Master of Criminal Justice

Complete the following five required courses:

• CRJU 5001: Criminal Justice Systems, Policies, and Practice (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 5002: Criminological Theory (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 5003: Research Methods (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 5004: Statistics for Criminal Justice (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 5005: Law & Society (3 credits)

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Complete six elective courses from the list below:

• CRJU 5220: The American Jury System (3 credits)
• CRJU 5250: Criminal Offenders (3 credits)
• CRJU 5260: Crime & Literature (3 credits)
• CRJU 5270: Case Studies in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CRJU 5301: Crime and the Media (3 credits)
• CRJU 5320: Police Administration (3 credits)
• CRJU 5331: Crime Analysis & GIS (3 credits)
• CRJU 5391: Sex Offenders & Offenses (3 credits)
• CRJU 5410: Victimology (3 credits)
• CRJU 5420: Violence in Society (3 credits)
• CRJU 5430: Drugs, Alcohol & Crime (3 credits)
• CRJU 5510: Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement (3 credits)
• CRJU 5520: Corrections (3 credits)
• CRJU 5530: Community Corrections (3 credits)
• CRJU 5540: Juvenile Justice (3 credits)
• CRJU 5550: Criminal Justice Policy & Planning (3 credits)
• CRJU 5551: Courts, Law & Justice (3 credits)
• CRJU 5552: Criminal Justice Ethics (3 credits)
• CRJU 5553: Women, Crime & Justice (3 credits)
• CRJU 5555: Profiling Criminal Behavior (3 credits)
• CRJU 5571: The Social Organization of Crime (3 credits)
• CRJU 5572: Race, Crime & Justice (3 credits)
• CRJU 5574: White Collar Crime (3 credits)
• CRJU 5575: The Mentally Disordered Offender (3 credits)
• CRJU 5576: Social Science in the Criminal Justice System (3 credits)
• CRJU 6600: Special Topics in Criminal Justice (3 credits)

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Students who have not had one year of criminal justice experience following the awarding of their bachelor's degree are required to complete a three-credit internship. A minimum of 240 hours of supervised work is required to earn 3 hours of credit. Students must have completed 18 credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 prior to enrolling in the internship course.

• CRJU 6910: Internship (3 credits)

Learn more about internships

Capstone Option (3 credits)

With the exception of those pursuing the thesis option, all MCJ students must complete the capstone course during the last semester of their degree program. All core classes must be completed before taking the capstone. The capstone cannot be taken during the summer semester.

• CRJU 5361: Capstone Seminar (3 credits)

Thesis Option (6 credits)

With the exception of those pursuing the capstone option, all MCJ students must complete a thesis. Students must receive the approval of both a faculty advisor and the director of the criminal justice program to complete a thesis for 6 semester hours. Also, students must complete all core courses and at least 30 credit hours before becoming eligible to register for the thesis.

• CRJU 6950: Master's Thesis (6 credits)

Learn about the capstone and thesis options

Demand for crime analysts is rising, particularly with police departments, courts, correctional agencies, research firms, think tanks and private companies. This concentration will prepare you analyze data and other intelligence.

Complete the following five courses:

• CRJU 5003: Research Methods (3 credits)
• CRJU 5004: Statistics for Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CRJU 5015: Intelligence Writing & Briefing (3 credits)
• CRJU 5325: Qualitative Methods for Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CRJU 5331: Crime Analysis & GIS (3 credits)

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This concentration provides advanced education in the management of emergencies, hazards, disasters and community resilience. It is designed for students who work or will work in the field of natural and man-made hazards, community resilience and emergency management.

Complete the following required course:

• CRJU 5720: Public Policies for Hazards & Disasters (3 credits)
  

Complete at least one course from the list below (all three are recommended) for a total of 3 credit hours:

• CRJU 5650: Public Service in Emergency Management & Homeland Security (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 5655: Principles of Emergency Management (3 credits)
• URPL 6645: Planning for Disasters & Climate Change (3 credits)

Complete additional approved elective courses to reach a total of 12 credits for the concentration.

