Master of Arts in Criminal Justice

CJ 510 Administration of Justice: 3 semester hours

This course will examine the criminal justice system and contemporary issues confronting the system. The course will focus on the decision making process involved in the pursuit of crime prevention, crime control, and justice, including models of criminal justice and evidence based policy. In addition, the effectiveness of the system in accomplishing prevention, control, and justice will be examined along with the role of drug and guns in crime.

CJ 515 Theories of Crime and Justice: 3 semester hours

This course will intensively examine major criminological theories from sociological, psychological, and biological historical and modern perspectives. This course will also include an intensive examination of current policy and practice implications of these theoretical perspectives. It also includes an advanced analysis of models of crime and justice. Prerequisite: CJ 510.

CJ 520 Statistics for Decision Making: 3 semester hours

The course will introduce basic concepts in statistics that have a wide applicability to the criminal justice system. The analytical tools surveyed in the course aim to improve our use and understanding of the data in order to improve decision-making. The focus for the course will be more practical than theoretical. Topics to be addressed: include organizing and summarizing data, graphical and tabular presentations of data, probability theory, estimation techniques, regression and correlation analysis.Prerequisite: CJ 510.

CJ 550 Research Methods for Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours

This course will expand on the foundations of basic undergraduate research methods, enabling students to understand and discuss the quantitative and qualitative methods of research commonly used in criminal justice and other social sciences. The course will cover methods of inquiry, causality, sampling, research instrument design, data collection and analysis, coding, ethics, and a brief overview of statistics. Furthermore, students will learn about survey research, historical documentation, field observational/field work, and interview studies. Students will accomplish this task by becoming aware of the latest issues in their discipline being discussed within the academic community. Students in MCJ 5XX will fully develop an ability to conduct original applied research. This is a required course for all candidates for the Master of Criminal Justice.Prerequisite: CJ 510.

CJ 600 Graduate Field Experience in Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours

Students currently employed, or interested in securing employment, within criminal justice agencies may find a professional experience more beneficial to their career goals. The course is designed to give students practical experience in the field prior to graduation and may serve as a gateway to a career and/or career advancement in the criminal justice field. Field experience provides the student with the opportunity to integrate theory and practice, utilize knowledge, and confront contradictions between the conceptual and the real world. Prerequisites: CJ 510, 3.0 GPA, Bachelor's Degree.

CJ 605 "Broken Windows":Community Partnerships for Public Safety: 3 semester hours

This course will primarily focus on the development of the "Broken Windows Theory" and its effect on the police, probation, the person, the neighborhood, the greater community, and related issues. Students will examine the current state of community policing, neighborhood based probation, social justice, and community betterment issues. Additionally, students will explore the history of the broken windows movement, how the movement was shaped, and also shapes social movements.Prerequisite: CJ 510.

CJ 610 The Impact of Social Inequities &Hum Rights: 3 semester hours

This course will primarily focus on Social Inequities & Human Rights Issues and their effect upon the person, the neighborhood, the greater community, and related issues. Students will examine the impact social inequities have on social justice, and community betterment issues that feed the criminal justice system. Additionally, students will explore the history and current status of the loss of human rights experienced by those formerly incarcerated and the subsequent effect on society. Students will explore how public policy has ignored social inequities and subsequently (by proxy) allowed policies to be shaped, and how this impacts social movements.Prerequisite: CJ 510.

CJ 615 Civil Liability in Criminal Justice: 3 semester hours

Besides understanding the criminal law, criminal justice practitioners face civil liability in the workplace. This graduate course explores important issues of civil liability that policing and corrections professionals may face in their careers. Students will study the sources of civil actions like tort law, federal 1983 claims, and wrongful death lawsuits. The course will emphasize best practices and prevention of litigation, as well as strategies for defending civil lawsuits and related claims. Prerequisite: CJ 510.

CJ 620 International Policing: 3 semester hours

This course will focus on the function role of law enforcement agencies in various government organizations on the international level. Explore ethical issues as they relate to liaison with counterparts and the development of criminal investigations. Examine the attempts at international police agencies; INTERPOL, EUROPOL and the relations they have with the US and other governments. Look at the role of law enforcement agencies in hostile environments, occupied territories or warzones, and the events leading to the activity. Prerequisite: CJ 510.

CJ 625 Homeland Security: 3 semester hours

This course will examine how the advent of homeland security; resources, methods and agency alignment has affected domestic policy, expenditures and public perception. Specifically it will focus on the structural, conceptual and intellectual foundation of the emerging discipline of homeland security. Agency methods of interacting with private security, jurisdictions agency, and public policy will be examined. Topics will include infrastructure, terrorist groups, suicide bombers, and natural disasters. In addition there will be an examination of the National Incident Management System, Homeland Security, Public/Private partnerships and the role of security professionals' post 9/11. Prerequisite: CJ 510.

CJ 630 Special Needs and Treatment within the Criminal Justice Population: 3 semester hours

This class will provide an introduction to treatment interventions utilized in the criminal justice system that target some of the special populations and/or special needs, these interventions include, but are not limited to mental health, substance abuse, sex offenders, and domestic violence. Some emphasis will be placed on looking at programs and how they relate to evidence based practices and successful program outcomes. In addition, this course will focus on identifying and discussing the ethical issues and concerns that arise when providing specialized services to this population, and working closely with other professionals. Prerequisite: CJ 510.

CJ 635 Victimology: 3 semester hours

This course will primarily focus on criminal victimization, of the person, the neighbor, the greater community, and related issues. Students will examine the current state of Victimology and victims-related issues. Additionally, students will explore the history of the victims' rights movement how the victims' rights movement is shaped by, and also shapes social movements. Prerequisite: CJ 510.

CJ 640 Decision-Making and Leadership in CJ: 3 semester hours

The course will focus on two aspects of decision making within the criminal justice system. The first aspect is policy formulation which involves how rules are made and then handed down to be enforced by many criminal justice actors. The second aspect is individual level decision-making which includes how key actors in the criminal justice system react to, interpret, and implement the rules enacted through the policy making process. The course will introduce students to basic concepts of rational choice and game theory. Students will learn how to create a decision tree, map out the preferences and incentives of various key actors, and devise a strategy that is most likely to produce the desired outcome given the constraints placed upon them. Prerequisite: CJ 510.

CJ 642 Ethical Issues in Crime and Justice: 3 semester hours

This course will focus on ethical dilemmas and decisions in criminal justice. This course will explore the formation of morality and ethics and how these relate to definitions of justice. This course will examine ethical issues and situations that occur in all areas of the criminal justice system including, law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Special attention will be paid to how criminal justice professionals respond to ethical dilemmas.

CJ 645 Special Topics in Crime and Justice: 3 semester hours

This course would consist of special topics within the issues of crime and justice. Topics may include: critical race theory, correctional education, criminal investigation, private security, emergency management, or other advanced studies in crime and justice. Students may complete more than one topics course for elective credit. Prerequisite: CJ 510.

CJ 650 CJ Graduate Capstone: 3 semester hours

In this course students will integrate knowledge and skills gained in the criminal justice core courses and selected electives in the completion of a comprehensive exam. The comprehensive exam is designed to measure a student's proficiency in core areas of the disciple. The exam will serve to assess the student's ability to integrate and synthesize core knowledge in the field and document expertise in one or more areas of criminal justice.