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice is designed to challenge experienced and aspiring professionals who want to expand their scope of knowledge and move into career and leadership positions. The program prepares graduates as next-generation leaders in this complex, global, and interconnected field. The flexible online program is structured  to fit the lives of full-time working professionals.

The Criminology and Criminal Justice major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Global Security concentration focuses on issues related to global security, U.S. national security policy and strategy, as well as transnational issues and the concerns of other countries or regions. It provides students with a strong foundation to confront the ever-changing, fast-paced, and challenging international security environment. With an emphasis on traditional and emerging transnational security threats, students are prepared for analytical, operational and leadership careers in global security in the public and private sectors. The goal is to produce a new generation of analysts, policymakers and scholars knowledgeable about the wide range of international and national security problems and foreign policy issues of the 21st century.
• The Policing concentration examines the historical ideas of police service and the lessons that can be learned from those ideas. Students learn about the research that has challenged traditional ideas and the implications of that research for revision. The program provides students the tools to analyze the implications of contemporary research to guide new innovations in policies, management, strategies and tactics of police service delivery.
• The Victimology concentration provides specialized knowledge about the scientific study of crime victims, their treatment within the criminal and juvenile justice systems, the legal rights of victims and victim assistance and restorative justice programs. This concentration will prepare students to develop and lead initiatives that help prevent victimization, to engage in victimological research and evaluation, and to respond to victims in culturally appropriate ways.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Demonstrate a practical understanding of criminological theory by using it to better understand crime and criminal behavior, pose and attempt to answer research questions and see its connection to crime policy.
• Demonstrate mastery of the significant empirical findings in the major areas of criminology and criminal justice.
• Demonstrate an appreciation for the use of the scientific method in the study of crime, a practical understanding of research methods used in the field and a practical understanding of statistics in social science research.
• Develop basic skills in planning and conducting research projects, including evaluation research in particular.
• Describe the role of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and social class as they relate to crime and victimization.
• Effectively communicate criminological knowledge and write a clear and concise analysis of issues, policies and research in the field.