University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Program Description

The Master of Arts in criminal justice program prepares graduates for positions of responsibility in the criminal justice system and related areas, facilitates the professional and intellectual development of in-service students, and provides foundation work for those planning careers in research or teaching.  The curriculum provides a distinctive melding of professionally structured knowledge and the ethical imperatives of criminal justice in a constitutional democracy focused in two areas, policy or academics.  Attention is centered on:

• dissemination and analysis of behavioral science knowledge pertaining to criminal justice;
• understanding of police, courts, corrections, prosecution agencies, and criminal-legal profession as integral components of criminal justice system;
• leadership and managerial skills appropriate for service in higher echelons of the criminal justice structure;
• philosophy of criminal justice, emphasizing the importance of individual rights and humane treatment within the structure of the U.S. legal tradition; and,
• knowledge of research and research applications needed to understand and improve administration of justice. 

For information regarding graduate study see the UALR Graduate School Page.

Requirements for Admission

General Requirements

The criminal justice degree requires 36 hours, including core hours and a written thesis with oral defense.  Concentrations are offered in two tracks, the academic track and the policy track.  The academic track is designed for those individuals seeking to go on to a doctoral program.  The policy track is for those seeking to work in the criminal justice system and for mid-career students.  Before enrolling in graduate classes, students must consult with the program coordinator to develop a program of study.  For more detailed information, consult the Student Program Guide available from the Department of Criminal Justice.

The thesis, recommended for research-oriented and academic careers, requires research and analysis of a topic in the field.  It must demonstrate advanced scholarship, appropriate design, and skills of written expression.  A total of six credit hours of thesis Criminal Justice 8300 Thesis class and Criminal Justice 8301 Thesis Preparation or Criminal Justice 8302 Policy Thesis Preparation must be completed. 

Electives may be taken from criminal justice or from education, gerontology, history, interpersonal and organizational communication, journalism, psychology, public administration, social work, and technical and expository writing (English). The internship (7390) is recommended for students without professional experience in criminal justice. Up to 12 hours of 5000-level courses may be applied to requirements, with approval of the program coordinator.

Courses with grades B or better may not be repeated; grades below C are not accepted in the minimum hours requirement; and courses cannot be dropped from the study plan because of low grades.  Conditional students must earn grades of at least B in the first 12 hours and may not receive a grade of (I) incomplete.

Academic Track

This track consists of 36 hours consisting of the following courses:

Six hours of electives are required to complete this track.

Policy Track:

 This track consists of 36 hours consisting of the following courses:

Three hours of electives are required to complete this track.