Administration of Justice, Master of Science

Admission

Please refer to “The Graduate Admissions Process” section for general graduate admission information and requirements.

1. Before registering for your first course:
   • Submit a graduate application for admission accompanied by a non-refundable $35 application fee.
2. Register for MAJ 6633 as one of your first semester courses.
3. Prior to completing your 1st course:
   1. Submit an official transcript from an accredited college, university, or other degree-granting institution, verifying completion of a bachelor’s degree. Send official transcript(s) directly to the Wilmington University Graduate Admissions Office from the identified college or university. Transcripts must be official, indicating the college or university seal.
      

Program Purpose

The Master of Science in Administration of Justice is dedicated to the creation of a pool of scholarly practitioners who are poised to pursue careers or enhance their current positions in a variety of criminal justice professions. Graduates are provided the necessary skills to succeed in both the public and private sectors as upper-level management decision-makers. The program provides the theoretical, methodological, and practical knowledge needed to pursue a degree beyond the master’s level. The degree has been developed in close consultation with the professional practitioners in the field and weaves the themes of scholarship, professional experience, ethics, and technology into the courses to meet the goals and objectives of the program.

Program Design

The Master of Science in Administration of Justice is designed to meet the educational needs of emerging managers and scholars who will be challenged by the many complex issues in criminal justice and private sector settings in the future. Emphasis is placed on producing scholarly practitioners who have the theoretical, operational, and practical educational foundation to be successful in their professional fields. The concentrations in Leadership and Administration, Criminal Behavior, and Homeland Security provide the opportunity for specialized studies. There is also a more general approach for those with other interests.

The core of the program is anchored in the identified disciplines of research, theory, and ethics. This core will provide the student with the academic quality and rigor required as a base from which to build, according to individual interests and needs. Elective course offerings provide the students with the flexibility to choose from topics that will best prepare them to meet their own goals and aspirations. Faculty provides individual attention which gives each student the opportunity to design a personal plan of study within the program. Courses have been carefully selected and designed in consultation with professional practitioners to ensure that the most current issues and topics are included in the curriculum. The faculty is carefully recruited from the field to ensure that the class presentations are as current as the events in the profession that day.

Additionally, the program has a built-in flexibility that respects the professional and personal commitments and responsibilities that today’s learners have while pursuing their goal of advanced academic studies. The MAJ program offers classes in semester, block, and weekend modular formats. These formats can be scheduled as face-to-face, hybrid, or Online Learning. The program can be completed using a variety of formats to conveniently fit the busy schedules of our students. This program is designed to be completed in two years of continuous study but may be accelerated by some students. Students will build a personalized schedule in consultation with their individual faculty advisor.

Program Competencies

1. Exercise critical thinking strategies, including reasoning, problem solving, analysis, and evaluation and apply them to defined criminal justice issues.
2. Demonstrate flexible thinking while maintaining a results-oriented outlook.
3. Develop advanced written and verbal communication skills.
4. Incorporate the use of technology and computer-based research in a variety of applications that are necessary for modern criminal justice practitioners.
5. Recognize the relationships between the theoretical and practical approaches to the study of criminal justice that are associated with the explanations of crime and criminal behavior.
6. Foster an environment that encourages students to actively engage in research and critically evaluate, synthesize, and analyze information that is necessary in the decision making process.
7. Design and interpret research in criminal justice.
8. Develop an understanding of the professional, ethical, social, and legal issues that challenge the criminal justice system.
9. Respond to a rigorous, challenging, and comprehensive curriculum that will deliver the learning experiences necessary to prepare participants to succeed as scholarly practitioners in their chosen endeavor.
10. Demonstrate a commitment to self-directedness, self-discipline, and lifelong learning in the field of criminal justice.
11. Recognize how personal choices, attitudes, behaviors, and the ability to work in teams affect self and others in a professional environment.
12. Apply the principles associated with a pluralistic society to increase respect for our multicultural society in the administration of justice.

Program Requirements

The Master of Science in Administration of Justice requires 36 credit hours. All students must satisfactorily complete five core courses. A total of four courses may be chosen from an area of specialized concentration. The remaining three courses are taken as electives from any of the courses offered in the program. Students who do not declare a concentration will take a total of seven courses from any of the offerings in the Master of Science in Administration of Justice program. Students must maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA in order to graduate.

NOTE: A master’s thesis is not required; however, students who plan to continue studies in a doctoral program are encouraged to write a master’s thesis, which is offered as a three-credit elective. Thesis supervision will be arranged through individual application to the Program Chair. Quantitative Applications in Criminal Justice (MAJ 6632) is a prerequisite to Thesis Supervision (MAJ 6900).

Course Requirements

The Master of Science in Administration of Justice is intended to provide students with the academic capital needed for successful careers in teaching and research. The degree also provides a sound foundation for entry into other professional endeavors and/or the opportunity to meet an intellectual interest in this very challenging field of study.

Core Courses

All students must satisfactorily complete the following core courses:

Electives

Students who have not declared a concentration will select seven courses from any of the courses offered in the program to complete their degree.

Criminal Behavior Concentration

This concentration focuses upon the skills and knowledge that are necessary for criminal justice practitioners in the client-oriented professions that include probation, parole, community correction, and the judicial referral of offenders. Students will broaden their understanding of the concepts associated with criminal behavior as they apply to working with a specialized population.

Core Courses

Five courses as listed above

Area Specialization Courses

Electives

Select any three courses offered in the program.

Homeland Security Concentration

 This concentration focuses on gaining an understanding and a working knowledge of major issues in Homeland Security. Students will broaden their base of knowledge through examination of current topics in Homeland Security with an emphasis on modern terrorism, risk assessment and management, as well as the practical legal implications involved.

Core Courses

Five courses as listed above

Area Specialization Courses

Electives

Leadership and Administration Concentration

This concentration focuses primarily upon the identified leadership and administrative skills that are necessary for the successful criminal justice practitioner in today’s challenging environment. Students will broaden their understanding of the management function and the administrative process as it relates to criminal justice organizations.

Core Courses

Five courses as listed above

Area Specialization Courses

Electives

Select any three courses offered in the program.