Criminology and Criminal Justice, M.A.
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 (MACCJ) 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:
- Administration of Justice
- Emergency Management
- 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 as 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
Students gain an in-depth understanding of 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 $65
- Transcript(s)
- Two letters of recommendation (one academic, one professional)
- One academic letter of recommendation from a professor who has evaluated your academic performance in the classroom
- One professional letter of recommendation from a supervisor who has evaluated your work in the field or related volunteer experience
- If you have been out of school five or more years, you may submit two professional letters
- If you are entering the program directly from an undergraduate program, you may submit two academic letters
- Résumé
- Professional statement
Requirements for International Students
MACCJ requires a TOEFL of 92 or higher
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 Deadlines
All applicants who apply are reviewed for merit-based scholarships. Applications will continue to be accepted and reviewed for admissions until August 1.
Review Process
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The admissions committee considers several factors to determine a candidate's eligibility:
- Academic achievement
- Strength of the undergraduate program
- Application information
- Professional statement
- Work experience
- Any graduate degrees earned
- Motivation
- Leadership and service
- The undergraduate GPA is weighted with other criteria in the admissions process.
Financial Aid
We recognize that when choosing to continue your education, cost can be a concern. To help ease that decision, we have identified the following financial aid resources.
FAFSA and Other Resources
All incoming students should complete the application for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A step-by-step guide to submitting your FAFSA is available online. Saint Louis University Student Financial Services provides a Graduate Financial Aid Handbook that outlines the process of financing your graduate education.
The following links to resources in Saint Louis University Student Financial Services may also be helpful:
Scholarships
New and continuing students are eligible for merit-based scholarships. Prospective students will be automatically screened for scholarship eligibility. No additional application is required; awards are based on information provided in the admission application.
Please note that the terms of the scholarship are subject to change if the student petitions for a degree transfer or fails to remain in good academic standing.
Fellowships
The Doerr Fellowship for Equity and Inclusion is a full-tuition fellowship funded by the School of Social Work for new and continuing students. A separate application is required with a deadline of March 1 (https:// forms.gle/1gCurwpo2JvaVySMA/). This fellowship requires that recipients serve as members of the School of Social Work's Equity and Inclusion Committee. Recipients will also be expected to actively participate in the diversity, equity and inclusion activities sponsored throughout the year by the Doerr Center.
Newly accepted master's or doctoral students and students in the first year of a program are eligible to apply for a University-wide Diversity, Dissertation or Presidential fellowship. You must first submit the full application minus the nomination letter to the School of Social Work by Jan. 2 to be considered for nomination. Find more details on application components here. Completed applications including all application components minus the nomination letter should be submitted as a PDF to kristi.richter@slu.edu.
Graduate Assistantships
By filling out a graduate assistantship application, you will automatically be considered for a full or partial graduate assistantship with the School of Social Work. Assistantships are appointed for one year. Students must reapply to be considered for a second year and there are no guarantees that recipients will receive subsequent/continuing assistantships.
Full graduate assistantships are University-funded assistantships (UFA) awarded by the School of Social Work. They are assigned and funded for two semesters, a duration of nine months, 20 hours per week, working with designated faculty. Most full assistantships are assigned to help faculty with research (GRA) and a small number may be assigned to assist with administrative work (GA), or faculty teaching (GTA).
The full graduate assistant works with one or two faculty members, depending on faculty needs. Time is divided between both faculty mentors if the student is assigned two. Students who receive a fully-funded UFA in one year may not receive a UFA in subsequent years, although they remain eligible for partial assistantships throughout their pursuit of a graduate degree in the School of Social Work.
Partial graduate assistantships are funded and awarded by the School of Social Work. They are assigned and funded for two semesters, a duration of nine months, 8-16 hours per week, working with assigned faculty. Partial assistantships may be assigned to assist with administrative work (GA), research (GRA), or faculty teaching (GTA). Depending on the hours assigned, tuition benefits will differ; health insurance and stipends are not awarded with partial assistantships.
Other Funding for Current Students
- Graduates will be able to assess relevant criminology and criminal justice literature/scholarly contributions.
- Graduates will be able to apply criminology and criminal justice theories, practices, policies, or research methodologies.
- Graduates will be able to apply knowledge from criminology and criminal justice to address problems in broader contexts.
- Graduates will be able to articulate criminology and criminal justice explanations/arguments to a disciplinary/professional audience in both written and oral formats.
