Criminal Justice, M.A.
About the Program
The M.A. program in Criminal Justice is designed to serve as a first stage of training for students wishing to eventually pursue more advanced graduate work. It also prepares students who will terminate their studies at the master's level. For the latter group, including many engaged in part-time study, the M.A. program is designed to serve students who, upon graduation, will begin or rejoin professional careers in management, administration, or specialist positions in governmental and private criminal and juvenile justice and related agencies. The M.A. degree requires the completion of 30 credits. The curriculum is structured around a set of core requirements that provides substantive grounding in decision-making and operational aspects of the criminal justice system, and a theoretical, legal, policy, and methodological foundation for understanding crime and society.
Time Limit for Degree Completion: 3 years
Campus Location: Main
Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Those engaged in part-time study take 8 or fewer credits per term. Students should note that classes are scheduled both during the day and evening as scheduling demands. Students are expected to be available for classes when they are scheduled.
Interdisciplinary Study: The program encourages interdisciplinary coursework, research, and interactions among faculty and students with interests in a wide range of fields. Many of the students entering the Criminal Justice M.A. program have backgrounds in Counseling, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, and Urban Studies.
Ranking: Criminal Justice programs are not formally ranked, although the Journal of Criminal Justice Education has produced occasional articles on program productivity. Temple University's Criminal Justice program is classed among a number of schools that are acknowledged to have extremely strong faculty, but have not yet produced a large number of doctoral degrees.
Areas of Specialization: Faculty members specialize and offer substantial coursework in a wide array of areas, including:
- Corrections and community corrections
- Court processes
- Crime and the physical/social environment
- Criminal justice policymaking and strategic management
- Criminal law
- Criminological theory
- Discretion in criminal justice
- Issues in policing
- Juvenile justice
- Organized crime
- Qualitative/quantitative research methods
- Restorative justice
- Socialization and deviant behavior
- Statistical analysis
- White collar crime
Job Prospects: The M.A. program is primarily dedicated to producing well-trained criminologists, researchers, and criminal justice practitioners. The job market for an individual with a master's degree in the field is extremely good. Some graduate students advance their career while completing coursework, while others are hired at the completion of their degree. Graduates of the M.A. program have obtained positions in the criminal justice system, including criminal or juvenile courts, institutional and community-based agencies, and state and federal police agencies. Careers are also possible in government, planning, public administration, research, teaching, or community activism.
Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Non-matriculated students are eligible to take some of the graduate courses offered in Criminal Justice. If accepted into the program, up to 9 credits may be applied toward the degree program.
Financing Opportunities: Students in the M.A. program cannot be awarded Teaching Assistantships. Occasionally, however, funded research opportunities become available for which M.A. students are eligible.
Admission Requirements and Deadlines
Application Deadline:
Fall: March 1
Spring: November 1
Late applications may be considered for admission.
APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program to begin the application process and receive your TUid number.
Next, visit http://cla.temple.edu/interfolio/criminal-justice-ma to create or log in to your Interfolio account. Complete the supplemental program application and upload scanned copies of all supporting documents to your account, with these exceptions:
- Scores for the GRE and TOEFL, if applicable, must be reported directly by ETS to institution code 2906.
- Official electronic transcripts must be sent to cjgrad@temple.edu or the originals mailed to:
Marilyn Johnson, Graduate Coordinator
Temple University College of Liberal Arts
Dept. of Criminal Justice
1115 W. Polett Walk, 512 Gladfelter Hall (025-02)
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6089
Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 3
From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty members familiar with the demands of a graduate program.
Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree in Criminology/Criminal Justice, Geography, History, Law, Political Science, Social Work, Sociology, or a related field is required.
Statement of Goals: In approximately 500 to 1,000 words, discuss your specific interest in Temple's program, your research goals, your future career goals, and your academic and research achievements.
Standardized Test Scores:
GRE: Required. The average scores for accepted M.A. students are in the 60-70% range on the verbal and quantitative sections.
TOEFL: 79 iBT or 550 PBT minimum
Resume: Current resume required.
Writing Sample: The writing sample should demonstrate your ability to research and write a scholarly paper. The paper should not be too lengthy (up to 10 pages is preferable) and should be fully referenced according to a professional, scholarly style manual. Although it need not be related directly to Criminal Justice, it should reflect your ability to prepare a social science paper.
