Additional Criminal Justice Catalog Information

Criminal Justice Graduate Program (CJS)

Offered Through the Department of Criminal Justice
in the School of Public Affairs
257 Stewart Hall
Phone: 320.308.4101
Fax: 320.308.2993
E-mail: criminaljustice@stcloudstate.edu
Web site: www.stcloudstate.edu/criminaljustice
Web site: www.stcloudstate.edu/criminaljustice/advising/about_center.asp

Department Chairperson: Dr. F. Barry Schreiber
Department Secretary: Ms. Deborah Yorek

Graduate Director: Dr. F. Barry Schreiber
Graduate Faculty: Andzenge, Campbell, Clifford, Gilbertson, Hesse, Hennessy, Schreiber, Seefeldt

This program is offered on-campus and is also available for completion on-line.

The Criminal Justice program is available on the St. Cloud campus.
The program can also be fully completed through online courses coordinated by the Center for Continuing Studies.

Admission Requirements Specific to the Program

Before applicants can be admitted to the graduate program, they must meet the admission requirements for graduate studies at St. Cloud State University.
The GRE is required of all applicants who possess only an undergraduate degree.
The GRE is waived for applicants with a post-baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in a country where English is the sole official language.
Undergraduate GPA is closely reviewed. An emphasis is placed on scholarship within the undergraduate education core and the GPA in the major. The GRE is weighted less heavily.
Admission decisions are made as completed application files are received.

Application Deadlines

Length of Program — Measured by Semesters

Part-time student: six semesters taking six credits per semester.
Full-time student: three semesters taking 12 credits per semester.

Graduate Assistantship Overview

Four graduate assistantship positions are generally sponsored each year, and are available both fall and spring semesters.
Criminal justice graduate assistants will find challenging assistantships in a variety of settings including assisting professors in teaching and research duties.

Specializations

Each student has the option of choosing one of three specializations. The courses within the criminal justice administration and criminal justice counseling tracks are specified. Within the elective track, direct student involvement in course selection is considered.

Criminal Justice Administration
Criminal Justice Counseling (The counseling specialization courses are not offered online.)
Elective Track — developed by the student and the graduate advisor

Degrees and Plans Offered

Master of Science: Plan A (Thesis)
Master of Science: Plan C (Professional Portfolio)
Each plan requires a preliminary conference and a final oral examination.

The Master of Science in Criminal Justice is designed to serve the needs of several types of students:
1. Persons with no prior criminal justice employment experience or with no undergraduate degree in the field of criminal justice who wish to prepare for careers in law enforcement, corrections, administration of justice, or an allied area.
2. Persons who currently are employed full- or part-time in criminal justice careers at the local, county, state, or federal level.
3. Persons with career experience in the criminal justice system who have secured leaves of absence and/or wish to acquire new competencies before returning to their careers.
4. Persons who have an interest in increasing their general knowledge and understanding of criminal justice, criminal justice research methods and resources, and microcomputing as tools for professional advancement.
5. Persons pursing related graduate degrees who wish to complement their primary area of specialization with selected graduate course work in criminal justice.
6. Persons seeking scholarly preparation to teach or to do research themselves in criminal justice programs, perhaps moving directly from the master's degree to doctoral study.
7. Persons without a related undergraduate degree in criminal justice who wish to prepare to teach, consult, or do research in the field of criminal justice.
The curriculum is course-centered and traditional. Central to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice are the research courses, core courses and seminar courses required for all students. The specialization courses provide a solid base of knowledge in a specific sub-system of criminal justice, and enhance each student's opportunity to develop unique competencies.
Criminal justice master's degrees may be completed with a thesis (Plan A), or a professional portfolio of projects and papers (Plan C). Each plan requires a preliminary conference and a final oral examination.
Students enrolled in 500-level courses for which they receive the same number of credits as those students enrolled in the 400-level counterparts should expect to complete extra advanced level work. Such work includes, but is not limited to, additional required textbooks or readings, extra papers, class presentations, additional examinations, or extra examination questions.

Plan A: Thesis

Students pursuing the Plan A option are required to complete a minimum of 15 credits in research courses, CJS 660, CJS 689, and a minimum of 15 credits in specialization courses for a minimum total of 36 credits. A master's thesis and final oral defense of the thesis are requirements for degree completion.

Plan C: Professional Portfolio

Students pursuing the Plan C option are required to complete a minimum of nine credits in research courses, CJS 660, CJS 689, 12 credits in application and implementations courses, and a minimum of 15 credits in their specialization, for a minimum total of 42 credits. The final product prepared by the student is a professional portfolio. Preliminary and final oral examinations over the professional portfolio are required.

Master of Science — Criminal Justice

Plan A (Thesis), 36 credits; Plan C (Professional Portfolio), 42 credits

Research courses

CEEP 678. Introduction to Graduate Statistics, 3 credits
CJS 677. Framing and Analyzing Research Problems, 3, credits
CJS 679. Research in Criminal Justice, 3 credits
CJS 699. Thesis, 6 credits (Plan A only)

Core Course
Plan A or Plan C, 3 credit minimum

CJS 660. Theories of Criminal Behavior and Justice, 3 credits

Seminar Course
Plan A or Plan C, 3 credit minimum

CJS 689. Advanced Graduate Seminar, 3 credits

Application and Implementation Course
Plan C only, 12 credits

CJS 644. Practicum, 12 credits in a Criminal Justice setting.
Approval from the graduate coordinator is required.

Choose One Specialization for Plan A or Plan C

Approval from the graduate director is required before registering for courses.

