The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice and Criminology offers five, 12-credit certificates that are designed to meet the diverse needs of criminal justice professionals:

Expected Academic/Professional/Occupational Results

It is anticipated that the master’s and certificate programs will serve four types of students:

In addition, the program will meet the needs of students preparing for doctoral work in criminal justice or related fields.

The Criminal Justice Graduate Program offers courses in three formats. These are on-campus, off-campus and online. Students may take courses in any of the formats or a combination. Requirements are the same for all course formats.

During the first year of full-time study, students emphasize the five core courses.

1) 44.503 Administration of Criminal Justice

2) 44.521 Criminological Theory

3) 44.580 Quantitative Analysis in Criminal Justice

4) 44.590 Research Methods in Criminal Justice

5) 44.501 Criminal Justice Scholarship

44.570 Managing Criminal Justice Organizations

44.573 Law and Public Policy

The decision to complete a thesis should be made before the completion of 24 credits. Full time students will enroll in thesis during the second year of study. Selected specialty courses will be taken during the second or subsequent year.

With the approval of the academic advisor, students may select up to nine credits of graduate level courses in other programs at the university. Students will be assigned an academic advisor, usually the Graduate Coordinator, when entering the program. Students will be required to maintain a 3.0 cumulative average. If a student should receive a grade of B- or lower, the academic advisor will meet with the student to discuss methods of improving performance. No more than six credits of B- or lower may be counted toward the degree. If a student should receive a second grade of B- or lower, there will be a review by the Graduate Committee for such actions as a warning, probation, or loss of degree candidacy. Such action will be subject to the approval of the Graduate Dean.

All requirements for the degree must be completed within five years of the time the student was first admitted as a matriculated student.

In addition, all students may choose to complete 44.743/746 Master's Thesis (6 credits). If you do not undertake the thesis option, two additional classes must be taken to complete the 6 credit hours. The thesis will be completed under the direction of a mutually acceptable thesis advisor. The thesis proposal must be approved by a thesis committee, composed of the thesis advisor (chair) and two other committee members chosen by the student and approved by the Graduate Coordinator. An approved copy of the proposal will be filed with the Graduate Coordinator. The thesis will represent the student’s ability to formulate, carry out, and present a significant research project. A “defense of thesis” will be conducted before the thesis committee and other interested faculty and students. Thesis forms and guidelines are available.

Five Year BS/MA Program

Juniors and seniors at UML who have a 3.0 GPA or better and have earned a B or better in 44.395 (Statistics in Criminal Justice) are eligible to apply for a B.S./M.A. program that allows them to complete both degrees in five years. As part of that program, two graduate classes may be counted toward both the 120 credit hours required for the B.S. degree and the 33 credit hours required for the M.A degree.

This certificate is designed for students with current or potential careers in the fields of criminal justice, nursing/public health, law and paralegal studies, psychology, and social work who wish to expand their expertise in forensic criminology including mental health applications. Students in this program focus on populations being served by state and federal court systems, state and federal correctional systems, law enforcement agencies, mental health facilities, and juvenile facilities and are able to choose from a variety of courses appropriate for their own specific professional needs.

This graduate certificate provides a focused program for criminal justice managers and administrators. The specialized education will increase the knowledge and skills necessary to administer the delivery of high quality and cost effective services. This program is designed to respond to the changes taking place in the criminal justice field which now require up-to-date management skills.

Domestic violence is one of the major social and public health problems in the Commonwealth. The existing degree programs in Criminal Justice, Community Social Psychology, and the programs in the School of Health and Environment each offer relevant courses which facilitate their graduates working with agencies and clients affected by domestic violence. This certificate provides a focused program for those working in settings where domestic violence is an issue.

Criminal justice agencies are increasingly relying on computer technology for many tasks including administration, allocation of resources, criminal investigation, and research. This change has created a growing demand for criminal justice students with computer/information technology (IT) skills. This certificate program is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to meet the growing technology demands in this field by emphasizing courses in computer applications, information management, and quantitative research. The certificate courses come from a variety of disciplines within the university to provide students with varied experiences. Students who develop the IT skills emphasized in these courses will be very marketable to prospective employers.

This certificate addresses the global and local concern involving security issues.



