M.S. in Criminal Justice
In our American society, the field of criminal justice has never been more important, yet under such intense scrutiny than it is right now. Criminals are becoming more violent and more sophisticated in their tactics, but undeterred by many contemporary criminal justice approaches. Even though crime is on the rise across the country, large numbers of citizens no longer fully trust our current criminal justice system.
Due to this troubling new reality, improvements to the legal process, as well as staffing, are necessary and inevitable. Employers can no longer afford to fill the very best jobs with mediocre candidates. In response, CCU has developed a master's degree program specifically designed to produce advanced criminal justice practitioners. Whereas many criminal justice master's programs are meant to prepare graduates with research and theory-oriented skills, this program is thoroughly intended for those who wish to make their impact on society by doing.
This fully online Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree is offered through CCU's College of Adult and Graduate Studies. It is designed to equip you with cutting edge, but practical and timely aptitudes to further your criminal justice career. The program champions ethics and moral convictions, and the courses are delivered within a distinctively Christian framework.
- 36 credit hours
- Courses are taken one at a time and are typically completed in five-week blocks
- Designed for busy adult learners; complete in as little as 15 months of consecutive coursework, even with a full-time job
- Optional emphasis or stand-alone graduate certificate in Campus, Event, and Organizational Safety
- Students can transfer up to 6 graduate-level credit hours
- Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
- Program Brochure
- Associate Degrees: Criminal Justice, A.S.
- Bachelor's Degrees: Criminal Justice, B.S.
- Master's Degrees: Public Administration, MPA
- Certificates: Criminal Justice Certificate
Criminal Justice Emphases and Certificates
CCU offers four courses (12 credit hours) in Campus, Event, and Organizational Safety designed to address the alarming trend of mass violence in our culture through a worldview that supports the sanctity of life and a biblical view of human nature. The courses may be completed as an optional emphasis in the M.S. in Criminal Justice program or as a stand-alone graduate certificate.
The Campus, Event, and Organizational Safety courses include:
- Psychology of the Mass Shooter
- Campus Safety and Mass Violence
- Event Safety and Mass Violence
- Organizational Safety and Mass Violence
Students will acquire theoretical and practical expertise on this ever-worsening issue of violence in American society. At the same time, they are equipped to offer best-practice preventive and response measures to maximize public safety. Those who complete the courses may receive advancement opportunities or consulting roles in criminal justice/public safety.
Christian Understanding of Justice
Informing all of CCU's Criminal Justice programs is a specifically Christian understanding of justice. By this, we mean that true justice is grounded in the very character of God. He is holy, just, righteous, merciful, and loving. Therefore, justice, based upon such attributes, unashamedly recognizes and upholds good and right standards of behavior in individual and corporate contexts.
Since Christians affirm that all humans are created in God's image, a Christian sense of justice does not discriminate between "haves" and "have-nots." All humans deserve equal treatment under the law. Even as God judges sin but restores sinners, justice demands that mercy and love be extended appropriately toward both the offender and the offended. This does not suggest, however, that there are no consequences for criminal behavior, only that God's love is an indispensable ingredient for a better society.
Finally, the biblical understanding of justice should be evident in a Christian's personal and professional actions, interactions, and character working in the criminal justice system.
Job Opportunities with a Master's in Criminal Justice
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects significant job opportunities in a wide variety of criminal justice professions over the next decade. In particular, the law enforcement and investigations sectors are set to add tens of thousands of new jobs.
This M.S. in Criminal Justice degree is designed to meet the needs of students with a wide range of professional interests. It remedies the frustrating dilemma of investing in a degree that winds up being a "mismatch" with the ultimate job you wish to pursue. Rather than focusing on a single topic, the program is divided into four clusters, all with a different theme:
- Ethics, decision-making, and leadership
- Contemporary social problems and solutions
- Investigations
- Constitutional law
Courses build on one another, yet provide the diversity necessary to help equip graduates to do nearly any job in the criminal justice field.
The driving force in the creation of this program was to develop advanced ethically and constitutionally-minded problem solvers who are motivated and equipped to effectively seek and act upon the truth in order to promote public safety and increase community confidence in the system, while furthering the cause of justice in modern American society.
State Exclusions for Online Students
Colorado Christian University is required by the U.S. Department of Education to be in compliance with state laws regarding where we can offer distance and/or online education. The College of Adult and Graduate Studies at Colorado Christian University offers courses to online students in all states with some exceptions for specific academic programs.