606 College of Social and Behavioral Sciences About the Program The Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice is a fully online degree program that allows students the opportunity to continue their education from anywhere with active Internet service. Applications are accepted on a continuous basis and courses are offered every semester (fall, spring, and summer). In general, students should be able to complete their degree in as few as 12-16 months. Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) Admission Requirements Admission to the master's program will be competitive and entrance restricted to a limited number of well qualified applicants. Applicants should possess an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited university or college. Each candidate will be evaluated on (1) past academic performance, (2) score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and (3) overall experience and progression in the criminal justice field or other areas of experience. Specific admissions criteria include: • Co mpletion o f the WSU admissions applicatio n form • Co mpletion o f the Department Maste r' s Degree application form • Submission of official transcripts from all colleges/ universities attended • Submission of a current resume • Submission of a written personal statement explaining interest in the program • Submission of official GRE scores • TOEFL (required for International students and may be required for students who do not use English as their primary language) Graduation Requirements The Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice requires the completion of 36 semester hours. Four core courses totaling 12 semester hours are required. These courses are: • MCJ 6000 - Criminal Justice Statistics (3) • MCJ 6100 - Contemporary Criminal Justice (3) • MCJ 6110 - Research Methods in Criminal Justice (3) • MCJ 6120 - Theories of Crime and Delinquency (3) A minimum GPA of 3.0 for all courses is required. No "C" grade is allowed in core courses. The remaining hours will be chosen from elective courses of interest to the student. More than one "C" grade in these courses will not count toward completion of the degree. Students must choose between completing a Master's Thesis, or taking additional course work in lieu of the thesis. The requirements for the thesis option are identified below. Regardless of the option chosen, the student must complete all degree requirements within four years of entry into the program. Thesis Option 1. Complete 12 core credit hours. 2. Complete 21 elective credit hours. 3. Complete a minimum of three thesis credit hours (MCJ 6270). * * Course may be taken twice by those selecting the Thesis Option. Master of Science Degree Criminal Justice Courses Required Courses • MCJ 6000 - Criminal Justice Statistics Credits: (3) • MCJ 6100 - Contemporary Criminal Justice Credits: (3) • MCJ 6110 - Research Methods in Criminal Justice Credits: (3) • MCJ 6120 - Theories of Crime and Delinquency Credits: (3) Elective Courses • MCJ 6130 - Law and Social Control Credits: (3) • MCJ 6140 - Technology and Innovation in Criminal Justice Credits: (3) • MCJ 6150 - Diversity Issues in Criminal Justice Credits: (3) • MCJ 6160 - Seminar: Criminal Justice Policy Analysis Credits: (3) • MCJ 6170 - Seminar: Juvenile Justice Credits: (3) • MCJ 6180 - Seminar: Contemporary Legal Issues Credits: (3) • MCJ 6190 - Legal Foundations of Criminal Justice Credits: (3) • MCJ 6210 - Seminar: Judicial Administration Credits: (3) • MCJ 6220 - Seminar: Contemporary Law Enforcement Credits: (3) • MCJ 6230 - Seminar: Contemporary Corrections Credits: (3) • MCJ 6240 - Criminal Justice Planning, Budgeting, and Evaluation Credits: (3) • MCJ 6250 - Topics in Criminal Justice Credits: (l- 3) • MCJ 6255 - Great Thoughts in Criminal Justice Credits: (3) • MCJ 6260 - Graduate Readings Credits: (3) • MCJ 6270 - Thesis Credits: (3) * • MCJ 6810 - Experimental Course Credits: (1-3) Note: * Course may be taken twice by those selecting the Thesis Option. Course Descriptions - MCJ Master of Criminal Justice Program MCJ 6000 - Criminal Justice Statistics Credits: (3) Criminal Justice Statistics is a focus on the role of data collection and analysis in formal, empirical research projects. The course begins with a review of statistical applications including measures of central tendency, dispersion, and hypothesis testing. The course concludes with an examination of more complex analytical tools such as MANOVA, Factor Analysis, Path Analysis, and Logistical Regression. Students will review various styles of multivariate analysis in peer-reviewed scholarly literature as well as use computing resources to conduct their own multivariate analysis of a criminal justice dataset. Weber State University 2013-2014 Catalog