College of Human Ecology

Department of Criminal Justice

James F. Anderson, Chairperson, 247 Rivers Building

MS in Criminal Justice

The master’s program in criminal justice prepares students to become highly skilled and competent professionals who are equipped to seek advancements in the criminal justice profession, teach on the community college level, or pursue a terminal degree in criminal justice or a closely related field. Students must complete 21 s.h. of core courses and can choose either a general concentration in criminal justice or obtain certification in security studies. Students enroll in JUST 6995 (comprehensive exam) only in their final academic semester.

A minimum of 39 s.h. of credit is required as follows:

1. Core: JUST 6001, 6006, 6012, 6201, 6300, 6500, 6995 - 21 s.h.
2. Concentration:
   1. General: JUST 6000, 6005, 6007, 6008, 6202, 6211, 6400, 6501, 6502, 6601, 6602, 6700, 6800, 6990, 6991 - 18 s.h.
   2. Security studies: EHST 6010; JUST 6502; PADM 6170; PLAN 6015; POLS 6155 or 6382; 3 s.h. JUST electives - 18 s.h.
   3. Substance abuse counseling: SOCW 6804; JUST 6005; JUST 6008; JUST 6007 or SOCW 6808; 6 s.h. JUST electives - 18 s.h.

Admission Requirements

Each applicant is reviewed individually by the admissions committee. One criterion does not determine acceptance or rejection. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited academic institution with a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale is required. Transfer credit must be established at the time of admittance. Satisfactory entrance examination scores on the GRE or MAT and TOEFL as established by the Graduate School are required. Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work since graduating high school will be required. Three current letters of reference and a written narrative regarding a specific criminal justice issue are also required. A personal interview may be requested.

A student may elect to attend the program on a part-time basis. In order to qualify for part-time status a student must take a minimum of two courses per semester. It is recommended that at least one core course be taken each of the semesters that the student is enrolled in the program.

Certificate Programs

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Security Studies

The department participates in the offering of a graduate certificate in security studies. See College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Political Science, for certificate requirements.

Substance Abuse

The certificate in substance abuse counseling will equip select criminal justice and social work graduate students with specific skills and knowledge in the area of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. The goal of the certificate program is to increase the number of criminal justice and social work graduate students with the required knowledge and skills to work with clients who are drug users and/or abusers or who are charged with drug-related offenses. In addition, this certificate will allow graduate students an opportunity to become more sensitive to the laws governing drug abuse and drug-related offenses. Students will also learn efficient methods to design and implement effective substance abuse intervention strategies for this population. Applicants seeking admission can be graduate students or professionals working in the fields of criminal justice or social work. Admission is based on completion of the certification application and approval by the program coordinator. Students enrolled in the certificate program must adhere to the program standards of the Department of Criminal Justice. Certificate recipients will receive 45 contact hours (12 s.h.) of substance abuse specific credit approved by the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Certification Board.

Required courses (12 s.h.): Choose from JUST 6005, 6008; JUST 6007 or SOCW 6808; SOCW 6804.