MA in Criminal Justice
The Master of Arts in criminal justice (MACJ) at Wichita State University is housed in the School of Criminal Justice. It is one of the nation’s oldest criminal justice graduate degree programs. Intended to advance learning beyond the more general undergraduate educational curriculum, the MACJ expands the knowledge base of both graduating seniors and the administrative capacity of working professionals to optimally perform in their chosen careers in criminal justice.
Admission
In addition to the Graduate School admission requirements, applicants must submit:
- Contact information for two people acquainted with the applicant’s background and potential to serve as references; and
- A brief autobiographical statement describing particular interests, experiences and goals related to academic and professional work in criminal justice.
Applicants are evaluated with respect to:
- Undergraduate grade point average (a minimum GPA of 3.000 overall is required for consideration of admission to degree status);
- Amount, type and scope of undergraduate preparation; and
- Reference letters.
Final recommendation on a candidate’s admission to the MACJ program is made to the Graduate School by the graduate coordinator of the criminal justice program.
Effective fall semester 2015, the Master of Arts in criminal justice may be completed as an option entirely online. For more information visit the criminal justice program's website1.
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Program Requirements
Students pursuing the MA degree in criminal justice may follow either a thesis or nonthesis option. Both program options require a minimum of 36 credit hours.
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum 1 | ||
| CJ 802 | Quantitative Methods for Public Sector Professionals | 3 |
| CJ 893 | Seminar on the Application of Criminological Theory | 3 |
| CJ 894 | Proseminar in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 897 | Advanced Research Methods | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Crime and Transportation | ||
| Violent Crime | ||
| Sex Crimes | ||
| Profiling | ||
| Homicide Investigation | ||
| Criminal Justice and Crime in Film | ||
| Forensic Social Work | ||
| Domestic Violence | ||
| Racial Profiling | ||
| Workshop | ||
| Advanced Special Topics in Criminal Justice | ||
| Women, Crime and Criminal Justice | ||
| Gun Crime in America: Ballistics, NIBIN and Criminal Investigations | ||
| Correctional Administration | ||
| Crime Analysis | ||
| Crime Mapping and ArcGIS | ||
| Combating Human Trafficking | ||
| Serial Killers | ||
| Forensic Photography | ||
| Crime Scene Reconstruction | ||
| Criminal Mind and Behavior | ||
| 3D Scanning: From Crime Scene to Court Room | ||
| Basic Bloodstain Pattern Analysis | ||
| Forensic Victimology | ||
| Aspects of Interview and Interrogation Techniques | ||
| Victims and Victim Services | ||
| Gangs: Trafficking in Violence | ||
| Terrorism | ||
| The Psychology of Homicide | ||
| Cold Case Investigations-BTK C | ||
| Crime Causation and Criminal Justice Policy | ||
| Forensic Anthropology | ||
| Digital Investigations | ||
| Forensic Psychiatry | ||
| Juvenile Justice and Social Policy | ||
| Community Policing | ||
| Cooperative Education | ||
| Advanced Special Topics in Criminal Justice | ||
| Advanced Special Topic in Criminal Justice | ||
| Criminal Typologies | ||
| Seminar on Juvenile Justice | ||
| Police Administration | ||
| Advanced Criminal Law | ||
| Qualitative Methods | ||
| Internship | ||
| Individual Directed Study in Criminal Justice | ||
| Seminar in Corrections | ||
| Applied Research Paper | ||
| Nonthesis/Thesis Option | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 24 | |
| Nonthesis Option | ||
Select 24 credit hours of electives. | ||
| Thesis Option | ||
Select 18 credit hours of electives, including 6 credit hours of Thesis. | ||
| Qualitative Methods (recommended) | ||
| Thesis | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
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All degree candidates are required to complete the core curriculum with a grade of B- or better in each course. All core courses should be completed in the first two semesters of study.
Examinations
Students selecting the thesis option must pass an oral defense of the thesis.
Applied Learning
Students in the MA in criminal justice program are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from this program. The requirement can be met by successfully completing CJ 897 Advanced Research Methods. Students are required to complete several modules that incorporate an experiential/learning module exercise.