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MA in Criminal Justice & Criminology

The Master of Arts (MA) degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology provides students with a cutting edge education that will prepare them to assume leadership roles in criminal justice and related agencies as well as to pursue more advanced educational opportunities.

The master's degree requires 30 hours of coursework, consisting of five required and five elective courses. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA.

The five required courses are:

  • CJC 401—Politics and Policy Analysis in the Criminal Justice System
  • CJC 402—Theories of Criminal Behavior
  • CJC 403—Research Methods and Program Evaluation
  • CJC 404—Applied Data Analysis and Interpretation
  • CJC 408 or CJC 501—Culminating Experience (thesis or major research paper)

Students also take five elective courses. CJC Electives are offered each semester in the Department. Students also have the flexibility, in consultation with the Graduate Program Director, to select up to two electives from other Loyola graduate programs (including social work, psychology, women's studies and gender studies, public policy, and sociology).

The program offers students two tracks: a thesis option (CJC 501) and a research paper option (CJC 408). The former is available to students who attain at least an A- in Research Methods and Program Evaluation with approval from the graduate faculty committee. Students in the non-thesis option must complete a research project that assesses competency in integrating knowledge across courses.

The faculty invite you to explore our supportive and stimulating educational environment. The department offers a general MA degree that prepares students to excel in today's evidence-based criminal justice system. A supportive environment accommodates the diversity of our students' lives with evening classes, option of part-time or full-time status, and flexible tailoring of electives. The department is well-connected to local and federal agencies. Graduates have been placed in all areas of the criminal justice system including state and county agencies, and federal agencies such as the FBI, Secret Service, Federal Probation, Homeland Security, Federal Pretrial Services and DEA. Graduates also have been admitted into PhD programs or law schools.

If you have additional questions about our program, you may apply on-line and/or contact Dr. Maribeth Rezey, Graduate Program Director, at mrezey@luc.edu.

The Master of Arts (MA) degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology provides students with a cutting edge education that will prepare them to assume leadership roles in criminal justice and related agencies as well as to pursue more advanced educational opportunities.

The master's degree requires 30 hours of coursework, consisting of five required and five elective courses. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA.

The five required courses are:

  • CJC 401—Politics and Policy Analysis in the Criminal Justice System
  • CJC 402—Theories of Criminal Behavior
  • CJC 403—Research Methods and Program Evaluation
  • CJC 404—Applied Data Analysis and Interpretation
  • CJC 408 or CJC 501—Culminating Experience (thesis or major research paper)

Students also take five elective courses. CJC Electives are offered each semester in the Department. Students also have the flexibility, in consultation with the Graduate Program Director, to select up to two electives from other Loyola graduate programs (including social work, psychology, women's studies and gender studies, public policy, and sociology).

The program offers students two tracks: a thesis option (CJC 501) and a research paper option (CJC 408). The former is available to students who attain at least an A- in Research Methods and Program Evaluation with approval from the graduate faculty committee. Students in the non-thesis option must complete a research project that assesses competency in integrating knowledge across courses.

The faculty invite you to explore our supportive and stimulating educational environment. The department offers a general MA degree that prepares students to excel in today's evidence-based criminal justice system. A supportive environment accommodates the diversity of our students' lives with evening classes, option of part-time or full-time status, and flexible tailoring of electives. The department is well-connected to local and federal agencies. Graduates have been placed in all areas of the criminal justice system including state and county agencies, and federal agencies such as the FBI, Secret Service, Federal Probation, Homeland Security, Federal Pretrial Services and DEA. Graduates also have been admitted into PhD programs or law schools.

If you have additional questions about our program, you may apply on-line and/or contact Dr. Maribeth Rezey, Graduate Program Director, at mrezey@luc.edu.