Criminal Justice
Master of Criminal Justice Course Descriptions

MCJ 500. Criminological Theory 3 credit hours
Theories of crime causation, participation, and treatment, Intervention, and prevention strategies. Topics covered include: prominent theories in the study of crime, the use of official and unofficial statistics in assessing crime in the US society, the inter-play of theory and social policy/ program implementation.

MCJ 501. Independent Study 1-3 credit hours

Specialized readings and applied research in criminal justice. 

MCJ 503. Workshop 1-3 credit hours
Topics and activities are designed to offer practical skills development opportunities useful to criminal justice practitioners. May be repeated to a maximum of three semester credits if topics differ.

MCJ 507. Seminar in Criminal Justice 3 credit hours
Capstone seminar focusing on analysis and evaluation of current practice, with emphasis on ethical and operational issues confronting criminal justice practitioners. 

MCJ 510. Crime Policy Analysis 3 credit hours
Examination of development and implementation of crime policy from a political, institutional, and administrative perspective. Application of political theories and policy analysis research techniques to better understanding and improving crime policy. Overview of crime theories with analysis and evaluation of the consequences for crime policy.

MCJ 511. The Constitution and Criminal Justice 3 credit hours
This course is a constitutional law course specifically geared to the interests and needs of the criminal justice professional. Students will be introduced to the organization of the American judicial system, the historical origins of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the study of the rights of the accused that are protected by the Constitution.

MCJ 530. Advanced Criminal Justice Statistics 3 credit hours
This course is structured to introduce undergraduate and graduate criminal justice majors to the statistical tests and interpretation used to explore and explain the study of crime and criminal justice.  An in-depth analysis of quantitative descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, as well as qualitative data analysis will be explored.

MCJ 531. Advanced Criminal Justice Research Methods 3 credit hours

This course is designed to introduce undergraduate and graduate criminal justice majors to social science methodology used to explore and explain the phenomenon of crime and criminal justice.  The scientific method, research design and implementation, sampling, experimental and quasi-experimental, and survey designs will be explored.

MCJ 532. Organized and White Collar Crime 3 credit hours
This course discusses the structure and environment of the organized and white-collar crime. It provides a detailed analysis of the origins, history, theoretical explanations, and structure of organized and white-collar crime. The methods employed by law enforcement agencies to combat organized crime are also explored. 

MCJ 550. Applications of Criminal Justice Research 3 credit hours
Applications of the statistical techniques learned in previous course data sets obtained from criminal justice sources. Emphasis will be placed on obtaining and manipulating data, using statistical software and communicating the results of the analysis through presentations and reports suitable for publication.

MCJ 587. Race, Class, Gender, and Justice 3 credit hours
This class is designed to examine and address the stereotypes surrounding the issues of race, class, and gender and their impact on the criminal justice system. Specifically, it will discuss how race, class, and gender influence the decision- making process from arrest through sentencing. 

MCJ 599. Comparative Justice Systems 3 credit hours
A comparative justice system examines the four justice traditions covering most of the worlds legal systems. These include the Common, Civil, Socialist and Islamic traditions. Justice systems of countries representative of each tradition will be examined. 

MCJ 620. Administration of Justice 3 credit hours
Administrative system analysis of the political and organizational dimensions of criminal case process through the agencies of criminal justice. An applied research project is required. 

MCJ 640. Justice Planning and Leadership 3 credit hours
A leadership development seminar focusing on the nature and sources of conflict within and between criminal justice and human service agencies. Organizational problems are identified and addressed through an action- research model. It also examines the systems approach to planned organizational change from the perspective of applied behavioral science. 

MCJ 650. Correctional Counseling 3 credit hours

Theory and practice of counseling with emphasis on evidence-based practices with offenders in both institutional and community-based programs. 

 

MCJ 660. Stress and Crisis Management 3 credit hours

Recognition and identification of personal and social stress or crisis situations, and the development of interpersonal and group strategies for school, social service, and justice personnel. 


MCJ 670. Seminar in Juvenile Justice 3 credit hours
Graduate level class intended to provide a comprehensive look at juvenile crime as well as intervention and prevention strategies aimed at dealing with the youthful offender. Emphasis will be placed on the research conducted in this area. 

 

MCJ 671. Seminar in Law Enforcement 3 credit hours

This course provides an overview of policing styles with an emphasis on community policing. Current research will be examined as it relates to the functions of policing as well as historical developments and trends. 

 

MCJ 672. Seminar in Corrections 3 credit hours

This course examines the theories and philosophies related to institutional and community corrections. An emphasis on research related to historical developments and trends will be examined. 

 

MCJ 700. Practicum 3-6 credit hours

Observation and applied action- research on a management problem in a criminal justice related organization. Open only to MCJ candidates. 

 

MCJ 701. Research Design 3 credit hours

This course is designed for the student choosing the research option to complete the MCJ degree. It is in this course that the methodology used to examine the topic chosen in seminar in CJ. 

 

MCJ 702. Thesis 3 credit hours

Academic presentation and oral defense of student thesis. 

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