Masters of Arts in Criminal Justice Program

Student will complete 36 semester hours of course work and pass a comprehensive examination or write a thesis.  The six core courses common to both concentrations establish a foundation for specialization. Each specialized concentration requires six additional courses.

Core Courses (Required 15 semester hours)

CJS 610 Theories of Crime and Delinquency
CJS 644 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
CJS 645 Quantitative Analysis in Criminal Justice
CJS 650 Criminal Justice Policy Analysis
CJS 651 Criminal Justice Ethics

Management and Planning (Required 9 semester hours)

The Criminal Justice Management and Planning Concentration is intended for, but not limited to, person whose career goals include administration of criminal justice program.

CJS 611 Administration of Criminal Justice Organizations
CJS 612 Strategic Planning for Criminal Justice
CJS 618 Legal issues in Criminal Justice Management

Juvenile Justice (Required 9 semester hours)

The Juvenile Justice Concentration provides the theoretical and technical knowledge needed to improve the lives of youth who have been or are at risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system.

CJS 672 Policing and Adjudicating Juveniles
CJS 674 Juvenile Corrections and Treatment
CJS 676 Juvenile Delinquency and the Justice System

Elective Courses (12 semester hours)
CJS 510  Crime Prevention                                                                                 
CJS 571  Youth Crime and the School                                                             
CJS 575  Legal Aspects of Juvenile Justice                                                    
CJS 590  Criminal Justice Topics                                                                      
CJS 601  Systems of Criminal Justice                                                               
CJS 607  Minorities in Criminal Justice                                                            
CJS 613  Community Policing                                                                                           
CJS 614  Jails and Prisons                                                                                 
CJS 615  Community Corrections                                                                     
CJS 616  Restorative Justice                                                                             
CJS 617  Offender Reentry Programs                                                               
CJS 646  Computer Applications in Criminal Justice                                     
CJS 660  Crime Victims and Victim Services                                                   
CJS 665  Criminal Justice Internship                                                
CJS 670  History/Philosophy of Juvenile Justice                                          
CJS 678  Juvenile Offenders and Youth Gangs                                              
CJS 680  Status Offenders and the Community                                             
CJS 681  Youth and Society                                                                              
CJS 688  Family Based Intervention                                                                
CJS 689  Gender, Crime, and Justice                                                
CJS 690  Independent Study in Criminal Justice                                            
CJS 699  Thesis                                                                                  
CJS 750  Continuing Registration                                                    

TOTAL                                  36 Credit Hours 

Approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

Effective Spring 2007