Fastest Online Criminal Justice Master Degree Courses Full Guide
Having an undergraduate degree is fine but a master’s degree will help you advance in your career more easily and in less time. A master’s degree will make an impact on your resume and will open new employment opportunities for you. The degree can help you get employed on many public service positions in criminal justice focused organizations.
The Federal bureau of intelligence has more than two hundred categories of crime investigations. The investigation of FBI includes, drug and human trafficking, corruption among public servants, organized crime, espionage and many more. The agency prefers candidates who have a master’s degree or at least three years of work experience.
Therefore a masters in criminal justice degree will not only help your job related knowledge but will also open many new door of employment. So if you are interested in pursuing master in criminal justice degree you are at the right place.
This article will give you information about what majors you can do a criminal justice master degree with. Along with this we will discuss 15 Top universities offering online criminal justice master’s degree. We will also rank the universities based on the duration of online master’s degree in criminal justice Fastest Online Criminal Justice Master Degree .
Who needs a criminal justice masters degree? If you have been on the job for several years and find fulfilment working in this profession, your next goals will likely be a leadership or management position, or a specialization in a specific discipline relating to criminal justice, which requires a criminal justice masters degree.
Criminal justice encompasses a broad field. It is not merely about law enforcement, but the judicial system, corrections and probation. With terrorism rearing its ugly head, security issues have become more complex.
Furthermore, while the pay naturally increases with additional experience and education, there is a need among professionals to do better at serving the public in terms of public safety and security.
Why take a master’s degree?
This then is the value of a criminal justice masters degree. You have done time learning the ropes – criminal investigations, the judicial system, corrections and probations – and you now want to go a step higher by setting the policy and direction on how to administer law and order better. Earn a master science criminal justice degree.
The program offered on campus, but with online courses becoming more popular, is an in-depth and advanced study of criminal justice from the management and administrative perspective.
The curriculum includes advanced courses of the various fields of the criminal justice system such as law enforcement, corrections, and juvenile justice, and will also tackle criminological theories and social science research.
Completion of a criminal justice masters degree will give students the skill to analyze issues and decisions made at the administrative level, demonstrate a better understanding of criminological theories, identify features of the modern justice system and become familiar with modern criminal justice research.
Fields of specialization
On the other hand, if you are after specialization, there are other criminal justice degree programs on the master level that you can pursue:
- Criminal Behavior – focuses on examining the relationship between psychology and the criminal justice system, learning skills on crisis intervention, counselling, personality assessment and research methods.
- Homeland Security Administration – concentration on responses and effectiveness to address terrorism threats and natural disasters
- Forensic Science – is an in-depth study of collecting, analyzing and preserving samples in a crime for use as evidence in resolving criminal cases. Chemistry and biology are strong foundations.
- Cyber Crime – concentration on computer security, networks and systems, digital forensics, cybercrime and security.
- Criminal Justice Administration – aims to develop in professionals the ability to analyze, comprehend and resolve the complex problems surrounding the judicial system.
- Global issues in criminal justice – this program was developed on the premise that crime no longer recognizes borders and professionals must be aware of global issues that impact on the criminal justice system.
Criminal justice colleges do not offer the same programs for their master degrees. You will have to research which schools will give you the education you need.
Nevertheless, if you enjoy your work as a criminal justice professional and are looking to do better in the future, your next course is to find the criminal justice masters degree most suited for you.
What Majors Can You Do A Criminal Justice Master’s Degree With?
The requirements of a master’s degree include of completion of several compulsory courses, optional course and thesis or internship. After completing the requirements the students are offered with the degree. Many online graduate colleges require that you must have majored or minored in criminal justice during your undergraduate degree. This provides a strong foundation for your master’s degree.
In the first year the students take classes of core courses which cover the foundations of criminal justice. These courses are called core courses because they pave way for specialization in the criminal justice.
Some of the core courses are:
Criminology
Statistics
Research methodology
Quantitative methods in Criminal justice research
Administration of criminal Justice
Issues of Policing
Victimology
Managing police organizations
These are some of the important majors offered in the master degree in criminal justice.
After completing these online core courses the student than move to the courses of their own choice. The students are provided with several choices and they have the option of choosing the courses which are in their area of interest. For example a person willing to join police forces can choose criminology.
Some of the elective courses for the master’s degree are:
Corrections
Rehabilitation
Forensics
Home land security
Law enforcement
Correctional leadership
Crime prevention
After successfully passing both the elective and core courses the students are required to complete an internship or write a thesis. There is no hard rule for the students of criminal justice degree. The students can choose either of them and upon successful completion the degree shall be awarded to them.
