Next Cohort forming in Fall 2027
This program represents a unique collaboration between the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges' Commission, its Center for Juvenile Justice Training and Research and the Criminal Justice Department of Shippensburg University.
It offers classes through a hybrid format, combining face-to-face sessions and online course content. Classes meet three weekends each semester during the fall and spring semesters. During the summer terms, all coursework is completed online.
The program is competency-based. The faculty who teach in the program are committed to providing a high quality education that will prepare you to provide evidence-based services that are ethical, impartial and effective in a rapidly changing and increasingly diverse society.
Upon completion of the program, you will have:
- An advanced understanding of administrative principles and practices found in juvenile justice agencies
- Advanced knowledge of theories relating to crime causation and criminality
- In-depth knowledge of the interdisciplinary nature of the juvenile justice system
- Knowledge of contemporary technologies used to manage juvenile justice information
- Skills that enable you to conduct and evaluate juvenile justice-related research
- Advanced problem-solving skills that enable the learner to identify, analyze and solve juvenile justice operational problems that affect the delivery of services
- Advanced reading, writing and verbal communication skills
Course work for M.S. Administration of Juvenile Justice (33 Credits)
Admissions Requirements
In addition to the application and transcript(s), Administration of Juvenile Justice (JCJC) applicants must submit:
- Resume
- Letter of Interest - This letter should address the following:
- Why you are a strong candidate for endorsement
- Any reasons why your undergraduate GPA may be below a 2.75
- Complete description of juvenile justice work experience
- How you expect to use your graduate degree to improve juvenile justice in your county
- One (1) recommendation - Recommendation must be an endorsement from your current chief if you are a juvenile probation officer, or from the Juvenile Court Administrative Judge if you are not.
Applicants may be asked to interview.
There are two primary requirements for admission to the JCJC program:
- Acceptance into the Shippensburg University School of Graduate Studies
- Endorsement by the Juvenile Court Judges' Commission
The JCJC program is available to full-time county juvenile probation officers in Pennsylvania who graduated from an accredited college or university with at least 18 credits in the behavioral or social sciences, and who are currently employed in the Juvenile Justice System. As space allows, county juvenile detention staff (and other juvenile justice professionals) may be admitted to the program upon the recommendation of the Juvenile Court Administrative Judge.
This program is a Fall start only, with the application opening in September and closing in March. The program holds interviews in April and students will be notified of their application decision in May.
It is available to full-time county juvenile probation officers in Pennsylvania who graduated from an accredited college or university with at least 18 credits in the behavioral or social sciences, and who have been, or will be, employed in the juvenile justice system for at least two years prior to admission. As space allows, county juvenile detention staff (and other juvenile justice professionals, on a self-pay basis) may be admitted to the program upon the recommendation of the Juvenile Court Administrative Judge.
Students must agree to attend the program continuously for two calendar years and to maintain their current employment status for the duration of the program and for at least two years after graduation. Students who fail to meet these conditions will be required to reimburse the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for all, or a portion of, tuition costs paid on their behalf.