6.7
DEPARTMENT
OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE (CJ)
Chairperson: Professor Mark M. Lanier, Office: 428 Farrah Hall
Mission
Statement. The mission
of the Department of Criminal Justice is to develop and disseminate knowledge about
crime, criminal justice, deviance, and social organization through research, teaching,
and service to the community. Grounded in the social sciences and governed by the
College of Arts and Sciences of The University of Alabama, the department respects
liberal values, encourages open-mindedness, and pursues in its programs both demographic
and curricular diversity.
Concerning students at the master's level, the department's mission is development
of research skills and the expansion of conceptual and practical knowledge critical
to fulfillment of leadership roles in criminal justice or in the social services.
Master's degree students planning to proceed to PhD programs can expect from the
department thorough training in the theories, methodologies, and empirical findings
that promote understanding of deviance, crime, criminal justice, and social organization.
Admission Requirements
Admission into the master of science program is limited. An applicant
must hold
a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. An undergraduate major
in the social sciences is desirable, but students with superior undergraduate records
in other fields are encouraged to apply.
It is the policy of the criminal justice faculty to admit those students who demonstrate
potential for successfully completing the master's degree program. Primary consideration
is given to the applicant's scholastic record and test scores. Admission decisions
for the master of science program are made in April for the fall
semester and in November for the spring semester. Additional
information is in the
Admission Criteria section of this catalog.
Degree Requirements
The graduate program in Criminal Justice includes a thesis or a
non-thesis option. Under both options, the student has considerable
latitude to design a program to fit particular needs. All entering
students must specify one of the two options during the second
semester of academic work. Both options have core courses, including
criminological theory, research in the criminal justice process, and
applications of statistics in criminal justice.
Up to 6 hours of approved coursework may be transferred from other
universities. Up to 6 hours of approved coursework may be taken in
other departments at The University of Alabama and may be applied to
the degree when it is consistent with the student's degree plan and
approved by the department. The department does not accept 400-level
courses toward degree requirements for the Master of Science in
Criminal Justice.
All requirements for the master's degree must be completed
during the six years (18 fall, spring, and summer semesters)
immediately preceding the date on which the degree is to be awarded.
However, students generally can complete degree requirements in
18-24 months.
Additional information is in the
Degree Requirements section of this catalog
MS in Criminal Justice, Thesis Option. This option requires
a total of 30 credit hours including 9 of core requirements, 6 for
thesis research, and 15 for elective courses. CJ 599 should be taken
after core requirements have been completed.
Students must pass public oral defense of the thesis. Thesis
students must also pass a written and/or oral comprehensive
examination (ordinarily done during the thesis defense).
Thesis Option Degree Requirements Summary
Core Course Requirements Hours
| CJ 581 |
|
Application of
Statistics in Criminal Justice |
|
3 |
| CJ 584 |
|
Seminar in
Criminological Theory |
|
3 |
| CJ 586 |
|
Research in the Criminal
Justice Process |
|
3 |
| CJ 599 |
|
Thesis Research in
Criminal Justice |
|
6 |
| |
|
Comprehensive Exam |
|
0 |
| |
|
Electives |
|
15 |
| |
|
Total Hours |
|
30 |
MS in Criminal Justice,
Nonthesis Option. This option requires a total of 33 credit
hours including 9 of core requirements, and 24 for elective courses.
Nonthesis students must also pass a written and/or oral
comprehensive examination based on the content of the degree program
(ordinarily done after the completion of 18 hours of coursework).
Nonthesis Option Degree
Requirements Summary
Core Course Requirements Hours
| CJ 581 |
|
Application of
Statistics in Criminal Justice |
|
3 |
| CJ 584 |
|
Seminar in
Criminological Theory |
|
3 |
| CJ 586 |
|
Research in the Criminal
Justice Process |
|
3 |
| |
|
Comprehensive Exam |
|
0 |
| |
|
Electives |
|
24 |
| |
|
Total Hours |
|
33 |
For both options, the application
for admission to candidacy for the master's degree should be filed
after 12 semester hours of graduate credit have been earned at The
University of Alabama. It must be approved by the time of
registration for the semester in which requirements for the degree
are to be completed. Each candidate for a master's degree must apply
for graduation through the Office of the Graduate School no later
than the registration period for the semester or the first session
of the summer term in which requirements for the degree are to be
completed. The candidacy form and graduation form both are available
at the “Graduate School Forms” icon on the Graduate School’s
homepage.
Course Descriptions
CJ 503 Organized Crime. Three hours.
Focus on organized crime in the United States and examination of
organized crime groups around the world.
CJ 504 Health and Crime. Three hours.
The health consequences of social deviance and the impact of
criminalization for individual and societal wellbeing. Seminar
discussions cover the criminalization of mental and physical illness
and illnesses arising from criminal behavior and incarceration.
CJ 510 Seminar in Community Corrections. Three hours.
Development, organization, operation, and evaluation of community
corrections systems as intermediate sanctions and alternatives to
incarceration.
CJ 520 Seminar in Current Law Enforcement Problems. Three
hours.
Analysis of selected areas of law enforcement. Emphasis is on
currently developing trends.
CJ 530 Seminar in Criminal Justice Organization and Management.
Three hours.
Application of organizational and administrative principles in law
enforcement, court, and correctional settings. Assessment of trends
and theories.
CJ 540 Seminar in Juvenile Delinquency. Three hours.
The nature and extent of delinquency; competing explanatory models
and theories. Evaluation of control and treatment modalities.
CJ 550 Seminar in the Judicial Process and Social Policy.
Three hours.
Examination of the American legal system from a political science
and socio-legal perspective. Seminar covers the "rights revolution,"
the process of dispute settlement, judicial decision making, public
opinion and the courts, and the United States Supreme Court.
CJ 570 Seminar in Correctional Policy. Three hours.
Examines the historical and contemporary policy trends in
institutional and community corrections.
CJ 581 Application of Statistics in Criminal Justice. Three
hours.
An evaluation of specific statistical methods for quantitative and
nonquantitative analyses, concentrating on proper applications and
interpretations in criminal justice settings.
CJ 584 Seminar in Criminological Theory. Three hours.
Examination of classical, neoclassical, positive, and social-defense
theories of criminality and their interrelation with the broader
problems of crime control. Offered spring semester.
CJ 586 Research in the Criminal Justice Process. Three hours.
Prepares the student to develop and to implement basic research
designs. Offered fall semester.
CJ 590 Special Topics in Criminal Justice. Three hours.
Offers an opportunity for faculty and students to explore in depth
topics of contemporary interest that are not generally covered in
the standard courses. Course content will vary from section to
section.
CJ 591 Practicum in Research and Program Evaluation. Three to
six hours.
Allows students to develop and implement an evaluation of an
innovative or existing program in criminal justice, with faculty
guidance.
CJ 592 Independent Study. Three hours.
Research under faculty supervision in any area of interest to the
student. Content may not relate to thesis or policy and practice
project.
CJ 598 Criminal Justice Policy and Practice. One to six
hours. Pass/fail.
Provides credit for a major written project completed under the
supervision of two faculty members.
Research may be directed by any member of the faculty who accepts
responsibility for supervising the thesis.
CJ 599 Thesis Research in Criminal Justice. One to six hours.
Pass/fail.
Research may be directed by any member of the faculty who accepts
responsibility for supervising the thesis.
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