Public Administration: Criminal Justice (MPA)

From violent crime to public order offenses, the Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Criminal Justice focuses on applied problem-solving skills. Through course work and an emphasis on student research, students receive specialized knowledge and technical skills in budgeting, planning, personnel administration, legal issues in criminal justice, police strategies, and social policymaking.

Graduates typically achieve continued success in their present careers or are successful in obtaining other career positions related to their interests.

Offered as a collaborative program between the Department of Political Science & Public Administration and Department of Criminal Justice, the MPA with Concentration in Criminal Justice is designed to accommodate working professionals as well as recent graduates.

The Curriculum

• Administrative Law
• Approaches and Methods in Political Science
• Principles and Problems of Public Administration
• Administrative and Organizational Theory
• Public Personnel & Strategic Human Resource Management
• Budgeting and Decision Making
• Program and Policy Evaluation
• Theoretical Foundations of Crime and Crime Prevention
• Legal Issues in Criminal Justice
• Police Strategies, Administration and Social Policy-making
• Seminar on Criminal Justice System Policy
• Professional Seminar or Thesis*

Coursework

Successful completion of thirty-six (36) semester hours of credit is required for the Master of Public Administration with Concentration in Criminal Justice degree. Students typically complete the degree within four semesters.

• Option to complete research through a thesis or capstone project in a professional seminar
• Evening classes through the academic year including summer sessions
• Courses offered in face-to-face and blended (face-to-face plus digital) instruction

Student Learning Outcomes