Online Master's Degree in Criminal Justice

This course provides a thorough review of the primary components of criminal justice: law enforcement, courts and corrections. The focus is on analyzing the primary components of the criminal justice system, their relationship to one another, and to the policy-making process.

This course examines the current discipline of criminology based on current research and its applications, in a variety of contexts such as Victimology, crime prevention, juvenile justice, and other issues. Students will analyze crime policy and synthesize existing and emerging criminological theory affecting the development of criminal justice policy. Students will utilize contemporary criminological theory and research to inform and develop public policy designed to address the causes and concerns of contemporary crime.

Regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, political or cultural affinity, crime has an impact on all of our lives. Today’s criminal justice practitioner must understand the reality of a globally connected world, and appreciate how our differences can affect the way we deal with crime and criminal justice. The focus of this course is to analyze how issues of diversity influence all aspects of the criminal justice system, and to develop ways to effectively and ethically address issues of diversity to achieve positive outcomes in a variety of criminal justice settings.

This course covers security management, including risk assessment, planning and program administration, and explores the intergovernmental system relationships in homeland security. The course will provide the student with an interdisciplinary approach in defining the various threats facing the U.S. criminal justice system and its strategies for preparedness, response, and recovery.

This course addresses topics of current interest in the field of criminal justice, with an emphasis on research, and the application of research results to drive policy. The course content will vary based on the evolution of the discipline. The syllabus for a particular session will announce the topics for the course.

This course will cover the use of effective tools for case management and process analysis in the judicial system. It includes court performance standards and explores the roles and purposes of courts, the internal and external environments in which they operate and management theory as applied to courses.

This course will blend law enforcement theory and practice to create a proactive approach for successful management of personnel, resources, and services to the community. The student will be involved in an in-depth study of management in law enforcement including operating principles, communication and the future of law enforcement.

This course provides comprehensive coverage of correctional administration. It focuses on problem solving with real-life applications of issues for correctional administrators. Students will develop or revise correctional policies that deal with the management of offenders, the prison setting, the correctional staff, and includes a look to the future of correctional administration.

The course is designed to integrate and synthesize all coursework in the Criminal Justice graduate program and related areas allowing the student to demonstrate the professional competencies associated with a broad conceptual and practical understanding of the criminal justice field. Students will evaluate case studies and other materials to demonstrate written competency in the areas of research, professional responsibility, and management in the criminal justice field. Students will analyze issues of law, policy, and society, allowing students to incorporate knowledge and experience as they apply ethical principles in developing effective strategies to confront issues facing practitioners within the realm of criminal justice.

This course examines the importance of developing effective operational policies and the role of organizational decision-making in that process. It also reviews the ramifications of current laws, ethical considerations, the conflicts around decision making styles, and various aspects of organizational behavior that influence operational policy.