Criminal Justice, M.S.

Required Courses:

• CJST 6601 - Mental Health, Law, and Criminal Justice
• CJST 6605 - Theories of Criminal Behavior
• CJST 6611 - Research Methods in Criminal Justice
• CJST 6613 - Quantitative Applications in Criminal Justice

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  Students lacking an undergraduate background in criminal justice will also be required to take CJST 6610 - Administration of Justice, which will make their total credit count to be 36 credits. The transfer of credit from other institutions is permitted subject to the Graduate School policy on transfer credit detailed elsewhere in this catalog.

   

  Students will select either a Thesis option or Comprehensive Examination option.

Thesis Option

Students choosing the thesis option must take 12 credits to include the following courses in addition to the program core:

• CJST 6615 - Foundations of Scholarship
• CJST 6637 - Criminal Justice Policy
• CJST 6697 - Thesis I
• CJST 6698 - Thesis II

• Plus 12 elective credits from a list of approved courses.

  
  Students must undertake a thesis project in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree. The thesis must show ability to organize materials in a clear and original manner and to present well-reasoned conclusions. Thesis preparation and submission must comply with the Graduate School policy on theses as well as specific departmental requirements. Detailed information is available from the student's advisor.

Comprehensive Examination Option

Students choosing the Comprehensive Examination option do not undertake thesis work; instead, they must select a minimum of 21 elective credits from a list of approved courses, in addition to the program core, to fulfill their remaining course credits.

The student must also pass a comprehensive final examination. This examination may be oral, written, or both, and is based on the program of study that the student has completed for the degree. Additional information about the comprehensive examination is available from the student's advisor.