Masters Program

The Graduate School of Criminal Justice at Northeastern University offers both full-time and part-time programs of study with late afternoon and evening classes scheduled to accommodate the needs of both types of study. With a full-time course load, students generally complete the masters program in eighteen months. Part-time students complete their degree in three to four years depending on their pace and course selection.

The masters program is comprised of seven required courses encompassing both substantive and technical skills. Additionally, students choose five elective courses from offerings within the Graduate School of Criminal Justice. The course offerings afford students the flexibility to customize their own programs, which may include an Internship, Directed Study, or Masters Thesis.

The masters program in Criminal Justice concentrates both on the problem of crime as a form of deviant behavior, and on the criminal justice and private security systems that deal with it. The program emphasizes a systems approach to criminal justice, stressing policy development and analysis, as well as the impact these policies have on the individuals and organizations charged with delivering justice in a fair and equitable manner. Broad in concept and scope, it encompasses such related disciplines as law, sociology, political science, psychology, criminology, and public administration.

Faculty members in the Graduate School represent several different academic disciplines and teaching activities vary in nature, depending on the instructors' specific objectives. The faculty's specialized interests help make possible a broad range of program offerings including courses on, the criminal justice process, victimology, security management, criminal law, juvenile justice, law and psychology and terrorism.

Briefly stated, the Graduate School of Criminal Justice endeavors to:

• Assist in developing criminal justice and private security leaders capable of assuming responsibility for policy planning and administration.
• Offer students the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to conduct applied research while assisting them in developing the ability to apply this research in a variety of criminal justice settings.
• Provide an opportunity for a solid educational foundation for those who wish to pursue more advanced graduate study beyond the Master of Science degree.

Graduate study in criminal justice may be pursued on either a full or part-time basis. All candidates for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree must successfully complete a minimum of thirty-two semester hours of credit in course work.