The faculty in the School of Justice Studies offer a program leading to the M.S. degree in Justice Studies.
Graduate students in the School of Justice Studies and the Department of Anthropology are able to receive a concurrent M.S. degree in Justice Studies and M.A. degree in Anthropology with a concentration in social-cultural anthropology. The principal purpose of the program is to prepare individuals with complementary knowledge and skills for basic and applied research and to provide administrative and educational activities related to justice studies and anthropology. Students must be admitted separately to each program, following the guidelines of the Graduate College, Department of Anthropology, and School of Justice Studies. Additional information on the M.A. degree in Anthropology and the M.S. degree in Justice Studies may be obtained from each academic unit.
Information about the interdisciplinary Ph.D. degree in Justice Studies may be obtained from the graduate coordinator’s office. See “Justice Studies” for information on the Ph.D. degree.
MASTER OF SCIENCE
The faculty in the School of Justice Studies offer a program leading to the M.S. degree in Justice Studies. The study of justice is an interdisciplinary field of scholarship, research, and teaching, embracing those aspects of social and behavioral sciences relevant to an understanding of law, justice, crime, and social deviance. It includes a critical examination of the policies and organizational processes that have evolved for handling attendant problems. The M.S. degree has been designed to prepare students for professional positions in justice-related agencies, for teaching in community colleges, and for further study and research in the justice field.
Admission. In addition to meeting Graduate College requirements, the applicant must submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, a one- or two-page statement outlining the appli-cant’s educational and career goals related to Justice Studies, and three letters of recommendation, preferably from academic referees.
Selection Criteria. In selecting persons of the most promising potential, the admissions committee evaluates past academic performance, scores from the GRE and potential for success as indicated by recommendations and personal statements.
Applications to the program may be made at any time; however, complete files must be submitted to the Graduate College by January 1 for fall admission.
International Applicants. In addition to admission material, international applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Evidence that sufficient funds are available for financing the student’s academic program also must be submitted. See “International Applicants” for more information.
Advisory Committee. Upon admission of the applicant, a temporary advisor is appointed. The temporary advisor is a faculty member who assists students in the selection of courses for the first semester until an advisory committee is formed. By the second semester of study or completion of 12 hours, the student must form an advisory committee consisting of a chair and two other faculty members. The chair and at least one member must be faculty of the School of Justice Studies.
The committee members must be appointed by the dean of the Graduate College upon the recommendation of the director of the School of Justice Studies. The advisory committee works with the student to establish a program of study, to direct the thesis, and to administer the oral examination.
Program of Study. The M.S. degree in Justice Studies has two options: a thesis or an applied project. The thesis option requires the completion of 36 semester hours, of which six are thesis hours. The applied project option requires the completion of 42 semester hours, of which three are JUS 593 Applied Project. Each student’s program is developed in concert with the advisory committee, in accord with the student’s background of preparation and educational and career objectives. The program of study has three major categories: foundation courses, elective courses, and thesis requirements.
Foundation Courses. The required foundation courses provide students with a fundamental understanding of the theories, methods, and analytic techniques associated with the study of justice.
Elective Courses. Offered by the School of Justice Studies and other academic units, elective courses develop a unique research area in justice studies. Students may choose these courses in consultation with their advisory committees. Alternatively, students may choose one of the following areas within justice studies:
Thesis Requirements. To satisfy the research requirement for the Master of Science degree, candidates must present a thesis and defend it in an oral examination.
Applied Project Requirements. Candidates pursuing the applied project option must present their applied project and defend it in an oral examination conducted by the faculty member who supervises the project. The project may be an analytical report based on field experience or a paper dealing with a theoretical issue related to the student’s area of study.
Foreign Language Requirements. None.
Financial Assistance. A limited number of assistantships are available on a competitive basis for well-qualified students at the master’s level. To be eligible for an assistantship, students must be admitted to a graduate degree program with regular admission status. Application should be made directly to the School of Justice Studies.
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
The School of Justice Studies has a strong commitment to ongoing research programs. Graduate students have ample opportunities to participate in these pursuits through paid research assistantships as well as research apprenticeships and independent studies at the graduate level.
Areas of faculty research include the following: administration and management in justice-related agencies; American Indians and justice; analyses of criminal justice reforms; comparative legal systems; corrections; criminological theory; death penalty; deviant behavior; dispute resolution; distributive justice; ethical theory; family violence; female criminality; feminist socio-legal theories; gender, justice, and inequality; grievance processes; justice and the media; juvenile justice; law and society; legal studies; migration and immigration; normative and empirical inquiry of social policy; organizational theory and behavior; police; political deviance; race and ethnic relations; social control and conflict; social policy; victimization; white collar and corporate deviance; women, justice, and policy; workplace inequality; and world systems.
Omnibus Graduate Courses: See omnibus graduate courses that may be offered.
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