Master of Science (MS)

Criminal Justice

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Program
Criminal Justice

Admissions criteria for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) Program

Graduate Admissions - Masters level

Prospective students are required to submit the following: 

  • Completion of application for admission
  • Official transcripts for bachelor or graduate degree within 5 weeks of the class start date (refer to Conditional Acceptance).  (All credentials earned outside the United States must be evaluated by a NACES or AICE-member credential evaluation service).  Please speak with an admissions representative for more information.

Note: See program notes and specific requirements below for each graduate - masters level degree program

Specific requirements for admission to classified graduate status are: 

  • A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
  • Completion of application for admission.
  • A 2.7 overall grade point average or higher on completed requirements for the baccalaureate degree, or an earned graduate degree from an accredited institution with a CGPA of 3.0 or higher.

Foundational Undergraduate Courses for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice 

Completion of an undergraduate statistics course (with a grade of C or better) is required for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice.  If the student does not have the course as part of their undergraduate degree, the course needs to be completed in the first two quarters of the program.  Foundation undergraduate course credits do not count towards the total number of credits for graduation, nor do they count in the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA); however, they do count in determining the maximum time frame (MTF) and the Incremental Completion Rate (ICR). MSCJ students enrolled in foundation undergraduate course must successfully complete the course within their first three attempts or the student will be academically dismissed from the University.

For additional admissions information please see the admissions section here. 

Provisional Admission:

Applicants with an undergraduate degree CGPA of less than a 2.7, but not lower than a 2.3, or a graduate degree CGPA of less than 3.0, but not lower than a 2.7, will be considered for provisional admission. Students who do not attain a 3.0 GPA in the first quarter will be dismissed. Students cannot appeal the dismissal from the university as a result of failure to meet the conditions of provisional admission.

Offered at Austin, Columbia, Online Programs, Richmond, Savannah, Tampa, Virginia Beach, and  West Palm Beach.

Note: Not all Online Program offerings are available to residents of all U.S. states. Please contact an admissions representative for further information.

The South University Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree program is designed for individuals employed in the criminal justice system, as well as those in other careers, both public and private, who wish to acquire further education in criminal justice. Prerequisites are limited so that qualified students with bachelor's degrees in related fields such as criminology, psychology, business or public administration, anthropology, political science, sociology or related social sciences may enroll along with students who have undergraduate degrees in criminal justice.

The program is primarily designed to foster a learning community of criminal justice professionals who will use their knowledge within law enforcement, correctional, political, and legal arenas. Program graduates will be prepared to seek admission to doctoral programs in criminal justice, criminology, and related fields, as well as to seek advancement within law enforcement, correctional, local and state government, and legal institutions.

The goals of the Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree program are to provide students with:

  1. Professional skills necessary to assume leadership positions in the administration of criminal justice agencies.
  2. Advanced knowledge and understanding of criminal justice institutions and processes, and current criminal justice policy.
  3. Advanced knowledge and understanding of research methods and program evaluation techniques to effectively conduct and/or evaluate social policy research.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates will be able to: 

  1. Demonstrate mastery of skills in the areas of theoretical and applied criminal justice as well as in managerial principles and practices to effectively solve a variety of real-life problems within a complex organization.
  2. Understand the relationship between crime theory, crime policy, and professional practice.
  3. Demonstrate interactive skills and learn behavioral strategies for improving systemic communication within and between criminal justice agencies.
  4. Demonstrate the ability to effectively interpret and make use of research methodology by completing a final research project prospectus on a topic related to professional practice in an actual criminal justice agency.

Master of Science in Criminal Justice: 48 credits

Foundation: 28 Credits

Course Code
Title
Credits
This course is intended to be an overview of the historical and contemporary criminal justice system and an introductory look at student research interests. Emphasis will be placed on the relationships among law enforcement, courts, and corrections with an introduction to the basic categories of criminal behavior. The overall goal of the course is to prepare the individual for success as a graduate student and in the study of criminal justice. Students will learn to recognize and utilize appropriate scholarly sources, how to critique those sources, and use them to develop a topic suitable for a capstone project.

Credits : 4

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This advanced course in ethics and moral behavior discusses, examines, considers and critiques the various facets of justice, crime, and ethics within the criminal justice system. A major emphasis will be placed on the theoretical foundations of ethics as they apply to the fields of criminal justice practice. Students will examine the diverse values and ethical dilemmas that arise in law enforcement, the courts and corrections. In addition, we will explore the same concerns in the formulation of crime control policies at the federal, state, and local levels.

Credits : 4

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This course will provide an overview of research methods and data analysis in criminal justice and will focus on both quantitative and qualitative methods of research. This course will cover several topics including approaches to theory and method, research ethics, research design, descriptive statistics, sampling, survey research methods, as well as participant observation and case studies. This course will introduce the student to the application of Minitab statistical software.

Credits : 4

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This course is a critical examination of theories, concepts, and principles concerned with organizational behavior and functions of personnel administration with special attention paid to criminal justice applications. More specifically, this covers how these concepts may be practically applied to administrative and managerial practices in criminal justice organizations.

Credits : 4

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This course provides a comprehensive analysis of major classical and current criminological perspectives including social, behavioral and biochemical theories of crime. Particular attention is given to sociological constructions of criminality.