Top 15 Universities Offering Online Courses For Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice
In this section we will discuss the top 15 universities of the United States offering online master’s degree in criminal Justice system.
Florida State University
The Florida University is a public university founded in 1857. The university prepares the students of criminal justice degree for leadership role in law enforcement, juvenile justice and other criminal justice related institutions.
The master’s student’s complete total 36 credit courses of which 15 are compulsory and 21 are elective.
The degree requirements are best for the working professionals as the students can avail the course handouts any time with no class required class meetings. The curriculum includes criminology, research methods, and applied statistics.
The requirement to get enrolled in the university is to have a bachelor’s degree from accredited college or university.
The university requires a GRE score for the admission however the applicants with five years of professional experience in the field can be enrolled without GRE score.
Ranking
The university is ranked on 57th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of best colleges.
University of Central Florida
The university prepares the students for leadership role in law enforcement agencies and other closely related fields at local, state and federal level. The graduates of the University of Central Florida out stand the graduates of other universities. The master’s degree program includes 36 hours credit courses. The university offers 15 elective courses and to choose a thesis or non-thesis track is the choice of student.
The 21 compulsory courses include the courses which would help the graduates during their professional career. Some of the prominent courses are nature of crime, administration of justice, research methods and data analysis in criminal justice.
The student willing to join the University of Florida must have 3.0 GPA in bachelor’s degree.
Applicants submit an application form, current resume, official transcripts, GRE score and two recommendation letters. The residents of Florida enjoy special discount on the tuition fees.
Ranking
The University of Florida scored 166th position in the category of national universities in 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
North Eastern University
The university is located in Boston is a private university. The students choose different courses in the online program of the university. The courses include community and family justice, corrections, global criminal justice, leadership policing and security.
The students complete 27 credits of foundation and operations courses. The north eastern universes online master program is ranked one of the best programs in the United States. The wide range of elective courses offered by the university attracts many students to pursue their degree from the university.
The Applicants submit transcript of under graduate degree, professional resume and two recommendation letters.
The university also requires purpose of identification which help in identifying the educational and professional goals of a student. The applicants of master’s in criminal justice do not require GRE in north eastern university.
Ranking
The North Eastern University was ranked on 40th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Florida international university
The Online program of master’s in criminal justice of the Florida international university includes 36 credit courses. The students who are planning to Purse doctoral are advised by the university to take additional research electives while the student willing to begin their professional career are advised to take an internship.
The students at the university take 15 credits of core courses, 12 credits of elective courses and 9 credits of general electives. Graduate students can also take a teaching practicum to strengthen their teaching skills.
A minimum of 3.0 GPA is required from accredited university or college to get admission in the Florida international university.
The university also requires “B” grade in the research course of under graduate degree. The applicants submit two letters of recommendation along with a writing sample. The students are enrolled in both fall and spring semesters.
Ranking
The Florida international university scored 218th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Boston University
The Boston University started in online criminal justice degree in 2002. The areas in which university has expertise and has made its name are Cybercrime investigation, cyber security and strategic management. The university has emphasized on the emerging trends in the crime and has focused on the programs to make professionals who can coup the emerging trends.
The core courses at the university include criminology, victimology, research methods and white collar crime whereas the elective courses includes courses on cybercrime, digital forensic investigation and IT security policies.
The members of American Jail association are given fee waiver by the Boston University. The fee waiver is also given to student with certain industry certification. The courses are arranged online in such a way that the students do not have to take set classes.
Ranking
The Boston University scored 40th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
San Diego State University
The online master’s program of San Diego state university attracts the students with the aspiration join government public service institutions for job. The online program blends the courses of criminology, criminal justice and sociology.
The program is 33 credits with 15 core courses and 18 elective courses. The core courses include administration of criminal justice, comparative criminal justice and juvenile justice. On the other hand, the optional courses include organized crime, public policy development and social theory. The students either have to complete or thesis or a competitive exam to meet the requirements of the degree.
Prospective students must have a bachelor’s degree with 3.0 GPA. The university requires GRE from all the applicants.
The applicants have to submit a current resume along with two recommendation letters. The incoming students are expected to have grip on criminology theory, statistics, research methods, and criminal justice system.
Ranking
The San Diego state university scored 68th position in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
California State University
California State University in the largest university in the state of Florida in terms of the annual intake of new students that they have. The online master’s degree in criminal justice prepares the students for leading role in criminal justice system.
The 36 credits online course includes 21 credits of core course and 15 credits of elective courses. The curriculum includes courses on Police forces management, crime and public policy, law and social control, and legal issues in criminal justice system.
The prospect students must hold a bachelor’s degree in one of the criminal justice programs from accredited university.
