Administration of Justice - Master of Science
Institutions of social control change constantly due to the public’s demand for a quality system of justice. In this climate, government at all levels is insisting on a higher level of intellectual and educational preparation for those who participate in the operation and administration of its criminal justice systems.
The Master of Science degree program in Administration of Justice serves students who are contemplating careers in the criminal justice field, as well as further graduate study. The program also serves working professionals who enhance their understanding of theory and conduct research related to their organizations.
The program’s major strengths are its applied perspective and strong emphasis on theory, policy, research, and analysis. Philosophy, format, and implementation stress the practical application of a higher level of knowledge, skills, and strategies. The methodological and theory components are highly suitable as a preparation for entering advanced graduate studies and other professional programs.
To qualify for the degree of master of science in administration of justice, you must complete 36 hours of graduate work distributed as follows:
REQUIRED (24 crs.)
- CRJ 501 Foundations of Criminal Justice
- CRJ 520 Criminal Justice Administration & Management
- CRJ 550 Graduate Seminar
- CRJ 560 Theories of Crime & Delinquency
- CRJ 590 Criminal Justice Policy Analysis
- CRJ 600 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
- CRJ 610 Quantitative Analysis in Criminal Justice
- CRJ 635 Restorative Justice
Electives (12 crs.)
- CRJ 570 Legal Trends & Issues
- CRJ 580 Juvenile Justice System
- CRJ 585 Treatment and Rehabilitation
- CRJ 591 Selected Topics
- CRJ 592 Selected Topics
- CRJ 593 Independent Study
- CRJ 594 Selected Topics
- CRJ 596 Selected Topics
- CRJ 599 Independent Study
- CRJ 612 Thesis I
- CRJ 613 Thesis II
- CRJ 617 Internship I
- CRJ 618 Internship II
NOTE: Students enrolled in the M.S. program affiliated with the Juvenile Court Judges Commission will complete six credits of Practicum as electives for the program.
With approval of the Graduate Program Coordinator in the Department of Criminal Justice, a student may take up to three courses at the 500-level or higher offered by the following departments: Counseling/College Student Personnel, Educational Leadership and Policy/Special Education, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.
Shippensburg University is located near major cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. State government in the capital city, Harrisburg, provides opportunities to study and do research with state and federal agencies.
Students have opportunities to work on research projects with departmental faculty. Computer resources and excellent library facilities are available.
Graduate assistantships may be available for students who want to enhance their learning experience by assisting the faculty with research, teaching and other tasks during the academic year.
Graduates successfully compete in the job market and are employed by private companies, city and county governments, state and federal departments. Graduates who are currently employed are often more marketable and upwardly mobile in their agency’s career development programs. They are also qualified to move to other agencies in a new and higher level of participation, responsibility, and compensation. They can expect new management, policy making, and expanded leadership and supervision opportunities as a result of their experiences and graduate degree.
Career choices include but are not limited to:
- Federal law enforcement
- Federal corrections
- Federal probation
- State law enforcement/state corrections (adult and juvenile)
- State probation and parole/county police
- County probation and parole (adult and juvenile)
- City police and other local agencies
- City corrections
- Federal, state and local courts
- Private corrections agencies (adult and juvenile)
- Special service and related agencies
- Victimology service providers
- Private security organizations
Applicants must meet all requirements of the School of Graduate Studies as defined in the current Graduate Catalog. Applicants should have a baccalaureate degree in criminal justice, administration of justice, or a related social science field from a regionally accredited college or university with a grade point average of 2.75 as a minimum. Applicants who do not meet the minimum grade point average requirement must take the Miller Analogies Test or the GRE and submit their scores as part of their application.
Students will study the criminal justice system with professors who hold the highest scholarly qualifications; have experience in the field as practitioners; serve as expert witnesses and consultants to criminal justice agencies; conduct research; publish articles and books; and present scholarly papers at local, regional and national conferences.
Melissa L. Ricketts, Ph.D., Department Chair, Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Victimology, criminological theory testing, advanced quantitative methods, fear of crime, school violence, cybercrime, prescription drug abuse.
Matthew D. Fetzer, Ph.D., University at Albany. Research methods, statistics and quantitative methods, juvenile delinquency, homicide, hate crime, domestic violence.
Billy W. Henson, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati. Victimology; criminology; policing; popular culture; violent, sexual, and repeat victimization; fear of crime; crime prevention; cybercrime victimization
Stephanie A. Jirard, J.D., Boston College. Criminal law and procedure, capital punishment, constitutional law.
Cynthia A Koller, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati. Juvenile justice, community corrections, sentencing disparities, white collar crime, fraud, and corruption.
Carrie L. Maloney, Ph.D., Rutgers University. Juvenile justice and delinquency, risk assessment and classification, research methods, corrections and rehabilitation, juvenile and adult sex offenders and treatment, ethics and policy in criminal justice.
E. Britt Patterson, Ph.D., University of Maryland-College Park. Criminology and criminal justice, research and quantitative methods; criminology and delinquency theories, juvenile justice, racial impact on crime, criminal justice system’s response to crime.
Laura A. Patterson, Ph.D., University of Maryland-College Park. Juvenile delinquency and justice, victimology, white collar crime, theories of crime and deviance, community and institutional corrections, quantitative research methods.
Retired Professors:
Thomas, L. Austin, Ph.D., (1983-2011) Michigan State University
Donna Hale, Ph.D., (1988-2010), Michigan State University
John Lemmon, Ph.D., (1999-2012) University of Maryland
Robert M. Freeman, Ph.D., (1994-2008) University of Maryland