Credits : 4

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This course discusses the application of planning theory and techniques to the criminal justice system as well as to agency specific problems. The class emphasizes problem identification, goal-setting, forecasting, and the selection of alternative courses of action. Students become familiar with computerized data analysis and case study simulation in order to illustrate suitable planning techniques as well as pitfalls that can be avoided by implementing such techniques.

Credits : 4

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This course provides a survey overview of the major theories and research on leadership and managerial effectiveness in formal organizations with practical suggestions for improving leadership skills. Students will focus on the practical and theoretical applications of charismatic and transformational leadership, creating and communicating vision and values, inspiring others to act, risk management, empowerment, building trust and teamwork, mentoring, managing change, and converting crisis into opportunity.

Credits : 4

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Sub-Total Credits
28

Program Elective (choose four): 16 Credits

Course Code
Title
Credits

This class will provide an assessment of the current policies and practices of agencies that process youthful offenders. Students will examine, discuss and critique the underlying philosophy, procedures, and administration of the juvenile justice system. Major concerns will center on the effectiveness of the contemporary juvenile court, including an assessment of the policies and practices of agencies involved in processing youthful offenders through the juvenile court system. Student discussions will relate these issues to current and developing public policy.

Credits : 4

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This course focuses upon contemporary critical and controversial issues confronting law enforcement organizations. Discussions may include such topics as police functions; discovery of crime; gender, sexual orientation and/or race-ethnicity issues; the changing role of the police; police training and abuse of authority; local, State and Federal interagency relations; domestic terrorism; police/media relations; police/community relations; civil liability; hazards of policing; and, progressive changes in law enforcement.

Credits : 4

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This course presents an overview of the characteristics and causes of terrorism emerging in the 21st century. Students are exposed to the emergence of modern terrorism from several different areas of the world as well as an analysis from a criminal justice perspective of terror movements affecting the United States. Relevant issues include domestic terrorism undertaken for political purposes in liberal states, state-sponsored international and domestic terrorism, and the dilemmas of counterterrorism in a democracy.

Credits : 4

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Using case law, this course examines a variety of legal issues critical to a thorough understanding of the various aspects of the criminal justice system. Case briefs in this course provide accurate and concise coverage of topics of vital importance to criminal justice managers and personnel including: law enforcement, prison law, probation, parole, the death penalty, juvenile justice, and sentencing mandates.

Credits : 4

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This course will examine the policies and systems necessary to govern in a wide variety of emergency situations. It will explore appropriate responses to serious incidents and disasters. Students will learn the techniques involved in planning and preparing for crises, and forecasting potential crisis situations.

Credits : 4

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This course exposes students to large-scale coordination challenges involved in responding to critical incidents when dealing with the wide variety of resources and agencies involved. Topics may include identification, prioritization, and assessment of resources (including financial, human, information, and physical), and agencies (including local, state, national, and international).

Credits : 4

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This course will focus on changes in American policy and contemporary issues confronting local, state and federal criminal justice agencies as they relate to homeland security. Specifically, students will analyze the issues, the organizations and the resources developed since 9/11 and explore the policies and practices that have been developed for this purpose. Additional topics may include the adjudication process as it relates to issues of national security and the correctional practices employed to maintain national security.

Credits : 4

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This course will examine the theory, structure, and effectiveness of institutional corrections including prisons and penitentiaries, the history and development of punishment and corrections in this country, and operation of institutions. Prisoners, prison life, and prisonization (imprisonment) are also addressed in this course.

Credits : 4

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Sub-Total Credits
16
Note(s): 

The student will choose four courses (16 credits) from the remaining graduate level criminal justice curriculum listed below or from other graduate offerings with the guidance and approval of the Program Director in Criminal Justice or appropriate Program Chair and with the advice of the related Program Director if courses from other programs are desired. The student should plan to take at least 50% of this part of the degree program in criminal justice courses. Students may construct an area of emphasis with the guidance of the Program Director or Chair or pursue a more general set of elective course courses. Students may emphasize a traditional area of the field such as Corrections or Homeland Security, but elective choices may also reflect the particular professional goals and aspirations of the student. Thus, courses in areas such as Public Administration, Business, or Clinical Mental Health Counseling may be included as desired and approved and if the student completes the required prerequisites for such courses. Please note that Financial Aid may not cover prerequisite courses. Please see the Coursework Taken Outside a Student's Degree Program Policy found in the Academic Affairs section of this catalog.

Capstone: 4 Credits

Course Code
Title
Credits
The focal point of this course is the completion of an applied research project or paper that addresses an issue or policy or practice central to the field of criminal justice. This paper or project should allow the student to draw upon theories and research findings related to the problem or issue, develop a plan for identifying central issues and problems, critique past approaches to the issue or problem, and suggest directions for future efforts devoted to understanding or solving the issue or problem. This paper or project may be entirely based in a review of relevant research and theoretical literature but it may also incorporate empirical experiences drawn from an internship experience that is a part of the student's program.

Credits : 4

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Sub-Total Credits
4
Note(s): 

Acceptance into a South University Criminal Justice program or its completion does not imply or guarantee that a student will be able to obtain employment in law enforcement, corrections, probation/parole, or related fields. The student should contact the national, state, or local agency/institution in which the perspective student intends to gain employment for specific requirements and the application process.

Total Credits
48