Applicants submit GRE score and writing samples for getting enrolled in the university. The students are also required to submit two recommendation letters and purpose of admission.
Ranking
The California state university scored 31st position in the category of regional universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Mississippi College
A private Baptist college in Clinton is the oldest Baptist College in the United States. The specialized online master’s degree prepares the students for anti-terrorism career particularly in federal agencies like immigration and customs enforcement, the federal emergence management agency, and the transportation and security administration.
The students complete core courses in administration of justice and elective courses on home land security. The degree has flexible schedule which makes it best for the working individuals to purse the degree.
Prospect students must have a bachelor’s degree from accredited school with minimum 30 semester hours on social sciences.
The college requires a GRE score of 146-150 from the applicants. All the applicants are required to submit the official transcript of bachelor’s degree and GRE score.
Ranking
The college scored 293rd position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges..
Michigan State University
The online master’s degree program of the Michigan University began in 1998. The focus of the curriculum is on the security management and international issues. The 30 credits degree includes courses on crime causation, criminal justice research, policy analysis, and criminal justice management.
The university offers specialization of security management and judicial administration with the option for students to decide their own concentration of specialization through electives.
Prospective students provide official transcript proving that they are bachelor degree holders. Michigan state university does not require criminal justice back ground but a strong background will help the students during their courses. All students submit three letters of recommendation and purpose of admission explaining their goals.
Ranking
The university scored 84th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Webster University
The multi-disciplinary degree of criminal justice trains the students for technical, decision making and critical thinking skills. These skills pave way for leadership position in criminal justice system.
The 36 credit program includes 12 credits core courses such as criminal actions, ethics, decision making and theories of crime and justice. The students also complete 24 credits elective courses. The Webster University has one of the most online flexible programs in criminal justice system.
Prospective students must hold a bachelor’s degree with minimum 2.5 GPA for admission.
Ranking
The Webster University scored 17th position in the category of regional universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
University of Oklahoma – Norman
Beside the on campus classes the university has an online master’s degree program for criminal justice. The 33 credits program provides a flexible route to an Advance degree in criminal justice.
The program offers tracks in corrections management, restorative justice, and administration and leadership. The university has an advisor for the students who help the students in choosing the right concentration of elective courses for themselves. The university has 22 credits of core courses. The curriculum includes classes in research methods, theoretical foundations of criminal justice and criminal justice policy development.
The students can take two courses per semester, completing the degree in two years. Prospective students need a bachelor’s degree from accredited university or college. Applicants submit transcript, resume, purpose of admission and latter of recommendations.
Ranking
The university scored 132nd position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges..
Colorado State University Global
The fully online master’s program in criminal justice emphasizes on criminal justice management, collaborative programs and policies and community involvement. Gradates of the university earn awards of completion and skills endorsements.
The master’s program has diverse concentration of elective courses. The courses that are offered during the degree are fraud management, business intelligence and project management. The 36 credits degree program includes 8 core courses including criminology theory, criminal justice policy development, restorative justice and management of criminal justice management organizations.
Prospective students must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. The minimum of 3.0 GPA is required. Candidates with low GPA can apply for admission on provisional bases. All applicants are required to submit professional resume along with purpose of admission in which they explain about their career aspirations.
Ranking
The university is ranked on 166th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Dallas Baptist University
The online master’s degree program of criminal justice in Dallas University emphasizes on law enforcement leadership. The university has diverse range of elective courses enabling the students to choose the courses which are aligned to their career aspirations.
The students at the Dallas Baptist University take 6 credits course on leadership, 18 credits in criminal justice and six elective credits. The courses offered at the university include courses on ethical issues in law enforcement, administration of justice professionals, correctional theory, and white collar crime.
Prospective students must have an undergraduate degree with minor or major in criminal justice or professional experience in criminal justice system. The minimum GPA requirement to get admission in the university is 3.0
Ranking
The university was ranked on 281st position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Arizona State University
The 33 credited online degree program emphasizes on criminology theory, program management, and criminal justice system operations. All these courses pave way for the students to take leadership role in criminal justice institutions.
The 15 credits of core courses include criminal justice program evaluation, applied data analysis in criminal justice and criminology. Students then take 18 credits of elective courses on topics like policing, courts and sentencing, juvenile justice and violent crimes. During the degree the students are required to write research paper on criminal justice practices and policies.
The prospective students are required to have an undergraduate degree with minimum of 3.0 GPA. Applicants submit current resume, letter of recommendation and personal statement. The Arizona state university does not require a GRE score for admission.
Ranking
The university was ranked on 215th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Texas Christian University
The online degree program of the university emphasizes on critical thinking and independent research. During the course work the students are prepared for advanced positions in criminal justice organizations.
