Program Overview

Program Overview

The Criminal Justice and Criminology MS / Public Administration MPA program is a collaborative effort that provides students with theoretical and practical exposure to evolving professional practice in the field of criminal justice. This program enables students to acquire a deep understanding of criminal justice systems, fiscal control, quantitative analysis, organization management, decision analysis, and a working understanding of government institutions and legal procedures.

Program Requirements

The total credits for the coordinated criminal justice master's and MPA program would typically be completed in both programs at the same time, rather than one program after the other. Students will take 30 credits for the MS in Criminal Justice & Criminology and a minimum of 39 credits for the MPA. Degrees will be awarded simultaneously.

Track A

Students with significant public or nonprofit sector work experience may, at the discretion of the MPA director, have the Public Service Administrative Internship course (Pub Adm 921) waived. Students seeking placement in this track will need to meet with the MPA director to discuss this possibility and will be required to provide documentation of current public or nonprofit sector work experience.

Track B

Students with no significant public or nonprofit sector work experience are required to enroll in and successfully complete the Public Service Administrative Internship course (Pub Adm 921). As part of the requirements for this course, Track B students are required to obtain, with the assistance of the MPA director, one or more internships in either the public or nonprofit sector while enrolled in the MPA program.

Time Limit

Students in the coordinated MS/MPA degree program must complete all degree requirements within seven years of the first enrollment semester as a degree student.

Master of Science in Criminal Justice & Criminology

• Required Courses:
  • CRM JST 773: Criminological Perspectives (3 credits)
  • CRM JST 743: Proseminar: Administration of Criminal Justice Systems (3 credits)
  • CRM JST 756: Proseminar: Analysis of Criminal Justice Research (3 credits)
  • CRM JST 713: Measuring Crime and Analyzing Crime Data (3 credits)
  • CRM JST 920: Criminal Justice Master's Capstone Seminar (3 credits)
• Electives:
  • Select 12 additional credits within the criminal justice & criminology program (12 credits)
  • Select 3 additional credits with the consent of the student's advisor (3 credits)
• Total: 30 credits

Master of Public Administration

• Required Courses:
  • BUS ADM 738: Human Resource Management (3 credits)
  • PUB ADM 763: Scope and Dynamics of Public Administration (3 credits)
  • PUB ADM 769: Analyzing and Evaluating Public Policies and Programs (3 credits)
  • Select one of the following:
    • BUSMGMT 709: Predictive Analytics for Managers
    • PUB ADM 792: Decision-Making for Nonprofit and Public Organizations
    • CRM JST 756: Proseminar: Analysis of Criminal Justice Research
  • Select one of the following:
    • BUS ADM 441: Diversity in Organizations
    • BUS ADM 443: Special Topics in Human Resources Management
    • BUS ADM 737: Managerial Decisions and Negotiations
  • Capstone: PUB ADM 959: Capstone Seminar in Public Administration (3 credits)
• General Public Administration:
  • Select three of the following:
    • BUSMGMT 724: Accounting for Nonprofit Organizations
    • PUB ADM 400: Ethics and Responsibility in Public Administration
    • PUB ADMN/URBPLAN 630: Budgeting and Finance in the Public Sector
    • PUB ADM 750: Public Administration Risk and Analysis
    • PUB ADM/POL SCI 914: Seminar in Intergovernment Relations
    • PUB ADM 958: Seminar in Public Administration
    • PUB ADM 965: Municipal Management
• Concentration:
  • Select 12 credits in CRM JST (12 credits)
• Internship:
  • PUB ADM 921: Public Service Administrative Internship (3 credits)
• Total: 45-51 credits

Application Deadlines

• Summer Deadline: April 1, 2026
• Fall Deadline: July 1, 2026
• Spring Deadline: November 1, 2026