Plan Description
The Traditional Master of Arts degree program is designed to improve a student’s understanding of the nature, causes, and consequences of crime and crime control. Based on the tradition of the liberal arts, the program emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between crime and the structure of society and the interplay between criminal justice theory and practice. These relationships are explored through course work in criminological theory, law and social control, the administration of justice, and crime and public policy. By completing the requirements for this program, students will be prepared for teaching at the community college level and doctoral study in crime and criminal justice.
Designed for the full-time criminal justice professional, the Professional Master’s Degree Program in Criminal Justice provides students with advanced knowledge of the nature of crime, criminal justice institutions and processes, current criminal justice policy and training in research methods, statistics, and program evaluation. The program will also be open to students seeking a terminal master’s degree and a career in the criminal justice system. Upon completion of the program, students will have furthered their understanding of crime, the criminal justice system, and be able to conduct evaluations of policies and programs within various agencies in the justice system. This program is structured so that enrolled students can complete the program in two years of part-time study (six credit hours per regular semester and six credit hours during the summer sessions). Recognizing most full-time professionals have schedules that often preclude attendance during regular class times, the program utilizes a variety of distance education techniques, including prerecorded and compressed video, and online instruction.
Learning Outcomes
www.unlv.edu/degree/ma-trad-criminal-justice
Plan Admission Requirements
- An undergraduate degree from an institution with regional or national accreditation is required. Students are encouraged to complete some undergraduate course work related to criminal justice/criminology, and statistics in social sciences. A minimum GPA of 2.75 for all undergraduate work and a 3.00 for the last two years of undergraduate work is required for admission to the program.
- The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for admission.
- A Criminal Justice Graduate Program Application Cover Page must be completed.
- A statement of purpose for pursuing the Master of Arts Degree, addressing the student’s particular interests in the field of criminal justice and his or her future academic and/or professional goals, must be provided at the time of application.
- Two letters of recommendation are required. It is preferred that both letters be from professors from whom the applicant took the classes. If the applicant completed the undergraduate degree work within the past five years, it is required that at least one letter be from a professor, unless the applicant can document the reasons why a letter from a former professor is difficult to obtain. If the applicant completed the undergraduate degree work more than five years ago and is currently working in a criminal justice-related field, two letters may be obtained from the applicant’s direct supervisor or co-workers. References from other sources will not be reviewed.
- The admissions process requires submitting all information and materials through the UNLV Graduate College Online Application. See the Criminal Justice Department website for more details.
- All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.
Subplan 1 Requirements: Traditional Track
Total Credits Required: 36
Course Requirements
Required Courses – Credits: 18
CRJ 700 - Proseminar in Criminal Justice
CRJ 701 - Proseminar on Theory
CRJ 702 - Proseminar on Research Methods
CRJ 703 - Proseminar on Statistics
CRJ 704 - Proseminar on Law and Social Control
CRJ 705 - Proseminar on the Administration of Justice
A maximum of 9 credits of 600-level course work are usable as electives.
Criminal Justice Elective Courses – Credits: 6
Complete 6 credits of 600- or 700-level Criminal Justice courses. CRJ 716 and CRJ 799 may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
General Elective Courses – Credits: 6
Complete 6 credits of 600- or 700-level courses. Courses may be from Criminal Justice, from the following approved list of electives, or by advisor-approval:
ANTH 746 - Gender, Sexuality, Race and Flexible Citizenship
ENV 703 - Environmental Law and Policy Seminar
LAW 639 - Feminist Jurisprudence
LAW 642 - Law and Social Justice
LAW 644 - Juvenile Law
LAW 646 - Cyberlaw
LAW 653 - Criminal Procedure I
LAW 658 - Immigration Law
LAW 666 - Domestic Violence and the Law
PSC 710R - Proseminar in American Politics
PSC 713 - American National Government: Principles
PSC 714 - American National Government: Structure and Processes
PSC 719 - Advanced Studies in American Politics
PSC 721 - Public Policy Process
PSC 723 - Policy Analysis
PSC 724 - Intelligence Policy
PSC 725 - Policy Formation: The Problem of Legitimacy
PSC 726 - National Security Policy
PSC 729 - Advanced Studies in Public Policy
PSC 731 - Civil Rights and Liberties
PSC 732 - Constitutional Law
PSC PSC 733 - Public Law and Public Policy
PSC 735 - Jurisprudence
PSC 739 - Advanced Studies in Public Law
PSC 740 - Proseminar in International Relations
PSC 754 - Global Governance
PSC 755 - International Security
PSC 759 - Advanced Studies in International Relations
PSC 760R - Proseminar in Comparative Politics
PSY 704 - Social Psychology
PSY 736 - Psychopathology
SOC 701 - Logic of Social Inquiry
SOC 704 - Advanced Analytical Techniques
SOC 705 - Qualitative Methods
SOC 719 - Seminar in Deviance and Disorganization
SOC 723 - Classical Sociological Theory
SOC 724 - Issues in Contemporary Sociological Theory
SOC 741 - Graduate Seminar in Social Stratification
SOC 742 - Sociology of Gambling
SOC 748 - Gender, Sex, Society
SOC 773 - Seminar in Drug Use and Abuse
SOC 774 - Seminar in Feminist Theories and Research
SW 701 - Social Welfare Policy I
SW 715 - Human Behavior and the Social Environment I
WMST 700 - Introduction to Women’s Studies
WMST 701 - Feminist Theory
Thesis – Credits: 6
CRJ 797 - Master’s Thesis in Criminal Justice
Degree Requirements
- Complete a minimum of 36 credits at the 600- and 700-level with a minimum GPA of 3.00.
- A maximum of 9 credits of 600-level course work is allowed.
- Students may select up to 6 hours of approved graduate study in other social or behavioral sciences or in graduate programs formally approved by the department. An approved list of outside electives is available at the Criminal Justice website. Students must obtain an approval from Graduate Coordinator to take an outside elective course that is not on the approved list.
- All students are required to write a thesis. The thesis will be written under the direction of a committee of three graduate faculty and chaired by a member of the faculty in Criminal Justice. One member of the thesis committee is a graduate faculty member from outside the Department of Criminal Justice. An additional committee member may be added at the student and department’s discretion. Please see Graduate College policy for committee appointment guidelines.
- Upon completion of the course work and thesis, an oral examination related to the general field and thesis is required of all students. The examination will be administered by the student’s thesis committee and a representative from outside the department chosen by the Graduate College. The oral examination will assess:
- The student’s competency in defending the substantive, theoretical, and methodological topics covered by the thesis.
- His or her general knowledge, including the ability to integrate topics covered by core and elective criminal justice classes and to apply core fundamentals to important issues.
Graduation Requirements
See Plan Graduation Requirements below.
Plan Graduation Requirements
- The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements.
- The student must successfully pass a comprehensive exam.