Criminal Justice Master Program Changes

The current CJ MS program has just had a major change approved effective Fall 2013. There are two new developments. First, three new electives have been created and will be scheduled in the coming semesters. These deal with advanced studies in police, corrections and international crime. They will be numbered CJ 515, 520 and 525. Expect the first one in winter of 2014.

The second change is with the thesis requirement. Students will now have the option of either doing a thesis or opting for a new requirement consisting of a 20 page policy-oriented research paper and a comprehensive exam. The paper is a standard research paper that examines any criminal justice policy (approved by your committee chair) and a comprehensive exam  based on your coursework. The exam is a take home format consisting of 4-6 questions done over three days. Students will be advised of the subject matter for the questions.  You will have three opportunities at passing the exam. Grading is pass/fail. If you opt for this new alternative to the thesis, you will enroll in four credits of CJ 590 rather than CJ 599 after the completion of your coursework. The big advantage is time. A traditional thesis takes at the very minimum one full year working very diligently and often two to complete. This new requirement can be done in one semester and is far less complicated. You will still need to have a committee to read the paper and grade the exam.

These two changes take effect in the Fall Semester of 2013.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact:

The Criminal Justice Department
(906) 227-2660