Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Courses
500. Criminology and Prevention Policy (3).
Advanced criminology and crime prevention readings are used to examine recent criminology and public policy. Participants learn policy dimensions of criminology theory and use critical thinking, research methods, and writing skills to create a timely research or program proposal.
501. Theorizing Criminal Justice: Agendas and Policy (3).
Theorizes the criminal justice apparatus through critical questions, and compares fundamentally different orientations to criminal justice agencies and missions. Explores systematic studies of crime and policy, the analysis of policy windows, and how political agendas are set to consider criminal justice policies.
503. Advanced Criminal Procedure and the Constitution (3).
Using Supreme Court cases, this course examines the rights of those accused of crimes throughout the criminal justice process—from the onset of police investigation to an inmate’s last legal appeal. Special attention given to the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
504. Graduate Research Methods (3).
Advanced criminal justice research methods, including theory-based research questions, writing literature review, research design, data analysis, ethics, and submission to Institutional Review Board. Includes advanced qualitative and quantitative approaches: experimental, survey, content analysis, secondary analysis, statistical software, qualitative data, evaluation research, writing a draft thesis proposal.
505. Advanced Topics in Homeland Security (3).
Focuses on issues such as foreign and domestic terrorism, cyber-crimes and other non-military threats against internal U.S. security. Will also explore the structure of international criminal organizations and how they are investigated and prosecuted.
506. Advanced Community Policing (3).
Analysis of relationships between policing agencies community partnerships, community policing, performance evaluation, police roles and discretion. Explores persistent problems, including: perception, attitudes, beliefs, values, demography, race and ethnic issues, media, violence and collective behavior, special populations, media, and crime prevention. Focus on research-based policy articles on policing.
507. Criminal Justice Organizational Analysis and Management (3).
Organizational theory as applied to criminal justice agencies. Examines cases and research that highlight issues in criminal justice policies and agency management theory, such as: group processes, leadership, goals, environment, communication, motivation, job design, power, decision- making, innovation. Focus on case analysis.
508. Advanced Legal Thought (3).
Classic and contemporary texts explore how courts interact with societal norms and popular values, and examine major schools of judicial decision-making: Natural Law, Legal Realism, Legal Positivism and Critical Legal Theory. Special emphasis given to the role of courts within the American criminal justice system.
550. Advanced Topics in Criminal Justice (3).
A seminar that examines a particular topic of interest to faculty and students not typically covered in other courses. Topics vary but will generally treat a particular issue relating to policing, corrections or legal studies.
590. Advanced Practicum (3).
Field placement in a professional criminal justice situation working with a local court, law firm, police agency, a state probation, corrections, or parole agency, prisoner reentry, federal law enforcement agency, or an educational group influencing legislation - applies criminal justice knowledge to the practitioner setting and goals.
592. Thesis Preparation (3).
Implement thesis research proposal – prepare and complete literature review and research design, with appropriate methods so that student will be in a position to successfully complete the thesis and prepare to defend the thesis in front of their thesis committee in the following semester.
599. Thesis Defense (3).
A thesis normally requires a minimum fifty page research project of publishable quality focusing on a relevant scholarly issue. This requires substantial research, analysis, and writing. Students are expected to defend their thesis before their committee in the summer of their fifth year, demonstrating skill to merit an M.A. in Criminal Justice.