Graduate Program The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice and Criminology offers five, 12-credit certificates that are designed to meet the diverse needs of criminal justice professionals: Domestic Violence Prevention Leadership & Policy Development Forensic Criminology Security Studies Criminal Justice Informatics OBJECTIVES The program has been designed to accomplish a number of important objectives: To meet the needs of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for criminal justice graduates to fill positions in teaching, research, and management in criminal justice and related agencies. To prepare students for leadership positions in the administration of criminal justice agencies at the local, state, and federal levels as well as in the private sector. To assist students in applying theory and research to real-world problems in criminal justice. To prepare students to conduct quality research on crime measurement, causation, impact, and the effect of state and local policies on crime. To provide students with knowledge about methods of crime control in public and private settings. To provide students with a thorough knowledge of the development of current issues in criminal justice and the relationship of criminal justice to other social and behavioral sciences. To train students in the application of computer technology to decision-making in the criminal justice system. To prepare students to apply skills in research, technology, management and intervention to the unique needs of their communities. Expected Academic/Professional/Occupational Results It is anticipated that the master’s and certificate programs will serve four types of students: Those seeking a terminal master’s degree as a prerequisite for entry into the criminal justice field. Those currently in service in the criminal justice system who seek to broaden their skills and obtain job-related knowledge and expertise. Those currently in the criminal justice system seeking to specialize and/or work in some other area of the system. Those currently in the system or pre-service who wish to obtain the education and expertise necessary to meet the growing need for teaching criminal justice at the community college level. In addition, the program will meet the needs of students preparing for doctoral work in criminal justice or related fields. Degree Program The Criminal Justice Graduate Program offers courses in three formats. These are on-campus, off-campus and online. Students may take courses in any of the formats or a combination. Requirements are the same for all course formats. During the first year of full-time study, students emphasize the five core courses. 1) 44.503 Administration of Criminal Justice 2) 44.521 Criminological Theory 3) 44.580 Quantitative Analysis in Criminal Justice 4) 44.590 Research Methods in Criminal Justice 5) 44.501 Criminal Justice Scholarship or 44.570 Managing Criminal Justice Organizations or 44.573 Law and Public Policy The decision to complete a thesis should be made before the completion of 24 credits. Full time students will enroll in thesis during the second year of study. Selected specialty courses will be taken during the second or subsequent year. With the approval of the academic advisor, students may select up to nine credits of graduate level courses in other programs at the university. Students will be assigned an academic advisor, usually the Graduate Coordinator, when entering the program. Students will be required to maintain a 3.0 cumulative average. If a student should receive a grade of B- or lower, the academic advisor will meet with the student to discuss methods of improving performance. No more than six credits of B- or lower may be counted toward the degree. If a student should receive a second grade of B- or lower, there will be a review by the Graduate Committee for such actions as a warning, probation, or loss of degree candidacy. Such action will be subject to the approval of the Graduate Dean. All requirements for the degree must be completed within five years of the time the student was first admitted as a matriculated student. Master's Thesis In addition, all students may choose to complete 44.743/746 Master's Thesis (6 credits). If you do not undertake the thesis option, two additional classes must be taken to complete the 6 credit hours. The thesis will be completed under the direction of a mutually acceptable thesis advisor. The thesis proposal must be approved by a thesis committee, composed of the thesis advisor (chair) and two other committee members chosen by the student and approved by the Graduate Coordinator. An approved copy of the proposal will be filed with the Graduate Coordinator. The thesis will represent the student’s ability to formulate, carry out, and present a significant research project. A “defense of thesis” will be conducted before the thesis committee and other interested faculty and students. Thesis forms and guidelines are available. Five Year BS/MA Program Juniors and seniors at UML who have a 3.0 GPA or better and have earned a B or better in 44.395 (Statistics in Criminal Justice) are eligible to apply for a B.S./M.A. program that allows them to complete both degrees in five years. As part of that program, two graduate classes may be counted toward both the 120 credit hours required for the B.S. degree and the 33 credit hours required for the M.A degree. top Graduate Certificates Forensic Criminology This certificate is designed for students with current or potential careers in the fields of criminal justice, nursing/public health, law and paralegal studies, psychology, and social work who wish to expand their expertise in forensic criminology including mental health applications. Students in this program focus on populations being served by state and federal court systems, state and federal correctional systems, law enforcement agencies, mental health facilities, and juvenile facilities and are able to choose from a variety of courses appropriate for their own specific professional needs. Course of Study top Leadership & Policy Development This graduate certificate provides a focused program for criminal justice managers and administrators. The specialized education will increase the knowledge and skills necessary to administer the delivery of high quality and cost effective services. This program is designed to respond to the changes taking place in the criminal justice field which now require up-to-date management skills. Course of Study top Domestic Violence Prevention Domestic violence is one of the major social and public health problems in the Commonwealth. The existing degree programs in Criminal Justice, Community Social Psychology, and the programs in the School of Health and Environment each offer relevant courses which facilitate their graduates working with agencies and clients affected by domestic violence. This certificate provides a focused program for those working in settings where domestic violence is an issue. Course of Study top Criminal Justice Informatics Criminal justice agencies are increasingly relying on computer technology for many tasks including administration, allocation of resources, criminal investigation, and research. This change has created a growing demand for criminal justice students with computer/information technology (IT) skills. This certificate program is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to meet the growing technology demands in this field by emphasizing courses in computer applications, information management, and quantitative research. The certificate courses come from a variety of disciplines within the university to provide students with varied experiences. Students who develop the IT skills emphasized in these courses will be very marketable to prospective employers. Course of Study top Security Studies This certificate addresses the global and local concern involving security issues. Course of Study top

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