- Graduates will be able to evidence scholarly/professional integrity (ethics) in criminology and criminal justice.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CCJ Core Courses | ||
| CCJ 5000 | Criminological Theory | 3 |
| CCJ 5100 | Ethics in the Administration of Justice | 3 |
| CCJ 5200 | Research Methods | 3 |
| CCJ 5300 | Foundations of Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CCJ 6400 | Issues in Jurisprudence | 3 |
| CCJ Elective Courses | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Criminology and Criminal Justice Internship | ||
| Issues in Policing | ||
| Issues in Juvenile Justice Administration | ||
| Social Work in Corrections | ||
| Intimate Partner Violence | ||
| Concentrations | ||
| Select one of the following concentrations: | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
Administration of Justice Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| SWRK 5785 | Organizational & Program Planning | 3 |
| SWRK 5798 | Introduction to Non-Profit Organization Management | 3 |
| MGT 6300 | Management of Human Resources | 3 |
| POLS 5310 | Issues in U.S. Public Administration | 3 |
| or POLS 5325 | Public Sector Budgeting | |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Emergency Management Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Public Health and Disasters | ||
| Fundamentals of Disaster Planning | ||
| Communicable Diseases and Infection Control | ||
| Public Health Ecology | ||
| Medical and Public Health Intelligence | ||
| Disaster Communications and Media Relations | ||
| Disaster Planning for Infectious Disease Disasters | ||
| Disaster Management and Risk Analysis | ||
| Facing the Challenge of International Bioterrorism | ||
| Emerging Infections: Epidemiology and Public Health Importance | ||
| Preparing for Disasters: Resiliency and Stress Inoculation | ||
| Business Continuity and Pandemic Planning | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Treatment and Rehabilitation Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| SWRK 5734 | Human Behavior & the Social Environment Part II | 3 |
| SWRK 5742 | Evidence Based Practices in Community Mental Health | 3 |
| SWRK 5744 | Substance Use Disorder Interventions | 3 |
| SWRK 5772 | Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Social Work Practice | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Continuation Standards
Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.
| 1 | CCJ Core classes can be taken in any sequence and are offered on a rotating basis given a student's starting semester (Fall or Spring). They are rotated on a 4 semester basis. |
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
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| CCJ Core | 3 | |
| SWRK 5785 | Organizational & Program Planning | 3 |
| POLS 5310 or POLS 5325 |
Issues in U.S. Public Administration or Public Sector Budgeting |
3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| CCJ Core | 3 | |
| CCJ 5200 or SWRK 5787 |
Research Methods or Research for Evidence-Informed Research Practice |
3 |
| CCJ Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| CCJ Core | 3 | |
| SWRK 5798 | Introduction to Non-Profit Organization Management | 3 |
| MGT 6300 | Management of Human Resources | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| CCJ Core | 3 | |
| CCJ Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
Emergency Management Concentration
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| CCJ Core | 3 | |
| BSDP Elective | 3 | |
| BSDP Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| CCJ Core | 3 | |
| CCJ 5200 or SWRK 5787 |
Research Methods or Research for Evidence-Informed Research Practice |
3 |
| CCJ Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| CCJ Core | 3 | |
| BSDP Elective | 3 | |
| CCJ Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| CCJ Core | 3 | |
| BSDP Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
Treatment and Rehabilitation Concentration
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| CCJ Core | 3 | |
| SWRK 5734 | Human Behavior & the Social Environment Part II | 3 |
| SWRK 5742 | Evidence Based Practices in Community Mental Health | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| CCJ Elective | 3 | |
| SWRK 5744 | Substance Use Disorder Interventions | 3 |
| CCJ 5200 or SWRK 5787 |
Research Methods or Research for Evidence-Informed Research Practice |
3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| CCJ Core | 3 | |
| SWRK 5772 | Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Social Work Practice | 3 |
| CCJ Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| CCJ Core | 3 | |
| CCJ Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
CCJ Core Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CCJ Core Courses 1 | 15 | |
| Criminological Theory | ||
| Ethics in the Administration of Justice | ||
| Research Methods | ||
| Foundations of Criminal Justice | ||
| Issues in Jurisprudence | ||
CCJ Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CCJ 5910 | Criminology and Criminal Justice Internship | 3 |
| CCJ 6000 | Issues in Policing | 3 |
| CCJ 6200 | Issues in Juvenile Justice Administration | 3 |
| SWRK 5729 | Social Work in Corrections | 3 |
| SWRK 5771 | Intimate Partner Violence | 3 |
For additional questions please contact:
Social Work School Graduate Admissions
socialwork@slu.edu
314-977-2752
Joseph A. Schafer, PhD, MS
Associate Dean of Research
Director of the Masters Program in Criminology and Criminal Justice
joseph.schafer@slu.edu
314-977-2114