M.A. in Criminal Justice
The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (MACJ) Program at ºÚÁÏÉç provides a quality graduate program that promotes advanced inquiry and application of new knowledge to foster advanced-level career opportunities.
The program aims to serve criminal justice educational and research needs in the southern New Jersey area. The program faculty participates in research and services that will benefit criminal justice and social service agencies locally, statewide, and nationally.
The faculty's involvement in research and community affairs enhances the classroom
experience, as faculty members are able to engage students in discussions of current
dilemmas and controversies in the field of criminal justice. The program provides
students with the education needed to advance in the practitioner realm of criminal
justice, and it also prepares those who want to continue with their education by giving
them the research and analytic skills needed to pursue those goals.
Actively employed criminal justice & law enforcement professionals receive 20% tuition discount.
About the Program
The M.A. in Criminal Justice program emphasizes dialogue, critical thinking, policy evaluation, and clear and effective written and oral communication of ideas. Specifically, students in the program will:
- Gain knowledge, insight, and sensitivity to occupy professional positions in public and private criminal justice agencies or prepare for continuation of graduate work in Criminal Justice or related field.
- Apply criminal justice theories, concepts, or principles to criminological problems.
- Use relevant data, information sources, and applied principles of data analysis to enhance understanding of the criminal justice system.
- Gain greater understanding of all branches of the criminal justice system and issues confronting these branches.
- Learn theoretical and practical issues related to the administration and management of criminal justice organizations.
- Appreciate political and ethical dilemmas confronting the process of designing or evaluating effective criminal justice policy.
- Learn how the scholarly community contributes to understandings of current issues facing the criminal justice system.
Richard Barber
Chief
Galloway Township Police Department
Marquis Barron
Senior Parole Officer
New Jersey Parole Board
Howard H. Berchtold, Jr.
Trial Court Administrator (Ret.)
Superior Court of New Jersey
Atlantic and Cape May Counties
Gregory K. Ciambrone
Chief of Police
Township of Hamilton Police Department
Mikalah Daniels '12 (B.A. in Criminal Justice)
Detective
New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice
Christine Egizi
Doctoral Candidate, Brym Mawr College
ºÚÁÏÉç Adjunct
Christopher DeSantis '09 (M.A. in Criminal Justice)
Assistant Chief Probation Officer
New Jersey Judiciary
Gregory Jackson
Deputy Director
Cape May County Police Academy
Iyana James
Director of Justice Involved Services
Jewish Family Service
Eric Johnson
Supervisory Federal Air Marshal
Federal Air Marshals
Michael Kane
Vice President of Security
Caesars
Amanda Leese, '08 (M.A. in Criminal Justice)
Senior Vice President
Volunteers of America Delaware Valley
Mitchell A. Little '86 (B.A. in Criminal Justice)
Chief of Police
Toms River Police Departmet
Steven Naum
Supervisory Agent
Federal Bureau of Invstigation
Claudia Ratzlaff
CEO
Avanzar
James Sarkos
Chief
Atlantic City Police Department
Stacy Schlachter
Captain
Pleasantville Police Department
Bradford N. Slutsky, ‘01 (B.A. in Criminal Justice)
Director, CPB Watch
Customs and Border Protection
Frederick Spano
Chief of Police
Egg Harbor Township Police Department
Tracy Stuart
Lieutenant
ºÚÁÏÉç Police Department
Dean Wyks, J.D.
Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice
Atlantic Cape Community College
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences MACJ Faculty
Visit the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences for a complete listing of program faculty.
Curriculum
The M.A. program in Criminal Justice is a 36 credit program that includes a combination of core courses and electives. The program is designed to offer students a broad and multidisciplinary perspective on the criminal justice system. The work of criminal justice practitioners is complex and requires knowledge of how and why people engage in crime as well as an understanding of the issues faced by practitioners in the criminal justice system.
Students may choose from three academic tracks: Forensic Psychology, Homeland Security, and Justice Studies. Our program offers students the option to do an internship to gain first-hand experience working in criminal justice. The program welcomes both full-time and part-time students. Most of our courses are offered during the evening, so students with full-time jobs may complete the program.
Mandatory core courses- 24 credits
Students in all tracks will complete all eight of the following core courses:
CRIM 5206 Criminological Theory
CRIM 5214 Corrections
CRIM 5222 Victimology
CRIM 5250 Law Enforcement and Policing
CRIM 5315 Crime Data and Analysis
CRIM 5316 Graduate Research and Evaluation in Criminal Justice
CRIM 5410 Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Capstone
CRIM 5420 Judicial Process
The remaining four courses (12 credits) are tailored to each student's chosen track,
and typically require two additional required track courses, an elective from the
specified track, and one additional open elective.
View the MACJ Curriculum Worksheet. For course descriptions, please visit .
ºÚÁÏÉç offers a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice Program (MACJ) degree with a track in Forensic Psychology. The forensic psychology track examines the coevolution of the criminal justice system and the field of psychology. Students will explore how theory and research in the field of psychology has helped to shape our understanding of criminals and victims, definitions of crime, policing, courtroom procedures, corrections, and criminal laws, among others. The track emphasizes the importance of using research to understand how psychology can be best utilized by the criminal justice system.
