Professional Master of Arts Degree
The Professional Master of Arts degree is designed to serve the needs of professionals currently working in justice-related agencies by providing the knowledge and skills to enhance their performance in current positions and/or prepare them for career advancement.
The curriculum provides students with advanced knowledge of the nature of the crime; criminal justice institutions and processes; current criminal justice policy; and training in research methods, statistics, and program evaluation.
The program will also be open to students seeking a terminal master's degree and a career in the criminal justice system. Upon completion of the program, students will have furthered their understanding of crime and the criminal justice system and will be able to conduct evaluations of policies and programs within various agencies in the justice system.
Students can complete the program in two years of part-time study (six credit hours per regular semester and six credit hours during the summer sessions). Recognizing most full-time professionals have schedules that often preclude attendance during regular class times, the program utilizes online instruction for some courses.
Requirements
- Completion of 36 hours of graduate study at the 700 level and above.
- Required courses are CRJ 700, CRJ 702, CRJ 703, CRJ 705, and CRJ 796. An additional 12 credit hours in elective, graduate-level criminal justice courses is required. Note: Students enrolled in the program prior to the fall 2005 semester are not required to take CRJ 700 and CRJ 796.
- An additional nine hours of electives from the prescribed list of noncriminal justice courses is required for the degree. Students may fulfill elective non-CRJ requirements with additional graduate studies in criminal justice.
Students seeking this degree must complete a comprehensive examination prior to graduation. Students who enrolled in the program since fall 2005 must complete a comprehensive exam. Students who enrolled in the program prior to fall 2005 have the option of completing either a professional paper and the Criminal Justice Style Manual for Thesis and Professional Paper) or the comprehensive exam.
Related Links
- Helpful Links
- Thesis and Professional Paper Guidelines
- Comprehensive Exam
- Criminal Justice Style Manual for Thesis and Professional Paper (coming soon)
- Graduate Courses (PDF)
- Professional Program Degree Form – Part II (PDF)
- Graduate Program Forms
- Approved Electives
