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Master of Science in
Criminal Justice
The Master of Science
degree in Criminal Justice provides students with advanced theoretical, legal,
and methodological training for research, teaching, and management careers in
criminal justice. The program serves to educate criminal justice professionals
and prepare students for further advanced graduate work, legal studies, and
scholarship. The Criminal Justice and Criminology Program is committed to:
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providing students with
the conceptual and research skills needed to undertake advanced analyses of
the criminal justice system;
-
serving criminal justice
professionals and others who are interested in pursuing professional careers
in management and administration;
-
furnishing law
enforcement, corrections and court practitioners with knowledge of justice
administration, theoretical perspectives of human behavior, policy analysis
and criminal justice theory; and
-
preparing social
scientists to pursue careers in university and research settings.
Click here for downloadable
Graduate Brochure
(PDF).
Program
Admission
Applications to the
program are due by July 1 for the fall semester and by November 1 for the spring
semester. However, students are strongly encouraged to apply early. Applications
submitted after the due dates will be considered, but no later than three weeks
from the start of classes for the fall semester and four weeks for the spring
semester. Application for admission does not guarantee acceptance into the
program.
To apply, all students must first complete and return the Graduate
Application for Admission to the Graduate Admissions Office (available
at
http://www.marshall.edu/graduate/).
Moreover, students are encouraged to review the Graduate Catalog online at
http://www.marshall.edu/catalog/Graduate/
for complete information on the graduate application process and
university policies. To be considered for admission
to the M.S. program,
all applicants must provide a complete application file that contains the
following items
(all materials submitted
to the Graduate Admissions Office):
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a baccalaureate degree
from an accredited college or university (preference will be given to
applicants with undergraduate majors in criminal justice or closely related
social science discipline);
-
an undergraduate Grade
Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all previously
completed undergraduate university work; -
GRE scores (will be
evaluated in combination with the undergraduate GPA);
a score of 550 or higher
on the TOEFL (for international students only);
a C or better in
an undergraduate research methods course or equivalent (documentation of
course content may be required);
two letters of
recommendation (college instructors strongly preferred); and
a personal statement
(1-2 page essay regarding the student’s interest in criminal justice and how
the M.S. in Criminal Justice degree will benefit him or her).
Students may be
considered for provisional admission or conditional enrollment. Please see:
http://www.marshall.edu/graduate/typesofadmissions.asp. All prospective
students are strongly encouraged to contact the Criminal Justice Graduate
Director before applying to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program to
discuss the application process and requirements.
The
Criminal Justice and Criminology Program is housed on the Huntington campus, and all classes
take place in Smith Hall. However, all application material (including
letters of reference) must be sent directly to the graduate admission's office
in South Charleston at the following address:
Marshall University
Graduate Records and Admissions
100
Angus E. Peyton Drive
South
Charleston, WV 25303-1600
For questions regarding application status, please contact our
admissions counselor, Erin Mishoe, at 304-746-2066 (toll free 800-642-9842).
International Students: Please contact the Center for International
Programs, Marshall University, One John Marshall Drive, Huntington, West
Virginia 25755-1054 U.S.A. Send email to
CIP@marshall.edu or visit the CIP web site at
http://www.marshall.edu/cip/. Marshall
University is approved for attendance of non-immigrant students under the
Federal Immigration and Naturalization Act.
Core Curriculum
The Master of Science degree
in Criminal Justice
requires the completion of 30 credits of coursework. In total,
students take 15 credits of core courses, 12 credits of electives,
plus students choose the non-thesis (3 credits) or thesis (3
credits) option. The curriculum is structured around a set of core
requirements that provide a broad foundation in criminological
theory, research and statistics, criminal law as well as aspects of
criminal justice policy and practice.
Core Requirements
All students are required to complete 15 credits of core courses:
CJ 601: Seminar in Criminal Justice (3 cr.)
CJ 604: Advanced Theory in Criminal Justice (3 cr.)
CJ 621: Advanced Criminal Law and Procedure (3 cr.)
CJ 655: Research Methods in Criminal Justice (3 cr.)
CJ 656: Applied Statistics in Criminal Justice (3 cr.)
·
The research methods and statistics
sequence must be completed by all students
during the first academic year in the graduate program (within the first
12 graduate credit credits for part-time students). Exceptions are made
for students who must take prerequisite courses before enrolling in this
sequence.
Electives
Students can choose from a variety of electives. A
total of 12 hours of electives are required. Courses outside of
the discipline in related fields may be taken with approval from
the Graduate Director.
Non-thesis or thesis
option
Students
can choose either the
non-thesis (3 cr.) or thesis option (3 cr.) as their culminating
experience. Students will enroll in one of these options after they
have completed the majority of their coursework.
Non-Thesis Option
For students who work in the field or anticipate a career in the
criminal justice system. The requirements are:
- Complete the core courses and
register for CJ 699: Capstone Experience (3 credits).
- Design and execute an applied
research project related to a current issue or problem faced by
a criminal justice organization.
- Demonstrate written abilities
and oral presentation skills, which is part of the student’s
comprehensive assessment.
- Pass the capstone project with
a B or higher.
Thesis Option
For students planning to continue graduate studies in a
doctoral program. The
requirements are:
-
Complete the core courses and
register for CJ 679: Problem Report (3 credits), which can count
as an elective.
-
Form a thesis committee and
determine the graduate faculty member of the department who will
serve as chair of the committee. The thesis committee assists in
selecting and developing the research problem and evaluates the
student’s work.
-
Create the prospectus and have
it approved by the thesis committee prior to enrolling for CJ
681: Thesis.
-
Enroll in CJ 681: Thesis, for a
minimum of 3 credits.
-
Pass an oral defense of the
thesis.
Two C Rule
A student who earns more than two grades of
C
or lower in any graduate courses will be
withdrawn from the program.
Plan of Study
Before registration for
the 12th graduate credit hour, all graduate students must complete
an official Plan of Study form to be approved by the Graduate
Director and/or Department Chair and submitted to the Graduate
College Office.
Choosing
Classes
All curriculum choices should be made in consultation with the Graduate
Director. Students should keep in mind that they cannot retake
undergraduate/graduate classes they took as an undergraduate student at Marshall
University (if applicable).
Departmental
Graduate Director
All new graduate students must
meet with the Graduate Director before their first semester as
a graduate student. The Graduate Director is
Dr. Kimberly DeTardo-Bora
(304-696-3084) detardobora@marshall.edu).
Once admitted to the program, students should contact her immediately to set up
an initial appointment.
Helpful Links
Criminal
Justice & Criminology
Marshall
University
One John Marshall
Drive
Huntington, WV
25755-2662
Revised April 4, 2013
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