There are numerous employment opportunities for those who wish to use psychology in the criminal justice system. Alumni who have taken the Forensic Psychology Track found employment in the following fields:
- Probation/Parole
- Medicolegal Investigator
- Detective in the Prosecutor's Office
- Correctional Case Manager
- Victim's Assistance Advocate
- Drug Treatment Caseworker
- Child Protective Services Specialist
Forensic Psychology Curriculum- 12 credits
In addition to the eight mandatory core courses (24 credits), students in the Forensic Psychology Track will complete two required courses, a track elective, and one additional MACJ elective from any track.
| Required Courses- 6 credits |
|
CRIM 5208 Forensic and Legal Psychology |
|
Track Elective Course- 3 credits |
|
CRIM 5225 Criminal Psychology |
| Elective Course- 3 credits Choose any other MACJ elective course from any of the four tracks or one of the following: |
| CRIM 5800 Independent Study CRIM 5890 Advanced Independent Research and Publication CRIM 5990 Graduate Internship |
ºÚÁÏÉç offers a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (MACJ) degree with a track in Homeland Security. The curriculum for the Homeland Security Track involves an all-hazards perspective, meaning that the program involves discussion about issues regarding the prevention of and reaction to natural and human-made disasters, including terrorist attacks. The legal, moral and ethical issues pertaining to homeland security will be an important component of the curriculum, as will studies of agency participation and cooperation in planning for and responding to crisis.
Students will graduate with a holistic perspective on challenges encountered in the fields of emergency management and counter-terrorism. Utilizing an interdisciplinary curriculum enables students to gain crucial knowledge and critical thinking skills that are essential in this fast growing and complex field.
There are numerous employment opportunities for those who pursue a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice with a track in Homeland Security:
- Emergency Manager and/or Program Specialist
- Transportation Security Screener
- Analyst in Intelligence, Emergency Management, Counter-Terrorism, Cybersecurity, Risk, or Immigration Policy
- Security Policy Advocate
- U.S. Customs and Border Agent
- Law Enforcement / Police Officer
- Private Sector Security Agent
- Law Enforcement Specialist / Instructor
- Import Specialist
- Asylum Officer
- Federal Bureau of Investigation Agent
- Immigration Officer
- Non-governmental (NGO) Program Specialist
- Immigration Enforcement Agent
- Refugee Resettlement Specialist
- Criminal Investigator
- Protective Security Agent
- Civic Planner
- Emergency Mitigation Specialist
- Fraud Investigator
- Immigration Attorney
- National Security Agency Agent
- Forensic Accountant
- Secret Service Agent
- Insurance Specialist
Homeland Security Curriculum- 12 credits
In addition to the eight mandatory core courses (24 credits), students in the Homeland Security Track will complete two required courses, a track elective, and one additional MACJ elective from any track.
| Required Courses- 6 credits | |
|
CRIM 5540 Homeland Security Policy and |
|
|
Track Elective Course- 3 credits |
|
|
CRIM 5306 Geographic Analysis and Profiling |
|
|
Elective Course- 3 credits |
|
|
CRIM 5800 Independent Study |
ºÚÁÏÉç offers a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (MACJ) degree with a track in Justice Studies. The Justice Studies Track allows students to study the field of criminal justice from a broad perspective.
Justice Studies Curriculum- 12 credits
In addition to the eight mandatory core courses, students in the Justice Studies Track will complete four additional MACJ courses of their choosing and may mix and match electives from any of the MACJ tracks. They may also choose an elective course offered by other ºÚÁÏÉç graduate programs with the MACJ Program Chair's permission.
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Elective Courses- 12 credits |
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|
CRIM 5208 Forensic and Legal Psychology |
Certificates
Two graduate Certificates in Criminal Justice are offered at ºÚÁÏÉç through the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (MACJ) Program: Forensic Psychology and Homeland Security. These certificate programs were designed to serve the educational needs for criminal justice professionals looking to advance into leadership roles, mental health professionals working with victims or perpetrators of crime, law enforcement officials working with individuals with criminal backgrounds, and homeland security professionals. Each certificate is based on 15 graduate credits that includes a combination of mandatory courses and electives.
The certificate programs are ideal for individuals who want to further their education beyond their current degree but are not necessarily interested in the full master's degree. However, students who show great academic promise in the certificate program have the option to seamlessly transition into the full MA program if the students decide to continue their education. Students who decide to continue on to the MA degree will be able to apply all of their certificate credits to the MA.
Students who have completed four of the certificate courses, all with a B or better on the first attempt, and have a GPA of at least 3.5 in the certificate program may apply for direct entry to MACJ. Students who meet these criteria and receive conditional admission to MACJ through Direct Entry will need to earn a grade of B or better in the final certificate course or face having the conditional admission rescinded. Students not meeting these criteria may apply for MACJ through the traditional entry admission process.
The Forensic Psychology Certificate Program will allow professionals engaged in law enforcement and mental health to interact with one another, thus enhancing their understanding of the issues and complexities involved in both the investigation and rehabilitation process of individuals who commit crimes.
Forensic Psychology Certificate- 15 credits
|
Mandatory Courses- 6 credits |
| CRIM 5208 Forensic and Legal Psychology CRIM 5210 Forensic Psychopathology |
|
Mandatory Course- 3 credits |
|
CRIM 5214 Corrections |
| Elective Courses- 6 credits Choose two of the following: |
|
CRIM 5225 Criminal Psychology |
The Homeland Security Certificate Program will allow those with a current degree to become familiar with issues such as disaster preparedness, security, terrorism, and crime analysis.
Homeland Security Certificate- 15 credits
| Mandatory Courses- 6 credits |
|
CRIM 5540 Homeland Security Policy |
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Mandatory Course- 3 credits |
|
CRIM 5250 Law Enforcement and Policing |
| Elective Courses- 6 credits |