Department of Justice and Society Studies

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Program Overview

The Bethune-Cookman University’s Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration (MSCJA) is a rigorous interdisciplinary degree requiring exceptional critical reflection, reading, and writing skills.  MSCJA offers a choice between a thesis and non-thesis program option.  Students enrolled in the thesis program must complete 24 credits in core courses and 9 credits in an elective course.  Students enrolled in the non-thesis program must complete 21 credits in core courses and 12 credits in electives. 

The instructional delivery method is online teaching consisting of four semesters, each of fifteen-week duration.  This 33 credit hour master’s program will prepare students for careers in a variety of criminal justice settings such as law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional agencies.  All classes are taught using state of the art software technology.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet the admission requirements of Bethune-Cookman University as described in the Admission section of this catalog. 

Program Description

Degree Options: There are two tracks, Non-Thesis (Track I) and Thesis (Track II), for the Masters in Criminal Justice Administration degree program.

Track I is a 33 credit hour degree program with a Capstone Project Paper that addresses problems in practice through data-based problem-solving.  It specializes in the practical application of interdisciplinary theories across research, justice, and leadership to inform administrative practices, and policy development in the criminal justice field. Students in the non-thesis option must pass a written comprehensive examination administered at BCU for completion of the MSCJA degree. Track I has 12 credits in electives that students can choose to support their particular career goal.  It is designed for students interested in management or administrative careers in criminal justice.

Track II is a 33 credit hour degree program with a thesis that is based on a traditional or action research study focused on a real-world, practical problem.  It specializes in research grounded in practical problem-solving.  Students incorporate scholarly research and interdisciplinary theories related to criminal justice administration and apply it to their final thesis.  Track II has 9 credits in electives that students can choose to support their research.  It is designed for students who plan to pursue a Ph.D. or research-oriented career. Students in Track II must successfully defend their thesis at for completion of the MSCJA degree.  This course must be taken at BCU.  

Transfer of Credits: Each 33 credit hour track requires that 24 credit hours, including Thesis Research, to be taken at Bethune-Cookman University.  Only Six credits may be considered for transfer from another institution if approved by the Department Chair and the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

Educational Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Evaluate criminal justice administration professional competencies as they relate to issues involving management of contemporary judicial systems, correctional subsystems, and community activism through research and writing activities.
2. Apply research methods to evidence-based problem solving related to current criminal justice issues and public policies to promote effective innovation and vocational advancement through research and writing activities.
3. Analyze current policies in criminal justice using interdisciplinary scholarship (criminal justice theory, administration, sociology, psychology, and ethics) to elaborate critically, conceptually and practically the impact of those policies on various groups or within specific social contexts through research and writing activities.
4. Apply criminal justice administration professional competencies as they relate to issues involving contemporary judicial systems, correctional subsystems, and community activism to promote effective innovation in the field of criminal justice through writing critiques and responses.
5. Assess and apply communication competencies and social intelligence across diverse groups based on differing understandings of justice (particularly retributive and restorative understandings), various assumptions about leadership, and established criminal justice practices to promote effective innovation in the field of criminal justice through writing assignments and responses.
6. Articulate and synthesize differing understandings of justice (particularly retributive and restorative understandings), various assumptions about leadership, and established criminal justice practices to interrogate those same practices to promote effective innovation in the field of criminal justice through papers, critiques, and discussions.

Graduation Requirements

Graduate students must successfully complete the following assessment requirements to earn the MSCJA:

1. Maintain a 3.0 GPA or better
2. Complete 33 semester hours of graduate work
3. Successfully complete an action Capstone project paper (Track 1) or thesis (Track 2)
4. Present and defend the action Capstone project paper (Track 1) or thesis (Track 2) to a panel of reviewers.

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