Specialization 1: Criminal Justice Administration
15 credit minimum

CJS 502. Fundamentals of U.S. Gangs, 3 credits
CJS 511. Organization and Administration in Criminal Justice, 3 credits
CJS 515. Corrections: Theory and Practice, 3 credits
CJS 520. Critical Issues in Law Enforcement, 3 credits
CJS 525. Sex Crimes and Sex Offenders, 3 credits
CJS 530. Criminal Law, 3 credits
CJS 531. Criminal Procedure, 3 credits
CJS 533. Ethical Studies in Criminal Justice, 3 credits
CJS 540. Law of Corrections, 3 credits
CJS 541. Correctional Alternatives, 3 credits
CJS 545. Crisis Intervention, 3 credits
CJS 546. Child Abuse and the Criminal Justice System, 3 credits
CJS 550. Juvenile Justice System, 3 credits
CJS 552. Focused Gang Studies: National and International, 3 credits
CJS 554. Focused Gang Studies: Prison Settings, 3 credits
CJS 555. Private Security and the Criminal Justice Community, 3 credits
CJS 557. White Collar Crime, 3 credits
CJS 561. Juvenile Legal Process, 3 credits
CJS 565. Policing a Diverse Society, 3 credits
CJS 570. Evidence Based Practices, 3 credits
CJS 573. Criminal Justice and the Media, 3 credits
CJS 580. Victimology: Theories and Principles, 3 credits
CJS 582. Victim Services, 3 credits
CJS 585. Domestic Violence and Criminal Justice, 3 credits
CJS 589. Seminar in Criminal Justice, 3 credits
CJS 591. Special Gang Studies: Law Enforcement Track, 3 credits
CJS 593. Special Gang Studies: Corrections Track, 3 credits
CJS 596. Spatio-Temporal Crime Analysis, 3 credits
CJS 600. Special Problems, 1-3 credits
CJS 601. History of Criminal Justice, 3 credits
CJS 644. Practicum, 3-12 credits
CJS 650. Readings, 1-3 credits
CJS 661. Juvenile Justice and Schools, 3 credits
CJS 681. Current Problems and Issues in Criminal Justice. May be repeated to a maximum of six credits
CJS 689. Advanced Graduate Seminar, 3 credits
PHIL 582. Philosophy of Law and Punishment, 3 credits
POL 582. Public Personnel Administration, 3 credits
POL 583. Managing Local Governments, 3 credits
POL 584. Public Budgeting, 3 credits

Specialization 2: Criminal Justice Counseling
15 credit minimum (The counseling specialization courses are not offered online.)

CEEP 651. Counseling Theories, 3 credits
CEEP 666. Small Group Process, 3 credits
CEEP 668. Counseling Procedures, 3 credits
CEEP 672. Family, School and Organizational Partnerships, 3 credits

Choose 3 credits

CJS 502. Fundamentals of U.S. Gangs, 3 credits
CJS 511. Organization and Administration in Criminal Justice, 3 credits
CJS 515. Corrections: Theory and Practice, 3 credits
CJS 520. Critical Issues in Law Enforcement, 3 credits
CJS 525. Sex Crimes and Sex Offenders, 3 credits
CJS 530. Criminal Law, 3 credits
CJS 531. Criminal Procedure, 3 credits
CJS 533. Ethical Studies in Criminal Justice, 3 credits
CJS 540. Law of Corrections, 3 credits
CJS 541. Correctional Alternatives, 3 credits
CJS 545. Crisis Intervention, 3 credits
CJS 546. Child Abuse and the Criminal Justice System, 3 credits
CJS 550. Juvenile Justice System, 3 credits
CJS 554. Focused Gang Studies: Prison Settings, 3 credits
CJS 561. Juvenile Legal Process, 3 credits
CJS 565 Policing a Diverse Society, 3 credits
CJS 570. Correctional Services, 3 credits
CJS 573. Criminal Justice and the Media, 3 credits
CJS 580. Victimology: Theories and Principles, 3 credits
CJS 582. Victim Services, 3 credits
CJS 585. Domestic Violence and Criminal Justice, 3 credits
CJS 589. Seminar in Criminal Justice, 3 credits
CJS 593. Special Gang Studies: Corrections Track, 3 credits
CJS 600. Special Problems, 1-3 credits
CJS 601. History of Criminal Justice, 3 credits
CJS 644. Practicum 1-12 credits (Plan B only)
CJS 650. Readings, 1-3 credits
CJS 661. Juvenile Justice and Schools, 3 credits
CJS 681. Current Problems and Issues in Criminal Justice. May be repeated to a maximum of six credits
CJS 689. Advanced Graduate Seminar, 3 credits
PHIL 582. Philosophy of Law and Punishment, 3 credits

Specialization 3: Elective track — created by the student and the graduate advisor

Course selection for the specialization three is based upon the needs of the student with advisor approval.

NOTE:

One-half of the minimum requirements for the entire program must be completed in 600-level courses.
CJS 511, 515, 520, 521, 522, 525, 530, 531, 533, 540, 541, 545, 546, 550, 555, 557, 561, 565, 570, 573, 580, 582, 585, 586, 587, 589, 596, and PHIL 582 may not be utilized in the student's program if the concomitant 400-level course was completed at the undergraduate level at St. Cloud State University.

On-campus Graduate Expenses
See http://www.stcloudstate.edu/billing/tuition/ for current tuition and fee rates.

Online Graduate Expenses
See http://www.stcloudstate.edu/continuingstudies/distance/tuition.asp for current online tuition and fee rates.

Online Eligibility
International students may be part of an online program while in their home country. International students on the F-1 or J-1 visas and in the U.S. are not eligible for online academic programs at St. Cloud State University due to the requirements set by the Department of Homeland Security.

Graduate Catalog | School of Graduate Studies |