Transfer Credit: Students with graduate course credits from other accredited institutions should petition the Graduate Chair to determine the acceptance and transferability of coursework. Grades must be of "B" quality or better. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 6.
Program Requirements
General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 30
Required Courses:
Thesis Track
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Core Courses | ||
CJ 8101 | Decision Making in Criminal Justice | 3 |
CJ 8102 | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | 3 |
CJ 8106 | Theories of Crime and Deviance | 3 |
Electives 1 | 15 | |
Non-Didactic Courses | ||
CJ 9996 | Thesis Research | 6 |
Total Credit Hours | 30 |
1 | Students must earn 6 credits in Criminal Justice electives. For the remaining 9 elective credits, additional coursework can be taken in Criminal Justice or outside the department. |
Non-Thesis Track
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Core Courses | ||
CJ 8101 | Decision Making in Criminal Justice | 3 |
CJ 8102 | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | 3 |
CJ 8106 | Theories of Crime and Deviance | 3 |
Electives 1 | 21 | |
Total Credit Hours | 30 |
1 | Students must earn 9 credits in Criminal Justice electives. For the remaining 12 elective credits, additional coursework can be taken in Criminal Justice or outside the department. |
Culminating Events:
Thesis:
For the Thesis Track, the thesis must be based on an original research project.
Note that the Non-Thesis Track has no culminating event.
Courses
CJ 5001. Evidence-Based Policing. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 5011. Influencing Decision-Makers. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 5012. Crime Science Tools and Techniques. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 5021. Ethical Governance. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 5022. Developmental Leadership. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 5023. Seminar in Executive Management. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8001. The American Criminal Justice System. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8101. Decision Making in Criminal Justice. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8102. Research Methods in Criminal Justice. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8104. Law and Social Order. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8105. Statistical Issues and Analysis of Criminal Justice Data. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8106. Theories of Crime and Deviance. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8201. Court Processes and Administration. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8202. Corrections. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8203. Issues in Law Enforcement. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8204. Policy and Practice in Juvenile Justice. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8205. Aggression and Violence. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8221. Qualitative Approaches to Research. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8222. Simulation Modeling. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8223. Risk, Prediction and Classification. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8224. Drugs, Crime and Justice. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8225. Rehabilitation, Reentry and Recidivism. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8226. Transnational and Global Crime. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8227. Contemporary Issues in Youth Crime: Gangs. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8228. Race, Crime, and Justice. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8231. Environmental Justice. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8232. Crime Mapping. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8233. Communities and Crime. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8234. Criminal Victimization and Criminal Justice. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8235. Criminal Justice Organization: Structure, Process and Change. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8236. Organized Crime. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8237. Program Planning and Evaluation in Criminal Justice. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8302. Advanced Methods and Issues in Criminal Justice Research. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8305. Advanced Statistical Issues in Criminal Justice Data. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
CJ 8310. Special Topics Seminar. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
CJ 8320. Seminar in Criminal Justice Policy. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
CJ 8330. Seminar - Advanced Research Topics. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
CJ 9082. Independent Study. 1 to 3 Credit Hour.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
CJ 9083. Directed Readings. 1 to 9 Credit Hour.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
CJ 9982. Research Seminar in Criminal Justice. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
CJ 9991. Directed Research. 1 to 9 Credit Hour.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
CJ 9994. Preliminary Examination Preparation. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
CJ 9996. Thesis Research. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
CJ 9998. Pre-Dissertation Research. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
CJ 9999. Doctoral Dissertation Research. 1 to 6 Credit Hour.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Dissertation Writing Student.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
Contacts
Program Web Address:
https://www.cla.temple.edu/criminal-justice/graduate/
Department Information:
Dept. of Criminal Justice
512 Gladfelter Hall
1115 W. Polett Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6089
215-204-7918
Submission Address for Application Materials:
http://cla.temple.edu/interfolio/criminal-justice-ma
Submission Address for Official Electronic Transcripts:
Submission Address for Official Paper Transcripts:
Marilyn Johnson, Graduate Coordinator
Temple University Dept. of Criminal Justice
1115 W. Polett Walk, 512 Gladfelter Hall (025-02)
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6089