Criminology and Criminal Justice Programs of Study
Undergraduate Program
The undergraduate degree program in Criminal Justice is broad-based in nature, stressing the interrelationships between the various components of the criminal justice system – police, courts and corrections – and familiarizing students with each of these components and their theoretical bases. The program also recognizes and builds upon the interdisciplinary nature of the field it seeks to address. Criminal Justice as a discipline draws together all the social and behavioral sciences, the natural sciences, the mathematical and computer sciences, as well as law and jurisprudence to focus on the problem of crime in society. Indeed, accreditation guidelines for post-secondary criminal justice education programs clearly specify that the curricula "must give explicit recognition to the multi-disciplinary character of the field."
Honors in Criminal Justice
Outstanding undergraduate criminal justice majors who are interested in graduating with the designation of "Honors in Criminal Justice" may apply for admission to the Criminal Justice Honors Program. Application should be made at least two semesters prior to graduation. Admission to the program requires: an overall grade point average of 3.67 or better, junior or senior standing, and completion of CCJ 3014; a letter of application to the Criminal Justice faculty, which includes a discussion of career plans and proposed research to be conducted for the Honors research project; and securing the sponsorship of a member of the Criminal Justice faculty to serve as the supervisor of the Honors research project.
Minor in Criminal Justice
Students in other majors may select to minor in Criminal Justice as part of their overall program of study. The minor in Criminal Justice is recommended for those students who anticipate that their future career will involve them is some contact with the criminal justice system, its employees, victims or offenders, and who would therefore benefit from some knowledge about this area to complement their major area of interest.
Graduate Program
Welcome to the Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice graduate program webpage. We offer the Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree and opportunities for students to work directly with faculty members in the Department. Our faculty members have graduate degrees from well-established graduate programs in the social sciences, including Arizona State University, University of Alberta, University of Central Florida, University of Cincinnati, University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee, and University of Texas at Dallas. Faculty members have recently published in the following journals: Violence Against Women, Deviant Behavior, the British Journal of Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Homicide Studies, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Criminal Justice & Behavior, Journal of Juvenile Justice, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Symbolic Interaction and several others.
Criminology and Criminal Justice is one of the most rapidly growing disciplines in higher education today. Public concerns about crime, and the dramatic expansion of the criminal justice system in recent decades, have spurred a proliferation of courses in this field in colleges across the country. Jobs that did not exist at all two decades ago -- such as victim advocates or police computer mapping specialists -- continue to develop. There is a growing demand for persons with graduate level education in all sectors of the system. The Master of Science in Criminal Justice at UNF provides an opportunity for advanced academic work in this expanding field of study.
As a discipline, criminal justice draws together all the social and behaviorial sciences, natural sciences, mathematical and computer sciences, history, law and jurisprudence to focus on the problem of crime in society. The graduate program at UNF builds upon the unifying interdisciplinary nature of the field it seeks to address.
Furthermore, the program at UNF is vitally concerned with the interrelationship between theory, practice, and research, based on the firm conviction that none of these can stand alone. Sound practice requires a firm theoretical and research base, while advances in theory and research arise from the realities of practice. The program emphasizes the acquisition of professional skills that will enable students to keep abreast of research and developments in the field long after they have completed their formal studies.
For addition information concerning:
- The Criminal Justice Master Degree, please contact Dr. Holly Miller, Graduate Program Director
- Admission and application process, please contact The Graduate School