The 36 credited degree program uses a cohort model, where the students complete the course work simultaneously. The courses at the university include courses on criminal justice system, advance criminology theory, policing and white collar crime. Graduate students can complete to choose thesis work.
Prospective students must hold a bachelor’s degree from accredited university or college. The university offers provisional admission to the students who do not fulfil the minimum GPA requirement. The minimum requirement for getting enrolled in the university is 3.0
Ranking
The university was ranked on 97th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Universities With Fastest Online Criminal Justice Master Degree
In this section, the universities which have master’s degree program with the shortest duration will be ranked. Moreover the Tuition fees of these universities will also be discussed.
Concordia University
The online master’s degree from the university can be attained in 21 months of time. During the course work the students are taught about criminology and criminal justice system. the graduates from the university have employment opportunities in various fields including forensic criminology, correction supervisor, criminal profiler etc.
The tuition fees for the university is $ 8,550
Ranking
The university was ranked on 34th position in the category of regional universities of west in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
University of North Georgia
The degree from the university can be complete in 18 months of time. The courses of the degree include global crimes, research methodology in criminal justice, and statistics for criminal justice.
The tuition fee for the course is $ 16,164
Ranking
The university earned 17th spot in the category on regional universities of west in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Arizona State University
The online master’s degree in criminal justice at the university can be complete in 18 months. The courses at the university include advance statistical analysis, seminar in criminal justice, seminar in criminology and criminal justice program evaluation.
The tuition fee for the university is $ 11, 066
Ranking
The University of Arizona was ranked on 215th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
National University
The student of online master’s degree in criminal justice can complete the degree from the university in just 18 months. The degree includes courses on ethics, comparative criminal justice system, advanced research methods and security management.
The tuition fee for the university is $10,962
Ranking
Angelo State University
The online degree program can be complete in 18 months. During the course work the students are taught about legal aspects of criminal justice and critical analysis of justice administration.
The tuition fee for the university is $10,764
Ranking
The university was ranked on 87th position in the category of regional universities of west region in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Texas A&M university of commerce
The online master’s degree can be complete in 18 months of time. During the course work the students are taught about issues in criminal law, seminars on policing and criminal justice planning and evaluation
The tuition fee for the university is $10,650
Ranking
The university was ranked on 71st position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
University of Cumberland
The online degree from the university can be earned in 18 months of time. The students take courses on criminology, statistical application in justice administration, human resource management and family violence.
The tuition fees at the university is $5,670
Ranking
The University of Cumberland was ranked on 84th position in the category of regional universities of south region in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Saint Joseph’s university
The degree at the university can be completed in 12- 18 months of time duration. Students can take courses on different subjects including terrorism, threats and strategies.
The tuition fee for the university is $ 15,840
Ranking
The Saint Joseph’s university was ranked on 10th number in the category of reginal universities of the north region in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Missouri State University
The online degree at the university can be complete in time duration of 12- 18 months. Graduates from this university program have earned jobs in federal and state law enforcing agencies.
The tuition fees at the university 9,198.
Ranking
The university scored 139th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Faulkner University
The degree from the Faulkner University can be complete in just 14 months of time. The courses include justice writing, law and justice, administration of justice and policing in America.
The tuition fees for the university is $ 9,960
Ranking
The university was ranked on 96th position in the category of regional universities of south region in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Indiana university of Pennsylvania
The time duration to earn the degree from the university is just one year. The graduates of the university are currently employed at distinguished positions in law enforcement agencies including FBI, CIA and US customs.
The tuition fees for the university is $ 12,690
Ranking
The university was ranked on 294th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Texas Southern University
The students of the Texas University can complete their online master’s degree in just one year of full-time study. Students will take courses like research methods, criminology and issues in terrorism.
The tuition fees for the university is $ 12,892
Ranking
The university was ranked on 296th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Trine University
The online master’s degree at the university can be complete in just 12 months. The employment opportunities include several law enforcing agencies.
The Tuition fee for the university is 11,880
Ranking
The Trine University was ranked on 46th position in the category of regional universities of Midwest region in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Western Kentucky University
The degree at the western Kentucky University can be completed in one year or less. The university allows the students to take any course on their desired time.
The tuition fee for the university is $ 10,860
Ranking
The university was ranked on 298th position in the category of national universities in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
University of North Alabama
The minimum time required to complete the online master’s degree is just one year. Students take courses on forensic investigation, psychological dimensions of criminal justice practices and criminology theory.
The tuition fee for the university is $10,764
Ranking
The University of North Alabama was ranked on 43rd position in the category of regional universities of South region in the 2020 edition of US news best colleges.
Additional Resources:
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References:
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
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