Master of Science (M.S.) in Criminal Justice

The Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice offers the Master of Science (M.S.) in Criminal Justice degree. Students in the M.S. CJ program blends the expertise and experience of highly-trained faculty with hands-on field experience to provide students with excellent preparation to be competitive as Criminal Justice professionals.

Announcing the Online Master of Science in Criminal Justice program - New for Fall 2011!

Beginning Fall 2011, the MS CJ program will offer two tracks to meet the needs of students and professionals: (1) face-to-face delivery or (2) fully online delivery.

The M.S. in Criminal Justice program

The Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice is focused on integrating criminal justice theory with criminal justice practice.  Students in this program will:

  • develop an understanding of major criminological theories, their strengths and weaknesses, their role in explaining crime and delinquency, and their role in informing public policy.
  •  develop a familiarity with the structure and function of systems of criminal justice in the United States and in other countries.
  • develop the use and application of scientific research methods to the study of crime as well as to solving crimes.
  • Integrate criminal justice theory and research findings with criminal justice practice and,
  • develop an understanding of the development of contemporary criminal justice issue in modern societies and how such issues may be informed by systematic research and analysis.

This degree has a thesis and non-thesis option.

The Graduate School is currently in the process of updating the admission application to include the Online MS Criminal Justice option. If you are applying for the online track, please select the MS in Criminal Justice option on the application. After submitting your application, please contact our office to let us know that you plan to pursue the online track - mhgiddin@valdosta.edu

Criminal Justice Program