Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Department of Criminal Justice & Sociology | Southeast Missouri State University
The purpose of the
Master of Science in Criminal Justice is to provide a high-quality graduate
program that prepares competent individuals with the skills and knowledge
necessary to meet the criminal justice needs of the region, including such
aspects of criminal justice as law enforcement, courts, corrections, and crime
prevention. The goals of the
program are to prepare graduates who are able to:
•
assess and understand criminal justice problems and issues.
•
conduct basic and applied research in criminal justice, particularly
evaluation research.
•
use computer technology to locate information and use statistics and
software to analyze problems, particularly with respect to criminal justice
agencies.
•
understand legal issues which affect criminal justice professionals.
•
integrate the findings concerning the psychological, sociological,
economic and cultural roots of crime
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Every graduate student is required to fill out an
Initial Study Plan (ISP) with his/her advisor prior to or during the first
semester of graduate study. An Application for Candidacy should be
completed after 8 hours of
graduate work, and before completion of the last 16 hours.
Total
Credits required for graduation: 36
Major
requirements
Core Courses:
15 hours
CJ 600 Overview of the Criminal Justice System
CJ
526 Statistical Analysis in Criminal Justice
CJ
601 Research Methodology in Criminal Justice
CJ
615 Criminal Justice Theory
CJ
535 Civil Law and Liability
Free elective credits
Electives in
Criminal Justice: 6 hours to be chosen
from the following:
CJ 510 Comparative Criminal
Justice Systems
CJ 525 Crime
and Criminal Justice Policy
CJ 610 Seminar in Law
Enforcement
CJ 625 Adult Correctional
Organization and Administration
CJ 630 Contemporary Juvenile
Justice
CJ 693 Independent Study in
Criminal Justice
Cognate
Area
Nine hours may be taken either within or outside of criminal justice, with at least 3 hours at the 600-level. The requirement is 12 hours if the student selects the option of internship.
Frequently selected courses in the cognate area:
SC560 Organization Communication
PY 650 Organizations as Open Systems
PS 602 Fundamentals of Public Administration
GR 525 Accounting and Reporting Considerations of Governmental Not-for-Profit Agencies
EC 525 Public Policy Economics
GR 526 Management for
Not-for-Profit Entities
Requirements for thesis, internship or other capstone experience:
Requirements
for theses, internship or other capstone experience: Students will have the
option of either an internship or thesis. The internship will consist of a
three-week field placement and a paper describing the objectives and outcomes of
the experience (3 hours). Students selecting the internship option will be
required to take a comprehensive essay examination over their coursework. Or,
for those students who want to pursue a research interest, the thesis (6 hours)
may be selected.
Thesis Option:
CJ 694 and 695 Thesis in Criminal Justice (6 hours)
Non-Thesis Option:
(6 hours)
CJ 699
Criminal Justice Internship (3)
GR 699 Comprehensive
Examination in Criminal Justice (0)
Three more hours at the graduate level (3)
Further information can be located at the following sites:
Guidelines for a thesis proposal for the Department of Criminal Justice
Guidelines and procedures for a thesis in Criminal Justice
Guidelines and procedures for an internship paper in Criminal Justice
CJ 600, The Criminal Justice System: An Overview
The Graduate School at Southeast Missouri State University
Orientation to Graduate School (PowerPoint presentation)
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION OF COURSES
Dr.
John
Wade, Chairperson (573-651-2541)
The Department offers a Master of Science (M.S.) in Criminal Justice. The M.S. has a 15-hour core and 15 hours of electives, with six of those electives taken within the department and nine either inside or outside of the department, depending on the student's interest. The student selects either the thesis option (6 hours), or the internship option (3 hours internship, 3 hours of electives, and non-credit comprehensive examination).
510. Comparative Criminal Justice Systems. Study of the criminal justice systems of four major countries, including Great Britain, Japan and Sweden. Each country’s differing philosophical and practical approaches to criminal justice are analyzed and compared. (3)
526.
Statistical Analysis in
Criminal Justice. The
use of statistical methods and computer applications for research and program
analysis in criminal justice.
535.
Civil Law and Liability. Study of the
civil justice system, theories of civil liability and methods for managing civil liability in the law
enforcement and corrections context. (3)
538. Crime and Criminal Justice Public Policy. Research overview and examination of major issues in criminal justice and the policy-making process at Federal and State level. (3)
600. The Criminal Justice System: An Overview. Exploration of the origins and significance of key ideas influencing the rise and development of the criminal justice system. Selected issues in law enforcement, courts and corrections are examined in relationship to current criminal justice police and practices. (3)
601. Research Methodology in Criminal Justice. Study of the design and execution of criminal justice research; critical examination of current research in criminal justice (3).
610. Seminar in Law Enforcement. An analysis of contemporary issues in law enforcement as they are translated into agency policy, programs, services, and relationships with public and private agencies, institutions and the community. (3)
615. Criminal Justice Theory. Overview of research on the correlates and causes of criminal behavior. Focus on the significance of current knowledge for crime and control prevention. (3)
625. Adult Correctional Organization and Administration. Study of adult correctional institutional organization and administration in the United States. Four levels of organization and administration are explored in detail: federal, state, county and private institutions. (3)
630. Contemporary Juvenile Justice. Exploration of contemporary issues in juvenile justice, including relationships among the various components of the juvenile justice system. Survey of current research literature in the field, and analysis of current philosophy, policy, law and practice in juvenile justice. (3)
691. Independent Study in Criminal Justice. (1)
692. Independent Study in Criminal Justice. (2)
693. Independent Study in Criminal Justice. Independent work in a specialized area not covered by course offerings. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor. (3)
694. Thesis. (3)
695. Thesis Second Semester. (3)
698.Master’s Final Comprehensive Examination. A four-hour examination over the degree program, required of all students who select the internship option. (0)
699.
Criminal Justice Internship. Provides
graduate students with a practical learning experience in a criminal justice
agency. Students will gain
experience in the operation and management of a criminal justice agency.
For those presently employed in a criminal justice agency, internships
must involve another agency or employment situation. (3)