Criminology and Criminal Justice, M.A.

Student Handbook

Communities and organizations in the 21st century require professionals with interdisciplinary skills and preparation to handle many complex challenges. The Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice (M.A. C.C.J.) degree prepares students to meet these challenges by providing them with a core criminological knowledge foundation and the opportunity to gain further skills and enhance their Graduate Education by selecting one of three diverse concentrations:

1) the administration of justice,
2) emergency management, or
3) treatment and rehabilitation.

The MACCJ degree prepares graduates to be advanced practitioners in a variety of community and justice agency/organizational settings. The program is offered in variable formats: most classes are offered on campus in the evening but one concentration, emergency management, is currently offered online only.

Curriculum Overview

This program prepares students to take on leadership roles in a variety of community settings. Part-time and full-time degree options are available.

Students must select one of the following areas to be the concentration of their graduate studies:

Administration of Justice

Students will prepare for leadership roles in justice-serving organizations through coursework designed to increase knowledge about the justice system, techniques and challenges of administration and issues in jurisprudence. Students integrate the knowledge through rigorous coursework with community-based learning opportunities to begin creating solutions to complex social and organizational challenges.

Emergency Management

Justice personnel are often among the first responders to a crisis. Students learn critical thinking, leadership and crisis management skills through seminars and challenging simulations that put their academic knowledge to the test. All courses in this concentration are offered online.

Treatment and Rehabilitation

Gain an in-depth understanding of essential human behavior, issues related to the treatment of high-risk populations and evidence-based practices for improving the health of offenders and the communities in which they reside. A blend of in-class training and community-based practice experiences prepares students to become effective treatment agents.

Careers

Graduates of the administration of justice concentration are prepared for leadership roles in justice-serving organizations.

Graduates of the treatment and rehabilitation concentration are prepared to be effective treatment agents.

Graduates of the emergency management concentration are trained to be leaders in emergency response.

Graduates have accepted professional opportunities with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office, FBI, U.S. Marshals, Secret Service and IRS.

Admission Requirements

Successful applicants possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00. Conditional admission may be considered for students with cumulative GPAs below 3.00.

Application Requirements

• Application form and fee
• Transcript(s)
• Three confidential reference letters (one professional, two academic)
• Résumé or curriculum vita
• Professional statement

Requirements for International Students

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Application and Assistantship Deadlines

Students should apply by August 1 for the fall semester. The priority deadline for funding and graduate assistantship consideration is March 1.

Review Process

The admissions committee considers several factors to determine a candidate's eligibility: academic achievement, strength of the undergraduate program, application information, personal statement, work experience, any graduate degrees earned, motivation, leadership and service. The undergraduate GPA is weighted with other criteria in the admissions process.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

The College for Public Health and Social Justice offers several ways to help finance graduate education.  Opportunities include a limited number of merit-based scholarships and graduate research assistantships.  Awards are made to applicants with the highest combinations of GPAs and test scores who complete their applications by the priority deadlines.

For more information, visit the student financial services office online at http://finaid.slu.edu.

1. Graduates will be able to assess relevant criminology and criminal justice literature/scholarly contributions.
2. Graduates will be able to apply criminology and criminal justice theories, practices, policies, or research methodologies.
3. Graduates will be able to apply knowledge from criminology and criminal justice to address problems in broader contexts.
4. Graduates will be able to articulate criminology and criminal justice explanations/arguments to a disciplinary/professional audience in both written and oral formats.
5. Graduates will be able to evidence scholarly/professional integrity (ethics) in criminology and criminal justice.

Administration of Justice Concentration

Emergency Management Concentration

Treatment and Rehabilitation Concentration

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester.  Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Administration of Justice Concentration

Emergency Management Concentration

Treatment and Rehabilitation Concentration

Apply for Admission

For additional admission questions please contact,
Kristi Richter, MSW, LCSW
Director of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions
School of Social Work
(314) 977-2752