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This concentration is designed for students who wish to work, or currently work, in the field of emergency management and homeland security. The program applies an interdisciplinary approach to education, emphasizing high-level skills of critical thinking, learning, adaptation and policy analysis.

Complete the following required course:

• CRJU 5650: Public Service in Emergency Management & Homeland Security (3 credits)

Complete at least one course from the list below for a minimum total of 3 credit hours:

• CRJU 5655: Principles of Emergency Management (3 credits)
• CRJU 5720: Public Policies of Hazards & Disasters (3 credits)
• URPL 6645: Disaster & Climate Change Planning (3 credits)

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This certificate provides an interdisciplinary perspective on crime, the formulation of laws and codes, and the criminal legal system and its intersection with gender and violence.

Complete the following two courses:

• CRJU 5150: Interpersonal Violence (3 credits)
• CRJU 5930: Interpersonal Violence Law and Policy (3 credits)
  

Complete two courses from the following list of electives:

• CRJU 5920: The Psychology of Interpersonal Violence (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 5940: Interpersonal Violence Leadership, Advocacy, and Social Change (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 5391: Sex Offenders and Offenses (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 5410: Victimology (3 credits)
• CRJU 5420: Violence in Society (3 credits)
  
• CRJU 5553: Gender and Crime (3 credits)
  
• PUAD 5920: The Psychology of Interpersonal Violence (3 credits)
  
• PUAD 5940: Interpersonal Violence Leadership, Advocacy, and Social Change (3 credits)
  
• PUAD 5271: Managing Conflict and Change (3 credits)
  
• PUAD 5320: Public Policy Analysis (3 credits)
  
• PUAD 5420: Law and Public Policy (3 credits)
  
• PUAD 5440: Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (3 credits)

With certificate director approval, a student may substitute one of the following courses in the elective course list:

• SOCY 5780: Violence in Relationships (3 credits)
• COMM 5260: Communication & Conflict (3 credits)
• COUN 5835: Gender & Sexual Orientation (3 credits)
• HDFR 5010: Family & Cultural Diversity (3 credits)
• HBSC 6500: Women & War (3 credits)
• WGST 5780: Violence in Relationships (3 credits)

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Students will become innovative thinkers and skilled professionals in the field of criminology and criminal justice by mastering five main competencies.

Substantive Knowledge

Students will master a broad-based understanding of the nature, causes, and consequences of crime and victimization, and the societal institutions designed to deal with issues of crime and justice. Students will be able to analyze current policies and practices related to the most pressing issues impacting individuals, families and communities affected by crime. Students will master an understanding of how historical, cultural and structural forces influence the causes of crime/victimization and the responses of the criminal justice system.

Research Skills

Students will master methodological and analytic techniques, both quantitative and qualitative, to systematically study problems of crime and justice. Students will be critical consumers of research and also be able to design and conduct basic empirical research studies.

Critical Thinking

Students will master the essential ability to make informed judgments and make significant contributions to solutions to today's most pressing justice related issues through critical consideration of a large and diverse body of knowledge. They will master the ability to gather relevant information and weigh alternative explanations.

Effective Communication

Students will develop their writing for both professional and academic audiences and will understand how to craft effective literature reviews and research summaries. Students will master public speaking skills in order to become comfortable presenting their work in public forums. They also will enhance their skills in working in a team environment with classmates, as well as organizations external to the school to master effective cooperative communications skills essential to success in almost every organization.  Students will enhance their communicate skills with diverse populations, including different: races, classes, genders, sexual orientations, developmental capabilities, and religious perspectives.

Diversity & Cultural Literacy

Students will cultivate a critical appreciation of their own cultural and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others, and seek to evaluate a range of points of view in understanding the causes and consequences of crime and the criminal justice system. Students will demonstrate a mastery of evaluating and appreciating a range of perspectives in both oral and written communication and carry this appreciation into their professional practice within the field of criminal justice.

Learn more about deadlines, forms, and academic policies for graduate programs at CU Denver.