Criminal Justice Administration, M.I.S.

Return to: 2105 Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology

The Master of Interdisciplinary Science (MIS) degree in Criminal Justice Administration is designed to prepare students for administrative and managerial leadership roles in criminal justice and public safety. The degree combines content on (1) substantive issues in criminal justice and criminology and (2) managerial principles and practices for public management. The degree program is designed as an equal hybrid of criminal justice and public management with an eye toward ensuring that those obtaining the degree will be exposed to courses on applied and current issues in criminal justice and a solid footing in areas of public management, administration, and leadership. Students will learn to lead and manage criminal justice agencies at the local, state, or federal levels, with a complete understanding of how law enforcement, courts, corrections, and governmental functioning are integrated to give students an understanding of how each of the component parts relates in forming the justice system, and how criminal justice management, offenders and victims fit within the system. Students learn how the justice system influences and is influenced by other institutions in society. An adequately functioning criminal justice system participates in appropriate structuring of legislation, providing information and education within the system and to the public, crime prevention, psychological counseling, and rehabilitation of persons in prison. Also included among its many roles is work with juveniles, quantitative and qualitative scholarly research, guidance to persons on probation and parole, assistance to citizen groups and crime victims, and many other tasks.

The MIS in Criminal Justice Administration will produce graduates who will promote the development of well-functioning, forward-thinking, and humane justice systems. Graduates will gain a sophisticated understanding of the ways in which law enforcement, judicial, and correctional institutions interact with other segments of government and society. They will develop strong leadership skills designed to promote best practices for 21st century democratic societies. These leaders will produce systems that promote public safety by a) preventing and reducing the harmful effects of criminal and delinquent behavior on victims and societies, b) understanding emerging threats such as cybercrime and corresponding cybersecurity countermeasures, c) providing victims and defendants with a judicial system that is fair, effective, and efficient, and d) establishing correctional systems that protect civil society while also reintegrating offenders back into society. The program has three learning objectives:

Increased knowledge of current and emerging criminal justice issues and how to address them.
Increased knowledge of how to more effectively and efficiently lead and manage criminal justice institutions.
Increased understanding of ethical principles and their application in the criminal justice system.

These learning objectives should contribute to the development of a number of capabilities for graduates of the program. At the conclusion of their programs, MIS CJA graduates should be able to:

Lead in and manage criminal justice systems in democratic societies.
Understand, analyze, and synthesize research on crime and criminal justice policy.
Think critically to solve problems and make decisions that affect both short- and long-term outcomes for the institutions they lead.
Articulate and apply a set of ethical principles in the criminal justice system that comports with democratic values and respect for human rights.
Communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.

Degree Requirements

The MIS in Criminal Justice Administration degree requires at least 30 hours of graduate coursework, comprised of 27 credit hours of required courses and 3 credit hours of an applied capstone seminar. Students may take an additional 6 credit hours of content related to criminal justice administration to supplement the required classes. Students must take PMAP 8111 - Public Management & Democracy in their first fall semester in the program.

Required Courses (27 Credit Hours)

PMAP 8551 - Data Analysis and Visualization 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8111 - Public Management & Democracy 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8161 - Public Budgeting and Finance 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8171 - Public Management Systems and Strategies 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8151 - Leadership and Organizational Behavior 3 Credit Hours
CRJU 6060 - Ethics in Criminal Justice 3 Credit Hours
CRJU 7010 - Crime and the Criminal Justice System 3 Credit Hours
CRJU 7020 - Contemporary Criminal Justice Policy 3 Credit Hours
CRJU 7530 - Cybercrime & Cybersecurity 3 Credit Hours

Capstone Seminar (3 Credit Hours)

CRJU 7990 - Capstone Seminar in Criminal Justice Administration 3 Credit Hours

This course can be taken only after completing 24 credit hours in the degree program. The capstone is the integration experience and assessment tool used to measure learning outcomes expected of students in the program. Students compile a portfolio of work conducted for prior courses to demonstrate mastery of the five competencies of the program. The final product is a portfolio with these five artifacts, revisited and refined for a final review, and a substantive narrative of how each competency relates to the students’ professional goals.

Elective Courses (6 Credit Hours)

Students may take up to six additional credit hours of graduate courses to complete the degree. The courses must relate to criminal justice administration and be approved by the program director.

Prior Learning Credit

Students may earn up to six hours of academic credit towards requirements in the degree program from training gained through or in conjunction with a position in the criminal justice system or military service. Students who wish to apply for credit for prior, formal training must request from the program director a list of pre-approved training that faculty have verified meet the same learning objectives of up to two courses in the program. Alternatively, a student may request to have prior, formal training reviewed by the program director and pass a faculty-designed assessment to demonstrate learning outcomes of up to two courses in the program. In both cases, students must provide documentation that describes the content, duration, and assessment of prior training and proof of successful completion. Credits earned through prior training may not replace PMAP 8111 - Public Management & Democracy or CRJU 7990 - Capstone Seminar in Criminal Justice Administration .