Criminal Justice & Legal Studies
Graduate Program Coordinator: K. Michael Reynolds, Ph.D.
HPA 311, (407) 823-2603.
E-mail: kreynold@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
The Master of Science in Criminal Justice offers students an in-depth exploration of the complex and changing world of criminal justice. The historical, political, economic, and philosophical forces shaping crime and punishment in the United States are examined. Students also learn valuable qualitative and quantitative research and computer skills.Federal, state, and local criminal justice agencies benefit from an informed and innovative work force that is aware of the many complexities of the criminal justice system. The importance of advanced education in criminal justice beyond the bachelor’s degree is increasingly being recognized by employers in Central Florida and throughout the United States.
The Master of Science in Criminal Justice is designed for a variety of students. Some are recent college graduates interested in pursuing a professional career in criminal justice. Others are employees of criminal justice agencies interested in learning more about their field and advancing their careers. Still, others enter the program as a first step toward a Ph.D. in criminal justice or a related field. Some may be driven simply by a desire to enrich their intellectual lives. Whatever their motivations and backgrounds, graduates of the master’s program will be better prepared to meet the many challenges facing the criminal justice system today.
Two plans of study are available. The first has a professional focus and is designed for students whose career goals include working in criminal or juvenile justice agencies. These students will be encouraged to focus on policy-oriented courses and to compile a professional portfolio of their graduate work. The second plan of study is designed for students who plan to enroll in a Ph.D. program when they complete the master’s program. These students will be encouraged to prepare a thesis and to focus on research-related courses.
Students in both plans of study will be exposed to a wide variety of issues and problems within the discipline. They will study crime trends and theories of criminal behavior. They will analyze the administration of justice within the United States, including critical problems facing law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Qualitative and quantitative research methods, statistics, and computer technologies in the criminal justice field will also be part of each student’s curriculum.
Students will select elective courses based on their program of study. These courses involve analysis of juvenile crime and the juvenile justice system; the relationship of law to social policy; individual and organizational strategies for change; the connection between popular culture, the mass media, crime, and criminal justice; and the future of corrections and law enforcement. A number of special topic courses will be offered as well.
Application Deadlines
| Fall admission | July 15 |
| Spring admission | December 1 |
| Summer admission | April 15 |
Admission
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required of all graduate students. Minimum requirements for regular admission are a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 for the last 60 attempted semester hours of undergraduate study and a total score of 800 or higher on the verbal-quantitative sections of the GRE. Applicants that fail to meet the minimum requirements will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis. Also, applicants will be asked to submit a personal statement reflecting their educational and career goals. Individuals whose native language is other than English are required to have a minimum score of 220 (computer-based test; or equivalent score on the paper-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).Admission to graduate programs is based on minimum State of Florida Board of Regents criteria but may include higher GPA or GRE standards or other factors such as work or internship experience, community service, research interests of prospective student, letters of recommendation, or personal interviews.
Degree Requirements
The M.S. program in Criminal Justice consists of 30 semester hours. Each student completes a core of 4 courses (12 semester hours) and advanced curriculum of 6 courses (18 semester hours) selected in consultation with an adviser.
Minimum Core Requirements—12 Semester Hours
CCJ 5015 The Nature of Crime (3 hours)
CCJ 5456 The Administration of Justice (3 hours)
CCJ 5704 Research Methods in Criminal Justice (3 hours)
CCJ 6706 Quantitative Methods and Computer Utilization in Criminal Justice (3 hours)
Advanced Curriculum—18 Semester Hours
(choose six of the following)
CCJ 5105 Foundations of Law Enforcement
CCJ 5305 Foundations of Corrections
CCJ 6106 Policy Analysis in Criminal Justice
CCJ 6217 Law and Social Control
CCJ 6485 Issues in Justice Policy
CCJ 6505 The Juvenile Justice System
CCJ 6705 Applied Criminal Justice Research
CCJ 6730 Planned Change and Innovation in Criminal Justice
CCJ 6908 Independent Study
CCJ 6934 Criminal Justice, Crime, and Popular Culture
CCJ 6938 Special Topics in Criminal Justice
CCJ 6946 Criminal Justice Practicum
CCJ 6971 Thesis
(A student may not take more than 6 hours total of Independent Study or Practicum.)
Minimum Hours Required for M.S.—30 Semester Hours
Students may transfer up to six hours of related graduate course work toward the Master of Science degree. Only courses where the student earned a grade of “B” or above will be accepted for transfer from an accredited university or college.
Graduate Certificate in Crime Analysis
A unique Graduate Certificate in Crime Analysis has been developed by the Criminal Justice and Legal Studies Department to provide information for data-driven management, investigative support, and general crime analysis. The certificate program is designed to provide essential skills that are critically needed by law enforcement agencies to meet new demands for sophisticated crime analysis and mapping products.The program addresses the needs of traditional criminal justice graduate students, and nontraditional criminal justice practitioners, who are seeking to develop knowledge in crime analysis and mapping. Theoretical aspects of crime pattern analysis are combined with practical applications to understand the development of data-driven crime prevention strategies. Crime pattern recognition and examination are emphasized. The program emphasizes data management abilities that are essential for sophisticated crime analysis. The program is designed to synthesize theory and application to produce a knowledge base necessary to 1) fully utilize available technologies to develop and perform complex crime analysis and mapping, 2) perform advanced spatial anlyses of crime, and 3) understand the essentials of creating customized crime analysis and mapping applications that are agency specific.
The certificate program is affiliated with the Master of Science in Criminal Justice and will be administered by the Department of Criminal Justice. The program follows UCF policies and procedures for graduate certificate programs. Any student with an undergraduate baccalaureate degree or higher from an accredited university may apply.
Certificate Requirements
The Crime Analysis certificate program consists of three courses for a total of nine semester hours. All courses are taught in a computer lab with a hands-on environment.
Required Courses—9 Semester Hours
CCJ 5937 Data Management Systems for Crime Analysis (3 hours)
CCJ 6938 Crime Mapping and Analysis in Criminal Justice (3 hours)
CCJ 6938 Advanced Crime Mapping and Analysis in Criminal Justice (3 hours)
Students need to be aware that entry to a certificate program does not guarantee admission to a graduate program. However, once a student is accepted into a regular graduate program, credits from a certificate program may be applied toward an existing graduate program with the consent of the program. No internship or independent study may be used in a certificate program. A certificate program must be completed within three years of the start of the first course in the certificate program.
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